Nick Duvall

Craftsman – Designer – Entrepreneur

Nick Duvall, an American leather working craftsman, designer, and entrepreneur, established Duvall Leatherwork LLC on January 1, 2005. Since its inception, he has held the positions of chief designer and general manager, guiding the company’s creative vision and overall operations to the present day.

In 2005, Nick Duvall, with nothing more than his leather working skills, embarked on a humble journey in his home’s basement. Over the next decade, he meticulously mastered the intricate art of business management and expansion from 3 employees to a peak of 29 employees in 2023.

Early Life and Education

In south-central Pennsylvania, Nick Duvall grew up with a passion for history, particularly the American Civil War. His interest in leather work began at an early age when he was introduced to his father’s leather tools from the 1970s. By the age of eight, he had his own small leather working table, where he would craft kits from Tandy Leather and sell them at family yard sales.

As the years passed, Mr. Duvall dedicated himself to studying and reproducing historic American military gear and accouterments. In 1998, he enrolled at Penn State University, majoring in Forestry. During his studies, he discovered Land Surveying, which prompted him to switch majors and relocate to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, within the Penn State System.

After graduating from college, Nick joined the workforce as a Land Surveyor, setting aside leather work until 2003. That year, he underwent knee surgery, forcing him to recuperate for several months. Before the surgery, Nick had moved all of his leather working tools from his parents’ home to the basement of his residence in Kingston, Pennsylvania. During his recovery, Duvall Leatherwork began to take shape.

Career

On January 1st, 2005, Nick Duvall launched Duvall Leatherwork, a one-person operation dedicated to creating historic military reproductions. This venture catered to the growing interest in historical re-enactments of the American Civil War, as well as the shift from displaying historical artifacts in museums to hands-on, high-quality reproductions. For the first ten years of its existence, Duvall Leatherwork focused exclusively on meeting this need.

Duvall Leatherwork set the benchmark for high-end American military reproduction work, specializing in gear and accessories from the War of 1812 through the American Indian Wars. With unprecedented access to public and private artifact collections, Mr. Duvall meticulously crafted some of the most coveted and authentic reproductions in the field, pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship.

Outgrowing the basement workshop swiftly, Nick sought a more spacious workplace, prompting the acquisition of the 314 Wyoming Ave building in Kingston, Pennsylvania. In late 2006, he relocated his operations to this 4000 square feet workshop and retail space, marking a point of no return. However, within four months of this commercial purchase, the great recession struck and persisted for several years, hindering any plans for expansion.

In 2013, the customer base and product line underwent a discernible transformation. Nick, a keen observer, recognized the impending shift. The historic market had lost its momentum, necessitating a strategic shift in direction. For Nick, the natural progression was to venture into the realm of consumer leather goods. However, the true challenge lay in navigating the complexities of transforming the entire product line overnight.

The process commenced gradually, with the introduction of a line of belts. A portion of the original Kingston workshop was repurposed into retail space, accommodating the expansion. Additional employees were brought on board to support the evolving vision. And finally, in 2015 the official announcement was made: Duvall Leatherwork would bid farewell to its historic military reproductions and embrace a new chapter focused on contemporary consumer leather goods.

Duvall Leatherwork was an early adopter of the eCommerce business and now was tasked with completely changing its product offering from historic military equipment, to modern leather goods.  Over the following five years, Nick devoted himself to the creation of a complete line of men’s leather wallets and leather belts, as well as women’s handbags, purses, and a variety of other items.

As the retail store gained popularity and the website sort of flourished, Duvall Leatherwork found itself operating in a cramped workshop/retail space in Kingston, Pennsylvania, with a team of 10 dedicated employees. However, on March 19th, 2020, the pandemic lock down forced Nick and his team at Duvall Leatherwork to navigate the next inevitable step forward.

After 72 days of lock down, Duvall Leatherwork resumed operations with renewed vigor and a determination to expand. While his team focused on crafting exceptional leather goods, Nick confronted the challenge of scaling the business to meet demand. In the summer of 2021, Duvall Leatherwork LLC embarked on a bold move, relocating from Kingston, Pennsylvania to Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, approximately 8 miles away. This transition from a small backroom shop to a spacious 6,000-square-foot “Artisan Workshop” represented a significant leap and an unprecedented risk for Nick.

Over the past three years, Nick navigated numerous challenges in running a business in the modern world, including growth obstacles, financial risks, downsizing, product development, and business development. In January 2023, an opportunity arose for Nick to open a second retail space, igniting his passion for growth. After months of meticulous preparation and refinement, Duvall Leather proudly celebrated its grand opening in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, on September 15th, 2023, marking a significant milestone in Nick’s entrepreneurial journey.

Today, Nick Duvall and his team operate two brick and mortar stores, a full online ecommerce business, and are currently exploring industry sewing opportunities in a variety of areas.  Mr. Duvall is always working on new products, improving others, and working on ways to improve himself as a business owner and craftsman.

With three decades of experience as a leather worker and nearly two decades as a professional working with leather, Nick dedicates a significant portion of his time to designing handbags, a passion that consumes him. His love for design finds its purest expression through purses and handbags, as he believes in their ability to empower women, making them feel strong, successful, attractive, and more. For Nick, leather serves as the ultimate medium of artistic expression, allowing him to translate his vision into tangible creations.

Personal Life

Nick Duvall’s life purpose revolves around “pursuing curiosity as a thinker, craftsman, and doer.” This pursuit extends to all aspects of his life, from his passion for cooking and maintaining a living space to organizing workshops and planning think weeks.

Nick, a fervent home chef, often designs culinary experiences for his friends to join him and his wife Vicki at their dinner table. His interest lies in French cuisine, including cooking techniques and wine pairings, which he explores with great passion.

Nick’s pursuit of the ideal meal is deeply intertwined with hunting, fishing, and gardening. During the fall, he devotes significant time to hunting whitetail deer to secure protein for the winter months. In contrast, during the summer, he focuses on planting and nurturing his extensive vegetable garden.