Indeed. Of course, what's expensive to me may not be to you. But you're in luck because there's some great American craftsmen (and craftswomen) churning out bench-made leather products with time-honored techniques and using the new school technology of the web to sell them. One such shop is Solesu, a small leather goods company which has been operating in Belleville, Illinois near my hometown of Mascoutah since the early 1970s. Their hoof pick belt, really an ode to equestrian style, has a jaunty sailor vibe. Another is by Florida's Edgar Leather, whose pelican hook is cast from solid bronze and the leather is English bridle quality. Meaning if things get really tough, it'll taste better than your shoes should you need to boil it to make soup.