When Graham Ebner says he makes “really nice, really expensive” cowboy boots, it’s somehow barely a brag.
In just five short years the Austin, Texas native (“to be clear, I grew up FIRMLY in the suburbs”) has established an impressive foothold for himself in the pantheon of rising bespoke cowboy makers. After training under the legendary Lee Miller at Texas Traditions (early job: refooting boots eaten by presumably lovable dogs), Graham struck out on his own to flex his unique combination of artistry, inlay/overlay work, and technical skill.
In my chat with Graham we get deep into how he works with customers through the lens of his just-finished Big Bend Boots, the “close the shop down tools” he could never be without, the language and purpose of toe bugs/flowers, and the incredible resource for learning bootmaking that is the internet—and the extra special sauce that comes from being part of a bookmaking lineage that stretches back to the all-time-great originators of the craft.
SEE MORE OF GRAHAM'S WORK
https://www.grahamebner.com/
https://www.instagram.com/grahamebnerboots/?hl=en
MENTIONED
Cowboy Bootmaking Legend Lisa Sorrell on Myths, Lore, and Why Craft Has Never Been More Important
https://www.stitchdown.com/stitchdown-shoecast/cowboy-bootmaking-legend-lisa-sorrell/
YOUTUBE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHtCJrjdh9g
COME TO STITCHDOWN BOOT CAMP—OCTOBER 6th & 7th 2023 IN NYC
https://www.stitchdownbootcamp.com/
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THIS EPISODE WAS SPONSORED BY GRANT STONE
Theme Song: The Road by Punk Rock Opera