There is a small company on Kickstarter called Opus. They are selling, amoung some other really neat things, a leather wrapped journal. Kate Burrow from Opus sent me one to check out and share with you guys.
I’ve seen these hand bound notebooks but moleskines have always been my choice notebook because of how many pages they hold. What pops out to me with this Opus journal is the heavy paper and coptic stitching (here is a guide on doing your own coptic stitch binding notebook) for the binding which gives fantastic flexibility, unlike glued bindings. Several pages are already tearing off on my latest moleskin because of inflexibility in the glued binding.
So, with a coptic stitch binding you can do things like this without damaging the journal:
While the journal is bound in leather it isn’t full grain. There is a light 1 oz stamped (for texture) leather sheet wrapped around book board, commonly used in hardbacks. It feels nice. It’s soft and the texture is nice. Nice but not full grain grade.
The inside of the journal covers are glued down to the book board with a linen cloth lining.
The one problem that Kate assured me they were fixing was the weakness of the glue holding the interior fabric down to the backboard. I was able to gently tear the fabric away from the book board revealing the secret message; “Your determination will bring much success.”
The paper is heavy weight at 98 lbs and it is pretty nice to write on. My pen, a Pilot G-2 and a Parker fountain pen, glide right over the heavy paper.
If I were more of an artist I could use this journal more completely since the heavy paper allows you to draw and paint quite easily. If you paint in the journal I suppose you can’t close it, but a journal of paintings would be cool. Point is; you can use it for a lot more than journaling about your annoying boss.
Dimensions are the standard journal size, 5.5 inches by 8.25 inches. Normal.
I think this journal is for a lot more than just daily journaling. It deserves an artist with cool handwriting and an eye for pastel colors. Or use it for a special event where you write a series of meaningful letters that you want to save.
With the improvements to the book board adhesive that Kate is going to make I would recommend this journal for serious writers, artists, and people who want a memorable notebook to hold special memories (which is exactly what Opus designed it for).
Check out the other rewards Opus is offering as well. Some of them are pretty intriguing. Handwritten Shakespear scroll anyone?
The three easiest ways to identify a quality leather product right out of the box are stiffness, squeak, and smell. This is a stiff, squeaky, and smelly wallet.
Even in the intense environment of foundry work and the dirt and grime that can be acquired there, this bag has stood the test of toughness and continually demonstrated a hardy design. There has been no fraying of the leather around any edges and the only real sign of degradation is the missing button on the left side of the bag, which fell out after a few months.
functionality
The functionality of the bag is impressive. Every book needed for school, a laptop, and even some lunch can be contained in the bag and nothing would be protruding, yet still easily accessible. The shoulder strap guard is inconveniently placed, as it cannot be adjust to be used on both sides, only one.
The amount of pockets and dividers inside the back is convenient, allowing for separation and protection of goods placed inside, while the same time, not being too much. The thickness of the leather gives great protection for anything placed inside.
patina
Due to me taking this bag to a multitude of places, i.e. a foundry, coffee shops, and school, it has acquired a unique look, from metal dust staining the bottom and back, to the worn look of everyday use. None of the acquired characteristics in any way diminish the bags looks or functionality, but instead add to the character of it and make it more enjoyable to use. This bag’s sturdy construction and how it can handle the wear and tear make it fit in perfectly in my working environment, yet it’s style allow it to stand out.
compliments
This bag has brought me compliments left and right, it has great functionality, a beautiful look, and a tough character that earn my respect for it. It is definitely a bag I would recommend.
overall impression
I am surprised that it has already stood up to so much, in the rough conditions it’s used in, and still in the shape that it is.
If the small durability problems are ironed out; this will be a great bag.
I treated my tan leather motorcycle jacket entirely with Neatsfoot Oil to condition and darken it.
The transition was from a very light tan dry leather to a rich honey colored leather which looks very desirable. If you don’t want your leather to darken do not use Neatsfoot Oil.
Here is how it turned out:
Untreated and needing conditioning
partially conditioned
immediately after being fully conditioned, some especially dry parts got multiple passes
Did you know you can buy leather bags that are up to 100+ years old? It’s true. The Swiss Army used leather bags on their army pack horses, particularly the Freiberger breed which were known for their endurance. The horses and mules lightened the load for soldiers and allowed them to cover much more ground in strong fighting condition.
While soldiers were never relieved of carrying their own personal fighting equipment, the horses carried the more substantial armament, such as extra ammunition, mortars, and light artillery.
These bags were well made to endure the demanding circumstances of heavy loads in wartime and often used over and over as Swiss citizens served their time and returned their issued military equipment. Hence they often served for decades and acquire a beautiful patina.
The Swiss Army uses a conditioner called FIX which stays in the leather for a very long time and frequently all the bags need is a good cleaning to rid it of mold and dirt.
A small gunsmith bag.
Now, in these more sophisticated times, pack animals are much more rare in the military. Consequently the bag market sees vintage Swiss Army bags for sale. Here are some of the types of vintage swiss army bags in repair and original unrepaired condition, courtesy of Men A Werro from Leatherwerk, who is an excellent source for purchasing an original swiss army bag. Here are a selection of swiss army bags you can find.
As you browse through the selection of photos spend a moment to contemplate how old and how much abuse these leather bags have endured. Can you imagine a messenger bag from Target doing the same thing?
Here is mine, made in 1945. As I told you before, they were used by the pack train and attached with chains on the packsaddle. These come with chains but no strap so I custom made a strap from either Swiss Army rifle slings of the same age or leather straps that who knows what they were used for. I make optional straps or there is the desirable horse bit handle. Sometimes folks want a coin concho on the hinged flap. Oldest one I had in my hands was stamped 1918 I think, youngest one 1945.
It has a thick rear wall and thick leather hinged lid. Around 70 years old and tons of real patina that shows up only after many many moons of hard use!
Size is about 16″ x 12″ x 3 1/2″. It can carry bulky stuff too that is deeper than 3.5″. The picture below shows mine today in the rain.
The Medic Bag AKA Tailgate Bag
You can easily see the functionality of the medic bag. Required medical equipment is easily at hand without digging through things or having your bag fall closed while treating a wounded soldier. That would be a difficult problem to have while controlling bleeding.
shoulder bags
I’m not exactly sure what these bags were used for. The officer’s bags were smaller so it is likely these were used by infantry, but for what purpose? Anyone know?
Demolition Meister Bag
Fuses and explosives go in here. This has got to be one of the coolest bags.
packsaddle bags
The horses had packsaddles designed specifically for carrying their veterinarian equipment. Some of these leather packsaddles are from 1895!
Earlier versions of the Packsaddle bag were put over the horses neck. Earliest one I had between my fingers was made 1895, latest one 1917. 2 versions as far as I know. The earlier once were a bit larger and slightly more boxy looking.
large gunsmith bag
The large Gunsmith bag is actually a Packsaddle bag with added flaps on the sides (inside) and two pockets for small grease tins. It has an alloy badge too and the added straps system (no more chains for the horses) makes the bag either a messenger or a backpack. I guess the Swiss Army copied it from SBL – just kidding!
small gunsmith bag
Size: 4.0″ by 12.0″ by 9-10″ tall. Under the flap pocket is 7.5″ x 5.5″
Many are stamped with MP41 and some with MP43 when used by gunsmiths that were working in the field on the machine pistols 41 or the updated version 43. Very early version didn’t have a MP stamp. Some were used again in the late 50s for the “Sturmgewehr 57” (automatic rifle) by the gunsmiths. Those got K14.1.110 stamped on the alloy badge. It’s a pretty small bag for a gunsmith, especially for working on that automatic rifle.
These are one of my favorite styles, few were made through 1937 – 1945.
Swiss Army Duffle
These are made of Swiss Military grade heavy duty green canvas with thick leather. Alloy bottom plate, reinforcements at all stress points. About 40 years old in like new condition. Will last a lifetime or two! Very tough stuff.
stamps in the bags
These bags have specific individual stamps that indicate things like the name of the maker and the year.
Top line = makers name
Center line = Saddle Maker in either German, French, Romansh or Italian, the 4 languages of Switzerland
Bottom line = the town it was hand made which is the town/village the Saddlemaker was working.
Then most of the times there is a 2 digit number like 45 which represents the year the bag was made. It is not very often you can find a 4 digit year number like 1945.
How to buy a vintage swiss leather bag?
I could not have put this information together without Men A. Werro from Leatherwerk. He sells these bags which are individually sourced in Switzerland. You can check out his current stock of Swiss bags on his site, www.leatherwerk.blogspot.com. Men also makes several other leather goods from scratch such as the Pouchun and accessories for Saddleback Leather bags.
The keychain is a simple device. Its sole purpose in life is to hold your keys together. While each of us use some variance of a ring or clasp, they generally all have the same thing in common: they make a racket. Not this one. Continue reading “Thrux Lawrence Launches KeyPost Kickstarter”
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~
BL: Tell us about your operation and your purpose in leather working.
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.
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].
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…
I’ve seen these hand bound notebooks but moleskines have always been my choice notebook because of how many pages they hold. What pops out to me with this Opus journal is the heavy paper and coptic stitching (here is a guide on doing your own coptic stitch binding notebook) for the binding which gives fantastic flexibility, unlike glued bindings. Several pages are already tearing off on my latest moleskin because of inflexibility in the glued binding.
