many options, choose best
Why are we so easily satisfied with effortless work?
Buying products with fragile quirks Like rockets built by knee jerks
Foolishly profit berserk
Is cheapness cheap?
Only shortly will it keep before finding the trash heap
Building mountains not for mountain sheep
Where is the benefit?
Profit is squandered in quick pursuit of profit
You don’t have to be a prophet to see
Count the cost!
Quickly both profit and product are lost
When details are ignored
like replacement cost
Buy well, my friends
Heirloom Leather is a one man Etsy store I have followed for a year now primarily because of the exquisite usage of vegetable tanned leather and tasteful industrial design stitching. His sense of leather fashion is among the best in the business, in my opinion. And as far as I can tell, quality is a primary focus. I have not had the pleasure of reviewing a product from Heirloom leather but one can tell quite a bit from the photos what a artisan Paul is.
Because leatherworking is such a personal expression I asked Paul about his background and what lead to crafting such beautiful products. Below is Paul’s articulate reply.
After building homes for over 10 years, I came to the conclusion my profession had vanished right before my very eyes.
Trapped in a 59 year old body possessing a 39 year old college degree, my prospects of competing with “young bucks” having newly acquired graduate and post graduate degrees seemed dismal at best (in the professional world). So I began to contemplate how “to reinvent myself”. Thus my journey to find a new occupation; hopefully one I would enjoy and one that could provide a living wage. So the more I contemplated my dilemma, I thought to myself “what if I could make a living doing something I love?”. What skill do I possess that I enjoy? Having developed an interest in working with leather many years ago and I just couldn’t stop thinking about how much I loved that hobby and what if I could produce something that was desirable by the general population. So began my experimentation.
The question was: “Is the craftsman/artisan dead in America today and if so can it be revived? The days of working with one’s hands seems like a faint memory of a history lesson sometime back; which begs the question: “Do people still do that sort of thing?” and “Is a product like this marketable through the internet?” I wondered if the idea of being able to own something that was created or reborn from the hands of a true craftsman had a magnetism that was infectious enough to induce people to buy.
So in July 2011, after much encouragement from my wife and friends, I decided to put a few of my accessories on Etsy, while working a full time job in a totally different industry. Then after several months of one or two orders here and there a surge in sales came in the Christmas season of 2011. My orders started to increased with each passing month. Then after about a year, my once part time hobby, blossomed into a full time career.
The feeling of knowing you were, personally, responsible for a work of art that is wearable and usable is truly rewarding.
I hope I am able to offer something that will not only be a treasure and an heirloom, but something that has usefulness and utility while possibly enhancing your professional image.
“God made leather clothing for Adam and his wife and dressed them”
Gen.3:21 ~MSG~
I am a one person shop operating in a smoke free environment. I create an artwork that I take pride in. My desire is that it will compel you to want to wear it and enjoy its functionality. I welcome your questions and comments.
The products I create in my shop are called “heirloom” because they should last you a lifetime and most likely will be passed on to other generations. The materials I use are genuine leather. These accessories are made from cowhide, and other fine leathers. Each personalized piece is individually dyed and each stitch is done by hand with a waxed braided cord. Every piece is different in some way; whether its from the grain in the leather or from the way it takes the dye.
The grain on the accessory is, in fact, the grain which occurs naturally. Our leather is not pressed into a mold. Thus, in some sense all other leather grain patterns are artificial. Heirloom Leather is 100% natural and therefore will sport unique and original markings. Even though we choose the best skins, there will be markings on the piece that may represent a brief encounter with a barbed wire fence etc..Please note that this is in a sense proof of its authenticity and uniqueness; not a defect. Thus one aspect of Heirloom Leather accessories that is essentially unique, is its choice of all natural grain leather.
Thank you for putting hard work into your craft, Paul. You are an inspiration to myself and others to be excellent craftsmen.
You can follow the new products that Paul releases on www.heirloomleather.blogspot.com since Etsy does not provide a way to keep up with new products from favorited stores.
Check out the Heirloom Leather Etsy store here.
Editors note: Etsy features are highlights of carefully selected stores that illustrate high levels of attention to quality and detail. The aim of these articles is to promote the excellent work of the true artisans on Etsy, as opposed to the mass of cheaply made goods easily available. To submit your store, email [email protected].
Leather, like wine, only gets better with time if it is high quality and treated right. Continue reading “Aged Leather – 1938 Leather Camera Case”
Shaving with a safety razor is a great feeling. Plopping it back into your dopp kit without a sleeve is unnerving. Who knows what those blades will find… Hopefully not something that leakes toothpaste… Or blood…
Continue reading “Kenton Sorenson Leather Safety Razor Sheath Review – $30”
The simple wallet is so refreshing. Cards and cash. That’s all you need. If you have more, get a wallet like this and your butt won’t look like it’s been gorging on receipts. Continue reading “Aestus Gear Vegetable Tanned Card Wallet – $32.50”
Well, it’s been 3 months since our Simple Leather Belt was reviewed. How is it handling nearly daily use?
It’s handling daily use very well, to put it simply. It’s due for a conditioning and the light tan leather has darkened slightly from use. Otherwise, it’s going very strong! I highly recommend this custom tailored belt for $59.
It’s been really fun to watch Basader get more traction as a relative newcomer in the hyper-competitive durable leather goods market. They are doing it with a combination of stylistic innovation, commitment to durability, and extremely competitive pricing.
Basader (Derived from Bas Jan Ader, a famous artist) is heavily driven by a mission to create lasting pieces and promote timeless design principles. All of their work is produced in our small studio located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn—where they laboriously hand-dye, cut, and assemble the pieces. Through experimenting with new techniques, materials, and finishes, they are continually trying to improve to offer truly “lifetime” products.
As two designers working within the fashion district in NYC, Elin (at the time, a Fashion Designer at Ralph Lauren) and Philip (a Web Designer and Ecommerce Manager), were increasingly disheartened by the disposable fashion culture. Thinking that it must be possible to create a brand focused on high-quality goods and timeless designs, Basader was born as a side project that grew beyond their greatest expectations.
Philip: Before I even met Elin, I was the typical bag consumer within the men’s category—looking for quality in all the wrong places. And while I wouldn’t flinch at saving my “nickels and dimes” to purchase a nice suit, I just assumed a leather bag was a leather bag—regardless of price. My first leather purchase (what I thought was an artisan quality bag), was made on eBay maybe six or seven years ago. So the story goes, it was listed by a very active eBay seller, who was supposedly having the bags custom made in a small town in India, and in the process “supporting a local community”. Buying into a heartwarming story, and admittedly, being quite thrifty, this was a win-win situation. I would receive a handmade bag while inadvertently supporting a small village located across the globe!
If I knew then what I know now, the bag was very likely made in a sweatshop in China–and this is a very common story across many, if not all marketplaces. The bag arrived weeks later, it smelled so bad, I was too embarrassed to bring it anywhere, and lasted a month before the rivets were shimmied loose during light use—disappointing to say the least (and worse, probably harmful to whatever “local” community I thought I was supporting). With so many high-quality bag companies, had I just spent a bit more, I could have ended up with a bag that would have been passed down generations. A disheartening and wasteful story, this has influenced our work greatly.
Philip: As a fashion designer, Elin brings a very unique perspective to our work, and together, we both have a sincere admiration for contemporary minimal design. From fashion designers like Heider Ackerman to companies like Shinola, we are admittedly driven and influenced by fashion extremes: deconstructivist contemporary designers; and small-town, American made companies–even Allen Edmund is a company of great revere.
Simply put, our aesthetic is driven by a love of fashion and art, and somehow, we stumbled upon a niche that lives at the intersection of rustic American styling and the refined English approach. At the most basic level, we admire leather companies like Shinola and Allen Edmund, that, against all odds, make some amazing work within the US—and both companies have found a way to create social enterprises, that feed back into the local community.
Philip: For us, it’s any hand-dyed leather good with a raw underside. We love a refined lustrous surface coupled with a raw underside—probably, we respect this look so much knowing how difficult it is to achieve.
But more, we love anything new.
Philip: While we love Herman Oak, we also use a lot of other American suppliers as well. And we do this because there are so many American-based companies that put a lot of love into what they do. Further, as major retailers inadvertently outsource to other countries, and suffocate American leather houses, we truly believe a renaissance is on the horizon (and we’re very grateful to be even a small part of this!).
A majority of bags in the marketplace are made in questionable working conditions—from mass-market “high-end” chrome-tanned bags to full-grain “looking” offerings, there are but a few American companies left.
BL: Finally, what is the most interesting thing you have learned about working with leather?
Philip: For us, leather is truly a fascinating material. We’ve experimented with various organic substitutes, from cork bark to tree-tap leather, but at the end of the day, there is no naturally derived material as durable and as timeless leather. And for such an omnipotent material, it’s amazing to think that so many people will never know what a real full-grain bag feels like.
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Keep an eye on this upstart company. I suspect we will see more excellent goods coming our way. Perhaps like this…
This is a remarkable backpack. I do not doubt its ability to last longer than I will. Style, durability, and break-in-pain just had a love-child. They named it the Thrux Pack. Continue reading “The Thrux Pack – Canvas and Leather Backpack – $480”
Basader operates out of Brooklyn, NY and is run by Philip and Elin Antonelli. They first started on Etsy and have done very well on it. In May, 2013 they were the featured store on Etsy in recognition of their quality products.
Philip & Elin have a background in design and fashion. Elin worked for Ralph Lauren and Philip worked in the fashion industry in website design. The problem they saw – and many others – is there inherent disposability in fashion products. So, they started designing and built a few briefcases to sell on Etsy. The rest is history. Their products have been a hit and as I have been fortunate enough to experience, they are well designed and crafted. Now you can also buy their products on basader.com as well as Etsy.
As with most great leather products, their construction principles are simple and follow the company philosophy of providing value through design and durability.
I got the Messenger Briefcase with no divider which fits my 15″ MacBook Pro perfectly. I should say, right off the bat, that I recommend always getting the divider. Without it, your laptop is in danger of being scratched by pens, keys and other objects with rough edges that you may have in the bag. Nevertheless,this dilemma can be remedied by just getting a sleeve for your laptop instead. Also keep in mind that while you can squeeze in a 17” laptop in, the tight will be very fit and I wouldn’t really recommend it considering the “scratch-hazards”; this includes the metal rivets on the interior’s side that would be impossible not to hit when you are trying to fit in a bigger laptop. Maybe that is just me…
I used a SBL Moleskine cover between my laptop and the pens to insulate it from scratches.
Despite the lack of divider, it can still be said that the interior is well thought-of. The collection of pockets inside are very usable, and there seems to be a snug compartment for the usual business necessities such as cell phone, pens, cards, notebooks and a small assortment of paper documents.
Philip & Elin’s collective experience in the fashion is evident in this briefcase’s design. The exterior is a handsome mix of sleek minimalism and old-school vibe. Notice the absence of visible rivets in the facade; this gives it a solid and smooth appearance that just tempts you to run your palms over it . And with such beautiful leather as its canvas, the result is impressive. The Hermann Oak leather that was used for this bag has a strong, deep color and a subtle sheen that’s not tacky but rather, extremely classy.
Overall, the Basader Messenger Briefcase has a sturdy structure. The leather used is known not only for its aesthetic appeal but for its durability as well. Simply put, your prized laptop among other belonging will be well-protected inside. Hefty pieces of this Herman Oak leather are put together with clean double stitching. All of the rivets and buckles used to attach the strap to the actual bag are top-notch, nickel plated brass.
If there is any cause for concern it is where the straps meet the bag. If you are toting this on a rainy day, there is a risk of water seeping in through these gaps. I suggested this improvement to Philip and he enthusiastically agreed it could be improved on. It is neat to handle these products and work with their makers to make them even better. Sometimes an outside eye can spot previously unnoticed details.
The shoulder straps do an excellent job at dispersing the load. I can easily imagine lugging this around all day without straining my shoulders. The padded part is also adjustable, ensuring a comfortable fit despite the adjustments in the length. This is something that you need to take into consideration if you are the type who is on the go for much of the day. You wouldn’t want your briefcase to be dragging you down or leave you wincing.
I must say that it is nearly perfect save for one flaw: there is a long “tail” left hanging when the strap is adjusted to be short.
This might not be that big of a deal for some but can be totally annoying for others. However, I wouldn’t count this against such a hardily-made bag with an impeccable design. But then again, this was addressed to Philip and true sport that he is, he promised to look into it and work on an improvement.
There’s not much to be debated about when it comes to getting the Bassader Messenger Briefcase. Though you might have to get extra protection for your gadgets to save it from scratches and from drops of moisture (should you decide to use it on a rainy day), it is still the best of briefcases at this value because:
It has excellent space.
It has a polished design that makes it a very handsome daily companion.
It is impeccably constructed with excellent quality components.
It is very comfortable to handle.
The only reason why you would consider something else is if you have a bigger laptop or carry more load daily than this bag can fit in. It is stellar.
Continue reading “Chamberlain’s Leather Milk Liniment No. 1 Review – $18”
Shell Cordovan can be a mystery. It is fabulously expensive, relatively rare, and looks a lot like normal full grain leather. The question on many minds is “Is it worth it?” It’s a fair question worth some research. You get what you pay for, but what are you getting with shell cordovan products that makes them worth the extra scrilla? Continue reading “All About Shell Cordovan – An Interview With Horween Leather Co.”
This bag is gorgeous. Basader is making great bags at excellent prices. Review coming soon… Continue reading “The Basader Messer Bag Is Beautiful”
