The Ongoing Leather Notebook Cover List – Field Notes, Moleskine, Rite in the Rain, Rhodia

To have your notebook cover featured here, contact Bobby at [email protected] to arrange. This is an ongoing list.

Here we are featuring great notebook covers sent to us by reputable leather companies in the business of making quality goods. The links are in the product titles. Continue reading “The Ongoing Leather Notebook Cover List – Field Notes, Moleskine, Rite in the Rain, Rhodia”

Craft & Lore and BestLeather Port Wallet Giveaway – $55 Value, 4 Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

Melanie F, Eric N, Adam B, & Weston A!

Thank you to all who entered the Craft & Lore giveaway! Keep an eye out for more giveaways coming soon!

Port Wallet Winners


Craft & Lore is partnering with BestLeather.org to give you a shot at winning one of their Port Wallets. The company, located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is an independent design and build workshop, focusing on leather goods that are simple in form and function. Craft and Lore recently launched a Kickstarter for their Port Wallet ($39 only on Kickstarter), a minimal handmade wallet made to carry your indispensable cards plus some cash. Last year, we reviewed the Port Wallet, and here’s what our reviewer Ben had to say about it:

“The Port Wallet is a simple, no-fold, four pocket workhorse designed to carry 7-8 cards in the central pocket, as well as a few bills and a drivers license. With 4-5oz hand tanned leather and saddle stitched waxed polyester thread, this wallet is absolutely built to last — most importantly, it is able to withstand the abuse of day-to-day goings. From trips to the coffee shop on my bike to long commutes in the car, this wallet hasn’t appeared to even begin to wear in any way after three weeks of being in my back pocket. The Port Wallet is built to last. Period.

This wallet can be described in just one word: clean. The color of my vegetable-tanned leather Port Wallet reminds me of a fine 15 year single malt scotch: a rich, mesmerizing amber. The stitching accents the clean simplicity of the wallet. The leather is smooth and extremely soft to the touch; it’s an pleasant experience each time you reach in your front pocket.”

Port Wallet Giveaway Cover

Craft & Lore Port Wallet Giveaway – 4 Winners!

This time, we will be selecting FOUR winners, each of whom will be able to choose a Port Wallet in Natural, Medium Brown, Dark Brown, or Mahogany. The giveaway runs from July 16th to July 28th, so enter now for your chance to win!

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Port Wallet - Craft and Lore

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Craft & Lore Launches Kickstarter for The Port Wallet

Craft and Lore, located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is an independent design and build workshop, focusing on leather goods that are simple in form and function. Craft and Lore recently launched a Kickstarter for their Port Wallet, a minimal handmade wallet made to carry your indispensable cards plus some cash. We recently reviewed the Port Wallet, and here’s what our reviewer Ben had to say about it:

“The Port Wallet is a simple, no-fold, four pocket workhorse designed to carry 7-8 cards in the central pocket, as well as a few bills and a drivers license. With 4-5oz hand tanned leather and saddle stitched waxed polyester thread, this wallet is absolutely built to last — most importantly, it is able to withstand the abuse of day-to-day goings. From trips to the coffee shop on my bike to long commutes in the car, this wallet hasn’t appeared to even begin to wear in any way after three weeks of being in my back pocket. The Port Wallet is built to last. Period.

This wallet can be described in just one word: clean. The color of my vegetable-tanned leather Port Wallet reminds me of a fine 15 year single malt scotch: a rich, mesmerizing amber. The stitching accents the clean simplicity of the wallet. The leather is smooth and extremely soft to the touch; it’s an pleasant experience each time you reach in your front pocket.”

Craft and Lore Port Wallet 1
Not pictured: $39 Black Wickett & Craig Harness Leather

Here’s some of the features of the Port Wallet:

  • Cut and saddle stitched by hand in North Idaho
  • 4oz weight full grain vegetable tanned leather
  • W 2.75″ x H 4″ x D .75 ” (full)
    6.9cm x 10.1cm x 1.9cm (full)

For $39, you can get the Port Wallet in a natural veg-tan leather from the Masure Tannery in Belgium, or in Wickett & Craig Harness Leather in medium brown, dark brown, mahogany, or black. For $59, you can have your Port Wallet crafted from soft and supple Horween Dublin leather.

Craft and Lore Port Wallet 2

$39 is a great deal for a handcrafted, saddle-stitched wallet, so be sure to check out their Kickstarter page and their website for more of Craft & Lore’s heritage goods.

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Craft and Lore Port Wallet 3

Craft & Lore Northwestward Field Notes Review – $80

If you’re a scatterbrain like me and need a mini notebook to carry around with you to keep track of life, you will know that notebooks break apart quickly when carried every day. That’s where the Craft And Lore Northwestward Field Notes cover shines. It is a leather cover for the supplied Field Notes notebook with a few card slots on the inside.

Chad Von Lind is the owner, and maker of Craft And Lore. He produces fine hand made leather goods out of his home shop Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He is both “In word and deed” an honest, hard working, and skilled craftsman.

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Construction

The Craft & Lore Northwestward Field Notes cover is made from quality Belgium tanned 4/5oz saddle leather. This weight of leather is ideal in my opinion. Thicker and tougher than a 2/3oz however any thicker and it would be a pain to carry. The dye is applied evenly and the finish is smooth, with a nice sheen. It closes via two quality snaps that are set firmly. The piece is hand stitched together with heavy duty waxed thread. He pays every attention to the details when stitching. Backstitching is done at the beginning and end of all stitching lines making the strongest bond.

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Function

Having used the notebook cover daily now for 2 weeks or so, I am a big fan. It is like my organizational hub. I run two business in addition to writing for BestLeather so I have lots to keep track of and it is great to have a notebook on me at all times. I also need to carry two sets of business cards and the two card slots are perfect for my needs.

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My only issue with it is the pen slot. You cannot fit a full sized pen in the designed slot. It is designed for a mini pen, which I don’t have. However this may be a positive for you. Now the biggest plus in my eyes is that the leather cover prolongs the life of the notebook inside, by quite a lot. This allows me to keep my important ‘scribblings’ safe for much longer than if I were to throw it in my pocket un-protected.

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Aesthetics

Aesthetics is a difficult topic, as it is purely subjective. However as leather connoisseurs, most of us can agree on how quality leather good looks. Quality leather consists of a nice even dye, a good finish with a pleasing luster, even straight stitching, and properly set snaps. The Northwestward Field Notes encompasses all of those aesthetics making it a very high quality, aesthetically pleasing cover.

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BestLeather Conclusion

The Craft & Lore Northwestward Field Notes is a great addition for the unorganized. A very well built organizational hub for you notes and business/credit cards. You can also use it as a passport holder too! It is perfect for someone who needs to carry two sets of business cards. Aesthetically it is a gorgeous piece of art. Functionally it performs well, it will keep the contents safe and secure and is easy to use. However, it will require the purchase and use of a smaller pen. But with that said, it will prolong the life of your notebook in a beautiful handmade in Idaho package.

Craft & Lore Axe Holster – $37

As a woodsman an axe in an essential tool. Having worked 4 years on a backcountry trail crew I have a lot of hours on an axe. One thing I know is just how easy it is to set it down while gathering wood and lose your axe. The Craft & Lore Axe Holster solves that problem. It is by no means a new idea, however a great rendition of a classic tool.

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Chad Von Lind is the owner and maker of Craft & Lore. He produces fine hand made leather goods out of his home shop Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He is both “In word and deed” an honest, hard working, and skilled craftsman.

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Construction

The Craft & Lore Axe Holster is about as simple and tough as a leather item could get. Leather, rivets. The leather is a 13 oz. English bridle leather, a very tough, thick and sturdy choice. The two pieces are held together with four solid brass hand peened rivets, one of the strongest types of rivet. With this kind of construction I don’t think you could break it if you tried.

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Function

Sometimes simplicity is beauty, and it couldn’t get any simpler than this holster. It simply attaches to your belt and holds an axe. The belt loop is quite large and can accommodate any sized belt. The opening is large enough to hold any hatchet or axe, however I wouldn’t carry something longer than 28” as it might feel cumbersome or scrape the ground. However my 19 1/2” axe is perfect. The holster works wonderfully in my field testing and it will be a go to item for my woods kit.

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Aesthetics

The leather has a brown oil dye that looks wonderful. It is even and has a nice luster. The edges are beveled and burnished giving it a nice finished look. The rivets are spaced evenly and I love the look of hand peened rivets. The color of the leather offset by the brass is my favorite combination. This is the kind of item you will cherish every time you use it.

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BestLeather Conclusion

The Craft & Lore Axe Holster is a simply designed and beautifully built, “bombproof” holster for your hatchet or axe. It keeps your axe right at your hip allowing two free hands. Is it a buy it for life item? No, it is a buy it for multiple lives item. With its extreme build quality this is something you can, and will want to leave for the kids.

Craft & Lore The Pilgrim Wallet Review – $70

How many times do you go online looking for a leather wallet only to find yourself despondent about the minimal number of choices available? If you’ve ever actually looked, the answer is likely never. There are thousands of companies from huge corporate retail magnates to mom and pop shops in Michigan all peddling the same bi fold and tri-fold. They are cut from one piece of leather or two, faux alligator skin, finest saddle leather in the world, gold leaf encased “fine leather wallets”. Don’t misunderstand, there is nothing wrong with many of these options, except that maybe there are so many. The fairly simple reason for this market maelstrom of product: wallets are about the easiest thing to make from a piece of leather. Fold a piece over and sew it and you’re already halfway done. This is the challenging market climate the small, one-man outfit Craft and Lore finds itself in. It is the solo project of artisan Chad Von Lind, a budding fine-goods company based in the lake town Coeur d’Alene, ID. His product in question is “The Pilgrim Wallet,” a large wallet or small travel clutch intended for road trips, rugged expeditions, and the like.

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CONSTRUCTION

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The wallet is made from two pieces of solid leather: one 4 to 5 oz piece that forms the surrounding shell and structure of the wallet and a much thinner piece of ⅔ oz calfskin that separate the passport and notes compartment from your cards. The two are saddle-stitched together by hand using .35” waxed polyester cord, making the joint close to as sturdy as the leather itself. The closure is accomplished with an antique brass snap. Two pieces of leather were used in the construction of the entire piece. This traditional simplicity, though not uncommon in the leather-working world, greatly enhances the strength of the wallet. Although the supple nature of the material initially made me question its lasting power, it is in fact very strong, flexible, and will likely outlast me.

FUNCTION

Craft & Lore Pilgrim Wallet 2 It is intended specifically for travel, in the style of a trucker’s wallet. It’s a little too big to fit into my back pocket comfortably, is not quite as streamlined as your everyday bi fold, and doesn’t hold bills all that naturally. On the other hand, none of these are the point. This wallet was designed to see you through a lot of gallivanting. My passport and field notes fit together like a glove along with about twenty plastics total. With only the passport and eight or nine cards there was still enough tension to keep everything in its place well enough. The aforementioned softness of the leather makes it a pleasure to both hold and behold, and the brass snap is satisfying enough. Personally I wouldn’t carry this around everyday without a bag or backpack, but can imagine that it would become indispensable on any adventure.

AESTHETIC

Craft & Lore Pilgrim Wallet 5 Von Lind is open about his love for “simple unassuming things that are built beautifully and built to last,” and that influence is clear in the wallet. The leather is a rich, solid dark brown with no flourishes save a thin pinstripe around the outside flap and a tasteful logo on the bottom right interior. At a glance the wallet might seem outdated; few have carried wallets this size since the west still needed settled. That all serves as part of the attraction though, once you realize it is meant to be a heritage relic, a fine piece of artistry in the new wave of modern-vintage. The piece as a whole screams Americana and minimalism both to great effect. In its simplicity it is elegant; in its elegance it is functional.

THE BESTLEATHER CONCLUSION

Craft & Lore Pilgrim Wallet 4 Along with a small fleet of similar creations, Craft & Lore has built a nice product out of great materials and simple construction. The wallet is geared toward travel oriented use and that intention should not be ignored; it would be a bit clunky as an everyday carry and would likely hold either much more than you needed or far too little. That being said, it is a good choice for a travel wallet and an attractive piece of leather-working. At $70.00 the price is a little steep considering the limits of its practical use. However, if you find yourself looking for a convenient and attractive place to keep your cards, cash, passport, and small notebook with a little money to spare, keep this traditional offering from Craft & Lore in consideration.

Craft & Lore Port Wallet Review – $55

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is a small town in the Panhandle of Northern Idaho, surrounded on all sides by natural beauty. Rugged peaks to the north and east, an enormous lake to the south, another enormous lake the north, another lake north of that, completely and totally surrounded by forest — you get the point. Coeur d’Alene is wild.

It is from this wild, rugged landscape that Chad von Lind draws his inspiration for the products of Craft & Lore. Chad started the company with his own two hands on his kitchen table, after realizing his want for a sheath for a large German hunting knife. What hunting knife is complete without a rugged leather sheath? Chad incorporates the simplicity of the landscape into his products, by designing them with simple, clean functionality in design and long lasting durability in quality and build. Continue reading “Craft & Lore Port Wallet Review – $55”