Wickett & Craig

Operating from a 16-acre facility, Wickett & Craig produces 4,500,000 square feet of leather annually using a six-week vegetable tanning process. The tannery's products include English Bridle, Traditional Harness, H Latigo, Oiled Latigo, Skirting, and various specialty leathers used by heritage footwear manufacturers and leather craftspeople.

Wickett & Craig was founded in 1867, giving the company over 150 years of experience in leather tanning. The tannery operated in Toronto, Canada for 123 years before relocating to the United States. In 1989, the city of Toronto expropriated several companies from the city limits in connection with the city's bid for the 1992 Olympics, prompting Wickett & Craig's move to Curwensville, Pennsylvania.

Curwensville was already established as a tannery town due to the presence of Howes Leather, a sole bend and shoulder tannery focused on footwear manufacturing, though that operation no longer exists. The relocation to Pennsylvania allowed Wickett & Craig to continue operations while maintaining its traditional vegetable tanning methods.

Wickett & Craig specializes exclusively in vegetable tanning, a traditional leather-making method that is labor-intensive, natural, and environmentally friendly. The tanning process takes approximately six weeks from start to finish, in contrast to chrome tanning methods used for 90% of market leather.

The company's process utilizes a proprietary blend of Mimosa and Quebracho tree bark tannins. The tannery's facility contains 72 vats for the tanning process. Hides are sourced from North American cattle of European stock.

The production sequence includes pre-tanning, splitting hides, drying, dyeing, fat-liquoring with oils and waxes, hot-stuffing for Bridle and Harness Leathers, finishing, grading, and shipment. The company has earned environmental certification from the Leather Working Group.

The vegetable tanning process produces deeply lustrous leather that is durable and develops a rich patina with age. The method uses natural tannins derived from tree bark and plant matter rather than chemical processes.

Wickett & Craig produces both light-weight and heavy-weight leathers from its Curwensville facility. Light-weight leathers are used for luxury goods including shoes, bags, and belts, while heavy-weight leathers serve traditional equestrian applications such as saddles, bridles, and straps. In recent years, the company has expanded into the footwear market.

The product range includes English Bridle, Traditional Harness, H Latigo, Oiled Latigo (also known as Show Harness), Skirting, Bellies, Tooling/Holster Carving, and custom options. H Latigo is a hybrid that combines characteristics of both Traditional Harness and English Bridle leathers. For detailed specifications and applications of individual leather types, see the dedicated product articles.

For most products, average side measurements are 24-27 square feet and average back measurements are 18-20 square feet.

Wickett & Craig leather is characterized by natural grain, saturated colors, and the ability to develop rich patina over time. The company is currently led by Matt Bressler, who serves as Vice President of Sales & Operations and has 29 years of experience with the company, having started on the factory floor.