Leather Craftsman Produces Quality Halters

20 YEARS AGO Local leather worker, Danie Mentz, crafts his own harnesses and bridles, with his work comparable to that of the international brands imported by South African tackshops.

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“Mr Mentz has been a leather worker for more than 70 years. He started to make riems and stops at the age of eleven, when his father died. The youngster had to do it, as it was in the time of the ox-wagon. Today, he is a master of his trade and it is difficult to imagine that many riems landed up in the trash can back then.

“Mr Mentz farmed wheat and dairy on the banks of the Sand River, until the land was bought out for the Sand/Vet Scheme. He then moved to the Petrusburg district, where he grew lucerne for his horses, which he trained and showed. Seven years ago, he moved to Petrusburg. For all these years, leather working has been part of his life.