Cross Winds Leather
Mission:
Cross Winds Leather combines the timelessness of leather and the strength of climbing rope together to create durable, long lasting pet gear.
Vision:
Cross Winds Leather strives to redefine the way business is done in the pet industry by maintaining transparency, accountability and responsibility within all parts of the business and beyond.
Materials and Safety:
Collapsible content
Leather
As of August 2024: The leather used for handles and all-leather leashes, collars and accessories is full grain, vegetable tanned, bridle leather that is manufactured by ChahinLeather® and distributed by American Leather Direct, Inc.. Both ChahinLeather® and ALD are certified through the Leather Working Group. The leather will be available storewide by the end of August.
The leather used for wrapping each product is sourced within the United States. The leather cords are free of harsh chemicals and comply with the CPSIA requirements and more.
Prior to August 2024: “ ” is top grain and is sourced from European suppliers. All leather is free of harsh chemicals.
Ropes
Cross Winds Leather sources UIAA and EN 892 certified dynamic climbing rope from distributors that sell climbing rope made by the following manufacturers: Armbury, Beal, Edelrid, Edelweiss, Fixe, Mammut, Sterling and Tendon.
In an ongoing effort to reduce their carbon footprint, Cross Winds Leather continues to source a few second-hand ropes each year. This repurposes the rope and reduces waste. While these ropes were pre-owned, they have never been previously used and remain in excellent condition in CWL’s care. Previous collection ropes that were second-hand: Liberty, Rapids, Yuletide and Superstition.
Other Materials
Cross Winds Leather sources reliable hardware and materials from trusted manufacturers and suppliers including: Buckle Guy, Atwood Rope Manufacturing, Tandy, Pethardware and Paracord EU.
Testing
All Cross Winds Leather products have undergone testing for durability and reliability. Below are instances that have occurred after testing. Despite these instances, the pieces of gear were still usable because of the safety measures Cross Winds Leather has implemented into each product.
The leather wrap has come off of a rope product. Each rope product is stitched together prior to being wrapped with leather. The thread used to stitch these products is a uv/rot resistant, 100lb tensile strength micro cord. Stitching the products ensures that if the leather wrap comes apart, the gear is still fully intact and usable.
A chicago screw has come off of a leather handle. The design of the handles ensure that if one of the two screws comes off, the handle can still be used as there is still one point of connection left.
Since these occurred, the leather wrap has been updated to a thicker, stronger cord and a more in-depth disclaimer has been provided to customers about chicago screws and leather care.
Meet the Maker
My name is Elena and I’m the owner and maker of Cross Winds Leather. My little family and I are located in rural Western Pennsylvania.
After I got married to my husband in 2020, we decided we wanted our first dog as a couple. Lebowski was first and not even a year later, we got Timber. While raising our two dogs, I realized that I did not enjoy the dog gear on the market. I appreciated it but I craved something different. I started creating gear for myself in our bedroom during a house remodel. The timing was hectic but I noticed that I felt significantly happier whenever I was focused on creating and working with my hands. I sent a few pieces of gear to my friends and always toyed with the idea about starting a side hustle but I didn’t have the funds or the time to invest in it. A year and a half later, after a lot of saving, thinking and creating, I decided I wanted to share my passion.
Cross Winds Elijah. Eli was my greatest friend for over 14 years. He was a gentle giant and was always there for me through the ups and downs of life. Eli, my best boy, my love for you is forever; this is for you.
As Cross Winds Leather continues to grow, I hope you will join me on my journey. I truly love creating quality dog gear that will last a lifetime. Thank you for stopping by, I sincerely appreciate your support.