How to Build A Legend
Cutting
First, panels are cut from leather hides in one of the five panel sizes—Pee Wee, Junior, Youth, High School/Collegiate and Official NFL—to produce 10-12 four panel footballs. Matching the four panels is a challenging puzzle cutter’s excel at to ensure every final ball has a consistent color.
Stamping & Decal
Tiny Ws stamped among the pebbles are proof of authenticity created during the first of multiple heads heated to 500ºF to also “kill” the pebbling for a smooth surface. Most text is stamped directly onto the leather in metallic foil, while decals are printed and laminated in our graphics department before application.
Sewing
Once cut, a backing is applied and the panels are sewn together inside-out, starting with the top two panels, by our experienced team. This allows the meticulously consistent stitching to be hidden inside every final football. Once the ball is turned right-side-out, it returns to the sewers to close the ball for good.
Turning
After being sewn inside-out, each football is turned right-side-out by hand. After being placed in a steam box for 30 seconds to soften the leather, a turner reverses the ball with the help of a steel bar. The best turners can complete this difficult and physically demanding process in less than a minute.
