The Beauty of Leather

March 21, 2014

Art Edison of Edison Leather Works purchases kangaroo leather from us. He graciously sent us several photographs of his work. Art considers his work a “serious hobby” and he is not set up for (or interested in getting) lots of orders. He likes making a few things and selling them on a limited basis.

 

From the photos you can see the craftsmanship of his work. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to check out his blog postings, they are very enlightening.)

 

While we sell Art kangaroo lace and skins, please note that not all of the photos below are fully made with kangaroo leather.

 

 

Wallets:

 

The wallets are all hand-stitched using traditional 2-needle saddle making stitching. The black one is a trifold and the colored ones are bifolds.

 

 

 

 

Purses:

Like the wallets, the purse is all hand-stitched. The exterior is medium weight kangaroo, and it is fully lined with a very lightweight oak-tanned cowhide (Hermann Oak). The handle is kangaroo. There are several types of braids (flat, round, turk’s head). The round braid goes all around the gusset of the bag underneath and is doubled.

 

 

 

Belts:

These are a few belts that Art made with our factory cut narrow lace. The black was as ordered and all the colors were dyed using Fiebings, either regular or professional oil. All of the colors require a fair amount of “elbow grease” to rub out the excess after they dry well. Art typically dyes them, lets them hang to dry for a few days, and then gives them a thorough coat of Pecard’s Leather Dressing. Then they sit for several days and when he’s ready to braid them he rubs them a lot with rags.

 

 

 

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

 

Edison Leather Works

 

Braiding and Leather Supplies

 

 

 

 

New Cavin Items

February 21, 2014

We are pleased to announce that we are now selling nearly all of Cavin Richie’s jewelry. Cavin’s designs are a reflection of his surroundings. His line includes intricately detailed birds, mammals and amphibians.

For the past thirty years Cavin has carved with shed elk antler and woolly mammoth ivory. These carvings became the basis for his lost wax casting jewelry. “Carving,” says Cavin “is like touching antiquity. I feel a kinship with a long lineage of carvers dating back to the Pleistocene.”

A patina of green, white, black and other colors complement the earthy metal and give each piece a unique finish. All the Wildlife in Bronze jewelry designed by Cavin Richie are made in the USA.

 

 

Our polar bear is on the prowl!

 

 

The white patina on the snowy owl gives this pendant a highly detailed look.

 

 

Orcas are a Northwest favorite, but are found throughout the world.

  

  

  

Akubra Slouch Featured in New Amazon Book

November 27, 2013

Stan Morse, a local customer, came into our store here in Bothell, Washington. He surprised us with the news that our Slouch is featured in his new Kindle novel.

  

It is the summer of 1969 and the Vietnam War is raging, John Wayne dominates the theater marquee, and fourteen year old Billy Ward’s world will crumble if he can’t convince his eighteen year old brother Mike and Mike’s best friend Stu to include him in a backpacking adventure. For the older boys, taking The Kid into the mountains is a burden to be avoided at all costs. Parental pressure finally forces them to offer Billy a test to see if he is worthy. Can Billy prove himself physically capable? And beyond that, how can he hope to earn the respect of the older boys?

Brothers of Summer is a window into the hearts of teenagers in the 60’s—a time when kids rode bikes, boys got drafted, parental abuse was often ignored, and the bonds of friendship between teenagers were more important than nearly anything imaginable.

   You can get his book here.

  

  

We wish Stan the best of luck with his novel!

  

  

Change Your Akubra Snowy River into a Down Under

October 18, 2013

Because of the lack of demand, we discontinued the Down Under several years ago. Once in awhile, we get requests for the hat. Until now, we’ve had to simply say, “I’m sorry.”

 

But Frank, a customer of ours, told us a way to turn the Snowy River into a Down Under. You just need to do a couple of things:

 

 

  • The Snowy River has the same, mostly straight-sided and gently tapered crown as the Down Under. It is easy to use some steam to re-crease the crown into a telescope bash.

 

  • Slightly lower the front and raise the back of the brim.

 

  • Trim off 3/8 inch from the brim.

 

 

  • If you want to add a little wear, soak the hat in water and adjust the brim. You can also strategically place some clay dust for an added effect.

 

  • That’s all!

 

 

Snowy River Modified into a Down Under

The Snowy after modifications.

 

Frank with his Snowy-Down Under

Frank sports his “Down Under”.

 

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

 

David Morgan Braided Goods

Akubra Hats

 

 

 

 

Kangaroo and Emu Wallets Now Available

October 4, 2013

After many years, David Morgan has returned to selling kangaroo wallets. Kangaroo leather is well-known for its durability and suppleness. Although it is very thin, it is one of the toughest leathers available. It is perfectly suited for wallets.

 

We are also selling emu-leather wallets. Emu leather is also a thin leather that is supple and durable. The raised quills of the bird give the leather a distinctive pattern. The skin of the emu legs has a remarkable, reptile-like look that provides a stylish accent.

 

Our supplier is Adori, well-known in Australia for their high-quality craftsmanship. The company has a long tradition of designing unique and unusual Australian leather and travel goods.

 

 

Kangaroo Six Pocket Wallet:

 

Kangaroo 6 Pocket Wallet with Coin Pocket, black

 

Emu Six Pocket Wallet

 

Emu 6 Pocket Wallet with Coin Pocket, Tan

 

 

Learn More About:

 

Adori Products

 

 

 

Taking the Traveler into the Mountains

September 6, 2013

Over Labor Day Weekend, Will Morgan hiked five miles into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near the city of Cle Elum, Washington. (For those interested in the details, he hiked from North Fork Teanaway Road to Lake Ingalls.)

With temperatures hitting 90 degrees, he worried that a black fur-felt hat might be too hot for the afternoon hike. Instead, the Traveler’s light felt and eyelets helped keep his head cool. The brim provided shade for his head, face and neck. 

By the time Will had taken in the stunning view of Mount Stuart, the sun was ready to set. Fall also comes early at higher elevations, and so the temperatures dropped quickly as it grew dark.  Near the bottom it was hard to see the trail and he was thinking how it was good to have a good felt hat. Even though it had soaked up a good amount of sweat, it still provided warmth. Will’s next test is to wear it with a loaded backpack frame to find out if a wide and firm brim will bump into his pack.

All in all, he reports that his Akubra Traveler was a fantastic addition to his hike and will work well for both hot and cold days.

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

 

Lake Ingalls

Lake Ingalls

 

Coming Down the Mountain

Coming down the mountain

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

 

Akubra Hats

 

 

 

The Band John Wayne Would Have Worn

August 9, 2013

In our latest YouTube video, Mike demonstrates how to put an Edge Ridge Hat Band on an Akubra Pilbara hat. American Cowboy magazine chose the Edge Ridge Hat Band for their John Wayne commemorative issue.

We customized this Pilbara with a pinched telescope crease and some brim curl. Please note that we do not bash pre-creased hats like the Pilbara as part of our shaping service. You may wish to watch our other creasing videos to help you learn how to put this shape in a Pilbara yourself.

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Akubra Hats

 

 

 

Give Your Slouch (or Any Hat) a Military Bash

July 19, 2013

In this video, Mike shows you how to give your hat a military bash. Different regiments will have minor changes to the bash, but for civilians, we recommend you adjust it to your liking.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

The Slouch Hat

 

 

 

 

Happy 4th of July!

July 3, 2013

Independence Day reminds us that we live in a country that gives us a chance to work hard and make a difference.  Many of our products are made by people with that philosophy. For them, made in the USA is a mark of pride.

Welch Suspenders

The Welch Company Inc. has been manufacturing suspenders in Portland, Oregon since 1967. Their suspenders are recognized for quality and reliability. We sell both X-back and Y-back suspenders with either clip ends or leather ends that fasten to buttons.   

Learn more here.

  

Geier Gloves

Geier Glove Company is from Centralia, Washington. They’ve been around for over seventy years. They’re known throughout the West for high-quality gloves and moccasins. We provide gloves in deer, goat, kangaroo, bison and elk skin.

Learn more here.

  

Cavin Richie

Cavin’s designs are a reflection of his surroundings. His line includes birds, mammals and amphibians. Each item is accurately detailed. For the past thirty years he has carved using shed elk antler and woolly mammoth ivory. These carvings became the basis for his lost wax casting jewelry.

“Carving,” says Cavin “is like touching antiquity. I feel a kinship with a long lineage of carvers dating back to the Pleistocene.”

Learn more here.

 

  

  

  

  

Hat Bashing Videos Now on YouTube

May 10, 2013

In this first video, Mike shows you how to create the Open Telescope and Pinched Telescope bash.

 

 

In this second video, Mike shows you how to create the classic fedora look and the cattleman’s crease.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

Akubra Hats