Jim Linnell is an American leathercraft educator and artist best known for his long association with Tandy Leather and for his personal brand, Elktracks Studio. Over several decades, Linnell has played a central role in shaping how leathercraft is taught in the United States, particularly through instructional patterns, in-store classes, print publications, and later through large-scale digital education. His work is widely associated with clarity, practicality, and an emphasis on teaching fundamentals in ways that are approachable without being simplistic.

Rather than being known for a single visual style, Linnell’s influence comes from how many leatherworkers first learned the craft through materials he helped create, refine, or distribute. For many, his projects, demonstrations, and instructional media served as an early and lasting foundation.

Early life and education

Jim Linnell was born and raised on a ranch in eastern Montana, roughly 50 miles from the nearest town, Miles City. Growing up in a remote rural setting shaped both his work ethic and his early exposure to craft. Trips into town every few weeks were memorable events, often including visits to the local saddlery, where the smells of leather, oils, and dyes made a lasting impression on him at a young age. Those early sensory experiences became some of his first connections to what would later become a lifelong involvement with leathercraft.

Linnell’s first hands-on experience with leather came in elementary school, when a nearby neighbor who did leatherwork invited him to try stamping leather. Around the age of 11, he received more structured instruction in a seventh-grade industrial arts class, where he completed several leather projects. The experience sparked a deeper interest in the craft and gave him enough confidence to continue learning on his own.

Soon afterward, Linnell responded to a small advertisement in Outdoor Life magazine for a Spiral Line wallet kit from Tandy Leather. The kit arrived with a company catalog, and he persuaded his parents to purchase a modest starter tool set. With his first real tools, he began making leather items for friends and neighbors, selling them in order to buy additional tools, patterns, and materials. This cycle of making, selling, and reinvesting became an early lesson in both craftsmanship and sustainability.

In high school, Linnell enrolled in a crafts class that included leatherwork among several disciplines. His instructor, Mr. Matross, had practical experience with leather and introduced him to instructional books by Al Stohlman. Linnell studied the illustrations closely and challenged himself to match the quality of work shown in those pages. Encountering Stohlman’s work in person later would only reinforce the high standard those early publications set for him and would influence his approach to tooling and carving throughout his career.

Career

Early professional work and introduction to teaching

After high school, Linnell continued producing leatherwork independently while holding other jobs. A pivotal moment came when he walked into Boyd’s Boot & Saddle and asked whether they had anyone doing custom leatherwork. When told they did not, he returned later that day with a finished wallet. The shop accepted the piece and began giving him regular orders, and for the next several years he completed much of their custom leatherwork. During this period, he also tooled saddles for a local saddle maker, gaining experience in both decorative and functional leatherwork.

By the late 1970s, Linnell was working construction during the day and carving leather at night. While reading a newspaper in Billings, Montana, he noticed that Tandy Leather Company was hiring for its manager-training program. Although the position meant a pay cut and longer hours, the opportunity to work full-time in the leather industry appealed to him. With encouragement from his wife, he accepted the position and began what would become a long career with the company.

Early in his tenure at Tandy, Linnell taught leatherwork classes and demonstrations in stores, schools, and community programs. His teaching ranged from youth groups and junior high classes to 4-H workshops and evening store sessions. On one occasion, he taught roughly 200 students in a single day while visiting a Montana school. These early experiences helped establish his reputation as an approachable and effective educator and reinforced his belief that leathercraft could be taught clearly to anyone willing to practice.

Tandy Leather and national educational influence

Over the years, Linnell advanced through a variety of roles at Tandy Leather, eventually serving in senior creative and educational capacities, including as Advertising Manager. During this period, Tandy functioned as one of the primary gateways into leathercraft for hobbyists across the United States, and Linnell played a significant role in shaping how the craft was presented to beginners.

He contributed to the development of patterns, project kits, demonstration materials, and instructional messaging that emphasized fundamentals, repeatable processes, and practical design. His work helped standardize how leathercraft techniques were explained, making them easier for instructors to teach and for students to follow. For many leatherworkers, Linnell’s projects and demonstrations were among their first structured learning experiences.

Linnell also collaborated closely with other educators, craftsmen, and content producers, helping create an ecosystem of instruction that extended from retail stores to publications and traveling demonstrations. His ability to translate hands-on skills into teachable steps became one of his defining strengths.

Joshua’s Christian Bookstores

At the start of the 1990s, Linnell expanded his professional experience beyond leathercraft education when he served as President of Joshua’s Christian Bookstores, a regional retail chain focused on Christian media and resources. He led the organization for seven years, during which time the business grew and expanded its market presence prior to being acquired by Family Christian Stores.

This executive leadership role broadened Linnell’s management experience and provided him with additional perspective on retail operations and organizational strategy before he returned to roles more directly connected with leathercraft and design.

Elktracks Studio and digital preservation

After retiring from his full-time role at Tandy Leather, Linnell co-founded an e-learning platform named after his personal leatherworking brand platform with longtime collaborator Michael Magnus. Elktracks Studio was created to preserve and expand access to high-quality leathercraft education through professionally produced instructional videos.

This effort ensured that influential teaching materials from earlier generations of leathercraft educators remained accessible to contemporary audiences, reinforcing the pair's mutual commitment to preservation through education. The platform became known for its depth of instruction and for capturing long-form demonstrations that were rarely documented elsewhere.

Teaching philosophy and impact

Linnell’s influence on leathercraft education is rooted less in any single technique and more in his approach to teaching. He consistently emphasized fundamentals, thoughtful design, and respect for process. Rather than positioning himself as a stylistic authority, he focused on giving students the tools to understand why techniques work, allowing them to adapt and develop their own preferences over time.

Those who learned from Linnell often describe his instruction as methodical, encouraging, and grounded in real-world practice. Because his work reached many students at the very beginning of their leathercraft journeys, his teaching philosophy has shaped the habits, expectations, and confidence of a broad cross-section of the leatherworking community.

Service and leadership

Throughout his career, Linnell has contributed to leathercraft not only as an instructor but also as a steward of educational standards. His work helped professionalize instructional materials at a time when much leathercraft knowledge was shared informally or inconsistently. By emphasizing clear documentation and repeatable instruction, he played a role in preserving techniques that might otherwise have remained localized or undocumented.

His contributions to education and preservation were formally recognized in 2002, when he received the Al Stohlman Award, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to leathercraft education.

Personal life

Jim lives in Venus, Texas, but travels regularly in his retirement for teaching, vacationing, and spending time with family. In 2025, Jim celebrated 50 years of marriage to his wife, Denise Linnell. They have two children, Lindsay and James, as well as two grandchildren. Jim's son, James Linnell, is the owner of the ProLeatherCarvers website.

Video & Media Highlights

Michael Magnus interviews Jim Linnell about his professional career:

Jim Linnell discusses his love of leathercraft during an artist highlight for Tandy Leather:

Frequently asked questions

What is Jim Linnell best known for in leathercraft?
He is best known for his long career as an educator and designer at Tandy Leather and for co-founding Elktracks Studio, a major online leathercraft education platform.

Did Jim Linnell work for Tandy Leather?
Yes. He spent many years at Tandy Leather in senior creative and educational roles, including serving as Advertising Manager.

Is Jim Linnell primarily a leather artist or a teacher?
Linnell is primarily known as an educator and designer rather than as a studio artist producing one-off work.

What is Elktracks Studio?
Elktracks Studio is an online leathercraft education platform co-founded by Linnell that features long-form instructional videos from a wide range of educators.

Are Jim Linnell’s instructional materials still available?
Many of his videos and patterns remain available through educational platforms and archived collections associated with Elktracks Studio.

Sources for this article:

• Tandy Leather educational and marketing archives

• Elktracks Studio project records

• Leathercraft trade publications and instructional catalogs

Written By: Michael Magnus
Edited By:
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