Leather Fly Swatter

A handmade English leather and white ash fly swatter that hearkens to a pre-plastic era. Finished with Skidmore's Beeswax Finish. Made in Amish Country, Ohio exclusively for Kaufmann Mercantile. (more info)

$13.95 USD

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The plastic neon swatter that just broke apart in your hand won’t do a thing for you when flies begin buzzing around your BBQ chicken and corn-on-the-cob. This one is custom made for KM and features a white ash handle cut by Amish craftsmen and finished with Skidmore’s Beeswax, a swat panel made from vegetable-tanned English bridle leather (which means it’s finished on both sides), flat brass pins, and features a nice, big hole for hanging.

This fly swatter is made by a maker of leather goods for 41 years who started making fly swatters when he worked in a leather shop in a Civil War-era village (where relics from the twentieth century weren’t allowed).

Use & Care

When you hear that menacing buzz, grab the wooden handle and swat with all your might. (We’re not responsible for anything you may break in the process). Wipe clean afterwards.

This swatter is as sturdy as they come; just try not to let it bake in the sun for days, or leave it out in one of those wild summer thunderstorms.

Production & Design

The maker of these swatters started working with leather straight out of high school when he got an apprenticeship in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, making saddles and harnesses. After that, he operated his own store in a Civil War-era village in Ohio. In 2003, he opened River Ridge Leather in Ohio’s historic Roscoe Village.

Dennis sources the wooden handles for his swatters from an Amish furniture maker, and another local leather business. Both businesses are in Holmes County, Ohio’s Amish country.

Fly swatters have followed the same basic design since they were invented in 1905. Frank H. Rose, a teacher from Kansas, made the first swatter from a yard stick and a piece of screen in response to a potential health risk posed by pesky flies.

Any Questions?

Please email support@kaufmann-mercantile.com. We reply to every email promptly. Or call us at 347 529 5122.

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