My Story

Hello! My name is Chris Humphrey and I am the owner/operator of Left Lane Leather Goods, LLC located in central South Carolina.

I am a retired Army Veteran of 21 years. My Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) was 13F, Forward Observer. My journey began right out of high school in 1996 and has taken me all over the world with duty stations in Fort Sill Oklahoma, Giessen Germany, Schwienfurt Germany, Graffenwoehr Germany, Shaw AFB South Carolina, and Ramstein AFB Germany. I completed 2 tours in Iraq in 2004-2005 and 2008-2009 with multiple duties in Jordan and Kuwait. I retired from the Army in 2017 and continued my government service as a Department of the Army (DA) Civilian. I now serve as the Knowledge Management Deputy Director for U.S. Army Central Command.

As many combat veterans can attest to, one of our biggest battles after war is PTSD and I was no different. I began searching for a hobby that would keep my mind and time off occupied. As it happened, one of the gentlemen that I worked with had a hobby as a blacksmith. I entertained the idea of blacksmithing but quickly determined it was not for me. One day he was showing one of the knives he had made and pulled it out of a beat up old knife sheath. I thought to myself that I could make a knife sheath that would serve as a better home for that knife. And thus my journey began.

In 2020 I went online and purchase a beginners leather working tool set and a side of vegetable tan leather. I watched several how to videos on creating patterns and how to prepare and treat the leather and off I went. It was the beginning of a passion that has continued to grow. I grew up in Texas horseback riding and rodeoing and all those familiar smells came rushing back when working with leather.

After a few years I moved out of my dining room and into a small outdoor shop I purchased and began honing my skills. Over the last year I have begun focusing on belts, holsters, and knife sheaths perfecting my process and craft. My work has primarily been word of mouth with many happy customers telling me I should start a business. So in February 2026 I made the decision to follow their advice and start up my company. Leather crafting has truly become a labor of love and a rewarding experience.

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about me and for your support of Left Lane Leather Goods, LLC.