BOZEMAN — Just off Main Street in Bozeman is Black Sheep: A local leather goods store, full of chaps, saddles, and other custom gear.

"Cowboys are my favorite people to work with," said the owner of Black Sheep Custom Leather, Brian Esslinger.

From a young age, Esslinger said he loved art and design and dreamed of opening his own shop — he just didn't know what type of shop.

Go inside Black Sheep Custom Leather and watch master craftsman Brian Esslinger create custom saddles from start to finish Bozeman saddle maker crafts custom leather goods for cowboys at Black Sheep Custom Leather

While working as a cobbler at a leather store in Salt Lake City, he asked his mentor to show him how to build saddles.

"One night, we were in his shop, and we were carving something together, and he l

See Full Page