There exists an important difference between the many purses found in stores and those purchased from Ramiro Paz. 

Store-bought purses, even those from iconic brands, are made of canvas coated with polyvinyl chloride. Paz’s purses are handcrafted with genuine leather, as are his wallets, belts, money pouches, and knife sheaths. His journey to being a craftsman took him through active military duty in the U.S. Navy, then becoming a schoolteacher and subsequent encouragement from co-workers to take up working with leathers. 

Paz was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when he was 12, settling in the Las Milpas area of south Pharr. He credits his mother for his upbringing and her many sacrifices. 

“I’m glad she put me in the United States,” Paz said. “She made that sacrifice. That way I could do my part.”

Growing up, he did not envision a future of being a leather craftsman, spending time in libraries and dreaming of travels to Spain and other faraway lands. Joining the Navy, Paz knew he could travel the world he longed to see.

Becoming A Teacher

Paz spent three years on active duty and five in the reserves. His first destination while serving on the USS Nashville was Spain, as fate would have it.

Serving in the Navy gave him access to college via the GI Bill and its assistance in paying for the costs of attending then-UT Pan American. Paz majored in Spanish and minored in art in nurturing his skills for ceramics. 

After graduating, he became a teacher as a classroom instructor of Spanish for schools in Raymondville and later in Donna. Paz would spend 26 years in the classroom and would eventually find his happy place as a full-time art instructor. Along the way, he earned a master’s degree in Spanish and taught for two semesters at UTPA. Paz also earned a Master of Fine Arts in 3D studio art.

A co-worker in Donna gifted him a book on tooling, which would spark a passion for working with leather. YouTube videos became his classroom as he learned how to hand stich on leather. Paz often got his clothing dirty and made his first leather apron to protect his clothing. 

“Then I met some chefs and they wanted a ring on their aprons for towels,” he said. “Someone else wanted a pocket for a phone.”

As his skills developed, so did his knowledge of different leathers with their textures, thickness and strength. Paz learned to work with goat, bison, cow horse, and elephant skins. His list of products for his customers was growing.

High Standards

Retiring from teaching, Paz established RPaz Leather Goods and further developed his offering of products.

He and his wife, Sara, live in Edinburg and sell Paz’s creations at Wild August Market in Harlingen and at McAllen’s Market on Main. RPaz products can also be found on Instagram.

Paz purchases leather primarily from Chicago and Slovakia and sources smaller pieces from local bootmakers.

His designs start with an idea seen on Etsy or perhaps in a museum or store. He creates the pattern using Adobe Illustrator, prints it out, and glues it on cardboard before cutting the leather. He returns to Illustrator to make all necessary adjustments. He turns a new design into a PDF file and sends it to a company in Mexico that makes the clicker die, a steel cutting tool with a blade that cuts into leather.

The process includes several steps and is all part of a leather artisan’s work. Paz hand stitches, machine stitches, brands logos, dyes leather and creates decorative conchos made of coins. His focus is on his work and meeting his brand’s expectations of high quality.

“I compete with myself, not with anyone else,” Paz said.