A former ball player for Rice University in Houston, he was soon working at the factory. In 1931, Bob Storey came to town with the Pure Oil Company. Part of the building burned and the market for billfolds, wallets, and other "leather novelties" was slowing down with the economy. "That first year they nearly went out of business," Storey says. With the availability of materials and skilled labor, Storey's great-grandfather, the local banker, invested in the small factory on Walnut Street that is still being used today. At the time, Justin and Nocona boot companies each had a factory in town. The company began in 1927 as the Nocona Leather Goods Company.
Storey says it takes about five hours from start to finish to make a glove.
A saddle maker with more than 30 years experience, Burkhart can weave the pieces of leather into a finished product in about 35 minutes. "Those lacings have to be just right or the pocket doesn't close properly," he says. Prentice Burkhart peels back three pieces of leather to expose the inner lacing of a glove. With the exception of a few stamping and sewing machines, the entire manufacturing process is done by hand. The Australian kangaroo leather is equally tough, but a little lighter. The entire production from a South Dakota buffalo ranch goes into making gloves that are lightweight as well as extremely durable. The company also uses buffalo and kangaroo leathers. Each is made with high-quality leather that is picked for its durability and softness, says Kelly Davis, the firm's chief financial officer who often gives tours of the red brick building.Ĭowhide is the most popular choice for gloves. The company makes 40 basic models of gloves ranging from catcher's mitts to a 14-inch softball glove. "People tend to get sentimental about their gloves," says Robby Storey, great-grandson of the company's founder and currently the president of the Nocona Athletic Goods Company. The Texas-made gloves are a work of art that promise to give the owner many years of service. The 75-year-old, family-owned business is one of the last American factories still making softball and baseball gloves. Nokona ball gloves carry on the proud tradition of fine leather goods produced by the skilled hands of the residents in the small North Texas town of Nocona.
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