Schott shares leathercraft skills in Laramie County
The art of leathercraft has been a part of Jerry Schott’s life for 75 years and to him it’s became more than just a hobby — it’s had a generational impact. You see, this leather work began as a simple art class in junior high school and now has transpired into a love, passion, and something that Schott, 88, who is from Fort Collins, Colo., has been able to pass down to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Not long after discovering his love of working with leather, Schott decided he needed to figure out a way to pay for tools so that he could continue perfecting his new craft. He began delivering newspapers to save up for the tools he knew would be valuable in creating leather pieces.
In his formative years leathercraft allowed Schott to be creative with his hands and gave him an outlet to create after he worked his 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. job. It also allowed him to bless others with a gift that was handmade and thoughtful. After marrying his wife Donna, over 55 years ago, money was tight — as it is for many newlyweds. Despite this, Jerry was able to utilize his skillset to make belts and billfolds for his whole family, that were low-cost and special. And much to his excitement, those same gifts are still in the family today, and look like new, thanks to a maker who was intentional in making them the right way — not cutting corners.
When creating his leather works, Schott didn’t use kits. Every piece was carefully cut, crafted and tooled by hand with supplies often coming from Tandy Leather in Denver. However now, in his later years, he said the kits are a little easier to work with.
SHARING HIS GIFT
As Schott kids came along and became old enough to learn more about leather work, Schott began sharing his gifts with them. In fact, his daughter, Diane, shared that she and her sister Debbie, used to win Champion and Reserve in their respective divisions at the county fair because of the incredible skill that their dad was able to teach them.
But Schott didn’t reserve his teaching ability and craftmanship just for his family, he also helped other kids in the Larimer County area, helping up to 20 kids at times. Schott taught students for 20 years and had many young people succeed with their projects at the local and state 4-H levels.
His daughter Diane describes leathermaking in 4-H as a “family affair.” Schott spent much of his time serving others through roles on the 4-H Foundation Board and the Larimar County Beef Committee at the county fair. The county fair tradition continues as he helps his great-grandsons make projects for the Weld County Fair, where they continually earn impressive honors.
Now, even though his hair is whiter and his hands arthritic, that hasn’t stopped Schott from creating pieces that his family loves and appreciates. This last summer, at the 2025 Larimer County Fair, Diane entered one of her father’s pieces in the leather division, where he received a first-place ribbon.
Schott is a true testament to what happens when hard work, tradition and creativity collide.
