Tour Quillin Leather & Tack | Paris, Kentucky
Tours of Quillin Leather and Tack: A Journey Through Craftsmanship
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Tour Quillin Leather & Tack
See how a Quillin halter gets made
Quillin Leather & Tack started in a tobacco stripping room on a Bourbon County farm in [1975/1977]. We've been on Main Street in Paris, Kentucky since 1982. Today it's the largest custom halter shop in the country: 16 craftsmen building more than 17,000 halters a year, one at a time, from hand-selected English bridle leather and solid brass.
Ralph Quillin leads the tours himself.
What you'll see
The tour goes through the workrooms, including the basement production floor. You'll see the whole process:
- Leather hand-selected and cut to pattern
- Pieces stitched on Campbell harness stitchers that are more than a hundred years old
- Edges finished and rubbed by hand
- Brass nameplates engraved in-house
Look at the worktables. The nameplates lined up there carry the names of stallions, Derby winners, and Keeneland sales toppers. The halters ship from here to farms across Kentucky, and on to Ireland, Australia, and Japan.
Before you leave, you can have a souvenir engraved with your name, your farm's, or your horse's.
Tour details
- Length: about [25] minutes
- Cost: [Free ]
- Group size: [4 to 12 people; buses and tour groups welcome with advance notice]
- When: [by appointment]
- Booking:book online
- Where: 716 Main Street, Paris, KY 40361. Park out front; trailer and bus parking is behind the shop at 715 Pleasant Street.
Paris is about 20 minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park and 30 minutes from Keeneland, so the shop fits easily into a day in horse country.
Shop hours: Monday 8–2, Tuesday–Friday 8–5, Saturday 9–[noon/1]. Closed Sunday.
Once you fill in length, cost, and group size, this is also the paragraph tour operators and hotels need.
Discover a Living Legacy in the Heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass
When you step into Quillin Leather & Tack on Main Street in Paris, Kentucky, you're entering a world where tradition meets exceptional craftsmanship—a journey that began in 1977 in a humble tobacco stripping room on a Bourbon County farm. Led by founder Ralph Quillin, the tours offer visitors an intimate look at what has become the nation's largest custom leather shop About Quillin Leather & Tack - Quillin Leather & Tack, Inc.
From Tobacco Room to World-Renowned Workshop
Ralph Quillin's journey in leather craftsmanship officially began in 1977, operating from a small tack shop in a Bourbon County farm tobacco striping room Blog - About Quillin - Custom Leather Horse Halters & Tack | Quillin Leather Paris, KY. This humble beginning has evolved into a thriving business that now operates from multiple locations on Main Street, where craftsmen with a combined 100+ years of experience About Quillin Leather & Tack - Quillin Leather & Tack, Inc create leather goods using time-honored techniques.
Inside the Workshop: Where Magic Happens
Visitors can tour the workshop, including the basement production area Quillin Leather & Tack (2025) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews), where they'll witness traditional skills and machines that date back a century or more About Quillin Leather & Tack - Quillin Leather & Tack, Inc being used to craft premium leather goods. About a dozen employees produce approximately 18,000 halters each year QuillinQuillin, each one handmade in small batches from the finest English Bridle Leather and brass hardware.
A Client List of Champions
On the workshop tables, you'll find neat rows of brass plates, each engraved with a name—and on the right day, that array might read as a who's who of the horse world Blog - Quillin Leather & Tack Since 1982 - Quillin Leather & Tack, Inc. Quillin halters are worn by leading stallions and multi-million dollar Keeneland sales toppers About Quillin Leather & Tack - Quillin Leather & Tack, Inc, with products shipped to clients across the globe, from local Kentucky farms to destinations as far as Australia and Japan.
The Tour Experience
Guests often report receiving exceptional tours where they can watch craftsmen at work and even have custom souvenir items made Quillin Leather & Tack (2025) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews). You'll see every step of the halter-making process, from leather selection to the final hand-rubbed edges and polished brass nameplates that have made Quillin synonymous with quality for over four decades.
With over 40 years of commitment to quality leather goods, impeccable craftsmanship, and personal service About Quillin Leather & Tack - Quillin Leather & Tack, Inc, a tour of Quillin Leather & Tack offers more than just a glimpse into leather working—it's an experience of American craftsmanship at its finest, where Ralph Quillin's products are worn by Thoroughbred horses around the world He dresses them for success, including Derby winners and some of the world's most valuable stallions.
