Local Couple Takes the Bull by the Horns with Handcrafted Leather Products

We've all heard the saying: When you mess with the bull, you get the horns. It's a warning that encourages the use of caution prior to confrontation, but it was the imagery created by an angry bull that inspired Danielle "Dani" St. Jean and her husband Jason when they were brainstorming a business name for selling their handcrafted leather products. Jason is a veteran, St. Jean explained, and they wanted a name that reflected his background, but every name they liked was already taken. One day, while working on a piece of leather that had what she called a "gnarly scar," she mumbled to herself, "that must have been one angry bull." Having grown up on a farm where every bull she ever met was angry, they laughed about it and the name stuck. She said it gets a positive response from members of the public at fairs, and she's been told it's unforgettable. The bulls might be angry, but the leather goods produced by Angry Bull Leather Design of Chesterfield are the complete opposite of unpleasant. The couple relocated to the area a couple of years ago after living in Massachusetts and Alabama while Jason was serving in the military. St. Jean is a certified dog trainer who teaches group classes at Monadnock Humane Society, as well as private lessons through her home-based business The Dog Spot. She has two Dobermans of her own, Vera and Chief, and said the leather products were initially inspired by her canine family members. She was frustrated at the lack of good-quality leather dog gear on the market, and so they decided to make their own. Jason had learned the art of leather working from his grandfather, and they started out making leashes and collars. After a few friends saw the products and asked her to make some for their dogs, word spread and they saw the potential for a moneymaking business. "I had to start charging people," she laughed. "Leather is expensive." They formed an LLC in 2021, and their product line has evolved quickly to include handbags, wallets and accessories, although she says the collars and leashes are the most difficult products to make. They also take custom orders for saddle bags, which are made from repurposed saddles. A longtime equestrian, although she had to stop riding after an accident, St. Jean understands the attachment that riders have to their saddles. The saddle bags are a way for them to hold onto a keepsake made from a saddle they no longer ride. "They can still use it every day, but in a different way," St. Jean explained. She makes non-custom saddle bags from saddles she finds at tack sales, and those are exclusively sold at Hannah Grimes Marketplace in Keene, where they've been quite popular, she added. Her other bags and accessories can be found at two retail locations: Howard's Leather in Spofford and Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, Mass., in addition to being available on her website and social media. She also attends the two annual Creative Chesterfield Artisan Fairs that are held during the holidays and in the spring. This year's spring fair is on April 25 at Chesterfield Town Hall. Additionally, she regularly donates products or gift certificates for charitable auctions and raffles that support animals. While she'd like to be in more retail locations, she doesn't want to overextend herself and run out of products at her current locations or be unable to take custom orders. As each piece is made entirely by hand with no machines, it can take up to a week to make a wallet, including drying time, and a custom saddle bag can take two weeks or more. Although she can be working on multiple pieces at a time that are in various stages, it's still a process that can't be rushed. It's a different sewing process than fabric, she explained, and she feels that it looks better when it's done by hand. The saddle bags are especially rewarding and her favorite pieces to make, even though they take the most time and she gets attached to each one. "Each saddle bag is unique depending on the type of saddle and all the leather has a different feel," she said. "That's the creative side of it that I really love. You're never going to get the same thing twice. It's not cookie cutter." The saddles speak to her as she goes. "The saddle tells you what the pattern will be," she said. "You have to play with the pieces you have until you can see the shape. The saddle bags are my passion project." The process of transforming an old, crusty saddle into something new is her happy place, she said, despite the occasional stabbing injury and follow-up tetanus shot. "It's nice to get into your own head and enjoy the process," St. Jean explained. "When it's done, it's done, and then I present it to the world." To view and purchase products online or to find a contact form for custom orders, as well as dog training information, visit angrybullleathers.square.site. Follow "Angry Bull Leather Design" on Facebook and Instagram (@angry_bull_leather_design) for updates.