Bob Pretasky and his wife Shirley are retiring from making Lederhosen.
the full story is printed in the La Crosse Tribune. www.lacrossetribune.com, Tuesday May 27th Addition. The Pretasky’s have been in business many years and I personally purchased leather driving gloves from them. I never went into the back to see the Lederhosen being made and will probably not have that opportunity with their retirement.
I never donned a pair of Lederhosen, wish I had. We celebrate Oktoberfest each year just as they do in Germany and our locals are fitted in the finest leather lederhosen. Some purchased theirs in Germany while others went to the Pretasky’s and they were as authentic as those made in Germany. Over 100,000 People attend the annual Parade and the festmaster and his court are all in Lederhosen as well as many in the parade. One High School, wears, black cotton lederhosen with red straps
and white shirts and small alpine hats. They get a big applause each year. To bad another cottege industry is going to the wayside.
Doc
Replies
Doc...you in 'sconsin, too? Where you at? Between no more cheese factories at the crossroads and beers from who knows where...it's getting scary out there.
Yes from La Crosse, Wisconsin, Onalaska, Holmen area.
Doc
Have you checked the gloves from New Berlin? If you bring in deer hides they do the tanning etc and you can get ready made merchandise from your hides or you can buy stuff made with someone else's skins. Deer skin gloves that fit well are just wonderful and wear very well.
Thanks for the info. We do have a large hide collector here and you can get your hides tanned. There is a small store, Ferris leather that makes gloves, moccasins, Deer Skin jackets. How long they will be in business is another story. Mr. Ferris is getting up in years and it does not appear that someone will step into his position. Doc
The loss of local craftsmen is a real shame.
Absolutely. Doc
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