Today we’d like to introduce you to Trent Painter.
Trent, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started learning to forge in 2019 and named the business Circle P Forge. The name came from my grandfather’s cattle brand in western Oklahoma—a circle with the letter “P” inside of it. I loved the connection to my family’s Western heritage, and I quickly found a real sense of satisfaction in making things by hand.
As I learned to forge, I made a few of my own tools and eventually used them to create some basic leather pouches and sheaths. That opened the door to leatherwork, and after spending one Texas summer standing over a forge, I came to another realization: it was just too damn hot to be doing that in August.
Leather started looking better and better.
In early 2020, I made a few wallets and took them to a local market. I sold some, but I also learned a valuable lesson about my customer base pretty quickly: most men will carry the same wallet for years, while women are much more likely to add another bag or purse to their collection.
So I learned how to make bags and purses.
That was a game changer, and Circle P Forge officially became Circle P Leather.
At the time, we were living in an area rich in equine and Western culture, so the business naturally found a home at rodeos, Western heritage events, and local markets. I began making and selling handbags, leather accessories, drink coasters, custom Western belts, cowboy chaps—and, of course, a few wallets.
What started as an interest in forging had evolved into a business centered around leather craftsmanship and the Western traditions I grew up appreciating.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Traditional Western leatherwork isn’t always a high-repeat business. A well-made leather piece can last a lifetime when it’s properly cared for, which is part of what makes the craft so special—but it also means customers may not need another belt, bag, or pair of chaps for years.
During my first couple of years in business, I was constantly pushing myself to evolve as a craftsman while also looking for ways to diversify my market. I learned pretty quickly that if I wanted Circle P Leather to grow, I needed to keep developing my skills and be willing to take the business in unexpected directions.
That unexpected direction turned out to be Mahjong.
In 2023, my wife and I learned to play American Mahjong from my mother-in-law. I was surprised by how quickly I became interested in the game. Coming from someone who enjoys poker, I found Mahjong even more challenging in some ways. There’s certainly luck involved, but when the tiles fall your way, you still need the skill and strategy to turn that opportunity into a win.
As we started playing more often, I noticed that many of the Mahjong products available at the time featured floral patterns, busy prints, pastel colors, and designs that were clearly tailored toward women. There just wasn’t much on the market that reflected my own style or felt like something I would naturally choose for myself.
Eventually, I decided to do something about it.
I pulled out a side of leather in my shop and made myself a Mahjong mat. It wasn’t flashy or heavily patterned. It was simple, understated, and made from the same kind of quality leather I was already using in my Western work. I paired it with some wooden racks and a simple set of white tiles I found online and took it to one of our regular games.
The reaction surprised me.
The women I played with loved the mat. By the following week, it had sold, and I was asked to make another one. That one sold the next week.
What started as something I made for myself quickly became a new direction for Circle P Leather. Within about six months, roughly 20 percent of my business was coming from handcrafted leather Mahjong mats, card pouches, tile bags, and other Mahjong accessories.
Three years later, that 20 percent has grown to approximately 90 percent of my business.
I still make traditional Western pieces—custom bags and purses, belts, cowboy chaps, and other leather goods—and I don’t think I’ll ever completely walk away from that part of the craft. There’s something I genuinely love about cutting, tooling, and stamping a traditional Sheridan-style floral pattern into a piece of leather. It gives me a kind of creative freedom that first made me fall in love with leatherwork.
But the demand has clearly shifted.
Today, most of the orders coming through the shop are for Mahjong products made from 100 percent top-grain leather. What began with one mat I made because I couldn’t find anything that reflected my own style has completely transformed the direction of Circle P Leather.
And I never would have predicted it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Today, Circle P Leather is probably best known for our handcrafted, top-grain leather Mahjong mats and coordinating leather accessories, but at the heart of everything I make is the same thing: I enjoy creating with leather.
Every hide is different. The grain, texture, markings, and natural variations give each piece its own character, so even when I’m making the same style of product, no two pieces are ever exactly alike.
That’s especially important with the Mahjong mats. They aren’t printed to look like leather or mass-produced to be identical. Each one starts with a real hide that I inspect, cut, and finish by hand. The natural character of the leather becomes part of the finished piece.
Leather is also a by-product of the meat industry, and I appreciate being able to take that material and turn it into something useful, beautiful, and made to last.
One of the things I value most about quality leatherwork is its longevity. A well-made leather piece can be used for decades and, in many cases, passed from one generation to the next.
I like thinking that something a customer buys from me today might someday be handed down to a child or grandchild—and that they’ll know someone made it by hand, one piece at a time, right here in Texas.
That sense of permanence means a lot to me, and it’s probably what I’m most proud of.
What are your plans for the future?
I don’t see any drastic changes ahead. What I’m focused on is steady, intentional growth.
I’ve followed the Mahjong market closely since 2023, and to my knowledge, Circle P Leather remains unique in producing handcrafted, top-grain leather Mahjong mats along with coordinating leather accessories.
I’m proud that something I originally created for myself has grown into the defining part of the business.
Circle P Leather has become the home of the original handcrafted leather Mahjong mat, and my goal now is to continue refining the products, expanding the collection, and staying true to what made people respond to that first mat in the first place: quality materials, traditional craftsmanship, and something genuinely different for the Mahjong table.
I don’t want Circle P Leather to become a mass[production business. I want to keep making things the way I’ve always made them-by hand, with quality leather, and with the expectation that what leaves my shop should still be worth owning years from now.
Pricing:
- Mahjong Mats $240 to $300
- Mahjong Accessories $45 to $180
- Cowboy Shotgun Chaps $650 to $800
- Custom Western Belts $200 to $500
- Western Purses $120 to $700
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.circlepleather.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/circlepleathertexas?stkn=MWowanBzdDZ5c3p6Yg==
