Standing Bears Trading Post

The many encumbrances of daily carry items prompted me to seek a leather craftsman who could make custom holsters for my glasses and phone. I decided upon a double shoulder holster rig and then sought out Wayne at Standing Bears Trading Post.
Prospective customers seeking custom work should know that Wayne is in demand. To manage the demand, Wayne will sign customers up on a waiting list and then make contact once he’s ready to begin a new project.
When my day came up, we met and discussed the options and dimensions for my shoulder rig. Some weeks later, my rig was completed and Wayne made adjustments for a custom fit.
With care and maintenance, I expect the leather will last a lifetime. My sincere appreciation for Wayne’s craftsmanship !
Parking out front at the shop location.

Thank you so much for all your help, you guys always help me out and go above and beyond. Truly a wonderful place to come. Thank you again.

So lucky to live close enough to take his classes. He can answer any question you have about leather and making something. Don’t know of any place else in the country where you can get such expert training for the price he charges.

Standing Bear’s Trading Post owner Wayne is one of the last small business owners that provides not only leather craft supplies but excellent instruction in leather carving. I am in a beginning class that has been going for about four months. Wayne is an excellent instructor and I have learned a lot from him.
The only problem in the class was a blowup two weeks ago by an unhappy student whose review is also posted here in which she criticized everything about him. It seems obvious it had been building for a while.
Had she spoken to Wayne in private outside of class I would have some respect for her but she reacted to a comment he made about the piece she was working on and she went from zero to sixty in under five seconds in front of the whole class. She seemed more intent on trying to put Wayne in his place than on solving the problem she had with him. And she was demanding a standard of behavior from him that she did not seem to require of herself. It was unnecessary and unpleasant.
Wayne kept his cool and went on with the class when she finally ran down. I was surprised she did not choose to leave then. Wayne showed restraint in not asking her to.

Wayne’s Advanced Leather Class. I have been taking classes here for 12 years. He is extremely knowledgeable and a great teacher! He also sells leather craft supplies and he is my «go to» shop for everything leather!

I was very excited to start my tooling classes with WC. Unfortunately my experience was a big disappointment. He was at times impatient and rude with me. The last class I attended he actually got into a embarrassing altercation in front of the whole class. I could not bring myself to go back. He needs to learn to get along with all types of people. I am sure his business suffers for it. He also needs to get more organized. His comments about his competitors are endless and tiresome. He really needs to act with more decorum and respect. Fortunately this experience has not turned me away from this wonderful craft and I will continue with it.

Bought a belt blank, great quality, great price, wonderful customer service. Shipping was super fast and affordable. I wish more shops were like this fine establishment! Thanks Standing Bear!

Always friendly and helpful, have been a few times to get supplies for beadworking for the boys I work with, they always have what I need and are helpful with questions and suggestions… it’s my «go to» place to stock up on supplies :) Support Local Businesses!

Great place, outstanding customer service, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
Needed a leather dog leash repaired. I had it repaired six months ago by a shoe repair place and the work that they did didn’t last six months. Found Standing Bear and took the leash in. Was fixed and ready for pick up a day later. Such good work! The thread matches the color of the leather and the rivets are the matching brass color of the metal clip. Also owner took the time to answer my questions about getting a custom leash. I’m very happy with the repair to my leash, thank you!

Experience, Knowledge of the owner makes all the difference when shopping. With Wayne the owner, he knows how to show you use and care of the products he sells. It isn’t about just making a sale it is about making sure the customer knows how to use the products they are purchasing, he will be there for help after the sale. He is more than happy to help people with their questions. My first place to shop for Leather and supplies!

This place is AWESOME!!! I had bought a leather cuff for my husband from a store online and it ended up being too big for him. I tried to fix it myself, but that didn’t go so well. So… with a recommendation from a friend, I went in and told Wayne my problem and he fixed the whole thing in under 5 minutes. Thank you Wayne and thank you Standing Bears Trading Post! I will definitely recommend your store to all of my friends!

Just returned from Standing Bear’s with the two leather vest kits I went for.
My 5 year old son and I have joined the YMCA Indian Guides and, we need the vests. Old fashioned place with materials I couldn’t find anywhere else.
It’s great the store is still there.
It’s a fine place for leather craft materials for Indian Guides, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts and other youth groups.

Went to Standing Bear’s Trading Post to get Y-​Guides leather vests for my son and I. Being new to the Y-​Guides it was nice to go to just one store and find all of the supplies I needed as well find someone there with the knowledge and experience to say things like, «you absolutely need this and this. This you don’t need but most dads get. And this you don’t need but a few of the dads get — because it kind of looks cool.» He also gave me a quick run through on vest assembly (yes, they need assembling) and gave me a few pointers that ended up saving me considerable time and hardship.
Their website was also a great source of information. You can find information on Vest Kit sizing, Vest Kit assembly and Guide Patch gluing.
Looking back I appreciate the fact that Standing Bear’s was a one stop shop. It carried all of the supplies I needed and there was someone there who helped guide me through the process. And that unlike my Home Depot-​related projects, I only needed one trip.
Would highly recommend.

In this day and age, there are many businesses that have gone away in part due to big box stores and others due to just trends. Sure we get cheaper items, but we lose the service and knowledge that goes along with these stores.
Standing Bears is still standing, probably because they offer unique products, service and knowledge that the big stores have no interest in providing.
I have come here for years, mainly buying crafts and items for our youth group. We cannot get these items at any other store. Along with their products, they have the knowledge of how to actually use what they sell, how to make their crafts and how to put the leather vests they sell together.
Service here is always top notch. I am glad this place is here. They offer a wide array of other services, all sorts of leather crafts that are described in the business description. They have a website and ship as well.