Charlotte Is Becoming a Leather Town. We Have Some Thoughts About That.

If you've been paying attention to Charlotte's maker scene lately, you may have noticed something quietly stitching itself together: leather. Independent leather artisans are popping up across the city, setting up studios, selling at markets, and building small businesses around handcrafted goods. And honestly? We think that's one of the most exciting things happening in this town right now.

We'd be telling a very incomplete story if we didn't mention that a handful of those makers have some ColsenKeane DNA in their work. A few of our former leathersmiths have gone on to start their own thing right here in Charlotte, and we could not be more proud of them for it. We like to think we had at least a little something to do with that. (Okay, maybe more than a little. But we'll let the quality of their stitching speak for itself.)

Take Andy, who worked as a leathersmith here at ColsenKeane before going on to found 5th Forrest Leather Co., a Charlotte-based leather goods brand doing genuinely beautiful work. Or Josh, who also came up working with us before launching Sernabespoke, a bespoke leather operation also right here in the city. Two different guys, two different visions, one shared foundation built right here in our studio. We root for both of them loudly and without hesitation.

And look, we'll be straight with you: if you're someone who has ever thought about doing something like that, starting something of your own, working in a craft you actually care about, the Residency is a pretty logical place to begin. You don't have to have a business plan. You just have to show up ready to learn.

That's what small business supporting small business actually looks like, by the way. Not a hashtag. Not a bumper sticker. It's pouring real knowledge into real people and then cheering them on when they go build something of their own. A rising tide and all that.

That ripple effect matters to us because it speaks to something we've believed since day one: leather craft is not a lost art, it's an apprenticed one. It gets passed down. It grows. And the best thing a small studio can do for its craft isn't to hoard knowledge, it's to give it away generously to the right people.

Which brings us to what we actually want to talk about today.

The Leather Crafting Residency: Where It All Starts

At ColsenKeane, the Leather Crafting Residency is our foundational program for anyone serious about learning this craft. Think of it less like a class you'd take on a weekend whim and more like the beginning of a real craft education.

The Residency is an immersive, 10-week program based right here in our Charlotte studio. It's designed for two kinds of people: those with absolutely zero leather experience who are just genuinely curious and ready to learn, and those who have some foundational skills and want to push further. Either way, you'll leave knowing considerably more than you arrived with.

Over the course of 100 hours in the studio (typically two five-hour shifts per week, Monday through Friday), you'll get your hands on the tools, the materials, and the methods that define our work. That means learning our hand-stitching technique, setting rivets, affixing hardware like buckles, and building small goods from start to finish. You'll get familiar with the awls, the needles, and the mallets. You'll learn leather selection basics and production methods for items like wallets. Tools are provided while you're in the studio, so you can focus on learning without stressing about gear.

The artisans guiding you through the program bring 33 years of combined knowledge to the table. These are people who have spent years thinking carefully about leather, how it behaves, how it ages, and what it takes to make something that genuinely lasts.

More Than a Skill. A Real Professional Credential.

Here's where it gets interesting for anyone thinking about this from a career or entrepreneurial angle.

The Residency isn't just a learning experience you'll describe vaguely in conversation later. Upon successful completion, you receive a Certification of Completion with 100 Residency Hours in Leather Crafting. That's a tangible, resume-ready credential in a skilled trade that doesn't exactly have a surplus of certified practitioners walking around Charlotte.

You'll also get the opportunity to build either a No. 714 Tote or a No. 4313 Minimalist Satchel, valued at up to $950. That's not a participation trophy, that's a finished, functional piece you made with your own hands using professional methods.

For college and university students, we're glad to work with you and your academic advisors to explore the possibility of earning course credit for your time in the Residency. Because 100 hours of applied skilled craft instruction is, by any reasonable measure, an education.

Built for Entrepreneurs, Too

We think a lot about the people who walk through our door for the Residency and where they might be headed.

Some come because they want to understand craft from the inside, maybe they're already running a small creative business and they want to add leather skills to their toolkit. Some come because they've been drawn to the idea of working with their hands and they want to find out if this is their thing. Some come and discover it absolutely is, and they start dreaming bigger.

We see the Residency as one of the most practical things a small business can offer its city. We're not a corporation with a training budget and a satellite office. We're a small studio in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, run by real people who love this craft. And when we take on Residency participants, we're making a direct investment in the local maker ecosystem, in the idea that Charlotte can be a place where skilled trades thrive alongside the coffee shops and co-working spaces.

That matters on a practical level, too. When we are actively hiring, we look first at our current and former Residency participants. We have taken people from "I've never touched leather before" to "contributing member of a professional leathersmith team." That pipeline is intentional. It's community building at the studio level, and we think it's how small businesses can do something genuinely meaningful in their local economy.

Who Should Apply?

We're looking for self-starters. Problem-solvers. People who enjoy working with their hands and don't shy away from learning something hard. If you have a genuine curiosity about handcrafted leather goods and you want to know what it actually takes to build something well, this program is for you.

The Residency is open to anyone 18 and older. You don't need experience. You need enthusiasm and availability for a consecutive 10-week commitment.

The program is in-person only, located at our studio at 1707 E 7th Street in Charlotte's Elizabeth neighborhood. It's not available remotely and doesn't run on weekends, so come prepared to carve out dedicated weekday time.

How to Get Started

If this resonates, here's what to do: complete the application form after checkout. Be ready to tell us a little about yourself, your experience working with your hands, your schedule, and what you're hoping to get out of this.

Once we receive your form, someone from our team will follow up within 48 hours to schedule your time in the studio.

Our cancellation policy can be found here.

Charlotte's leather scene is growing. We'd love for you to be part of what comes next.