Jay Teske Leather Co.: American-Made Leather Goods in Kingston, NY
For husband-and-wife team Jay Teske and Hadas Liebermann, the close-knit artistic community of Kingston instantly felt like home – not only for their small family, but also for their two thriving businesses. Pirate Upholstery*, founded in 2006, makes custom upholstered motorcycle seats and the couple’s newest venture, Jay Teske Leather Co., creates high-quality American-made leather goods for motorcycles, home, and office. “We are committed to sourcing our materials from the USA whenever possible,” says Hadas.
Both businesses are housed in the bottom floor of the 1893 two-story brick building the couple purchased five years ago. They spent the first year renovating the upstairs apartment where the couple lives with their young son. Now they are busy renovating the bottom floor into two separate workspaces, one for each company.
The inception of both companies was an organic process that stems from Jay’s restless creative spirit. “I can’t see myself doing one thing forever. It just drives me crazy,” he says. “I’ve found that after 10 years it’s just like, enough, something different.” True to his word, Jay left tattoo artistry after 10 years to start Pirate Upholstery. Inspired by antique motorcycles, his custom seats are so wildly popular that he is now the go-to upholsterer for industry icon Orange County Choppers (of Discovery Channel’s American Choppers fame). The relationship recently led to a collaboration on the new WWE Championship title belt and a seat for basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.
Upon customer request, Jay began creating detachable motorcycle saddlebags to complement his custom seats. “When we started advertising our saddlebag, several people asked if it was a briefcase and that gave us the idea and confidence to move beyond motorcycle goods,” Hadas recalls. Since founding the company in 2014, Jay Teske Leather Co. has thrived – so much so that it was a Martha Stewart American Made 2014 finalist. “We are almost always inspired by vintage leather goods,” Hadas says of the bags, briefcases, portfolios, key fobs, air plant holders, luggage tags, and more that Jay makes. “We saw a portfolio from the 1920s that was literally falling apart at the seams and Jay immediately whipped out his sketchbook and started sketching.”
So what do the next 10 years look like for Jay and Hadas? “I have no idea!” says Jay. “But hopefully,” adds Hadas, “Pirate Upholstery and Jay Teske Leather Co. will continue to grow in that time and we can see what new adventures lie ahead.”
*While Jay Teske Leather Co. is still up and running in 2021, Pirate Uphosltery has since closed.
Photos by Emma Tuccillo, Words by Melissa Andersen