steveb leatherworks: the blather

Tough as nails finding brass or copper “anything” these days. The colors aren’t in favor by the fashion world which drives alot of the demand for manufacturing and so…if WalM*rt isnt buying it, folks aint making it. Bummer. Makes sourcing stuff like cool chain, clasps, jump rings, snaps, etc – tough. I used to find alot of hardware (and still use alot of it daily) on eBay and sites like that..but no more.

So – I was in NYC hunting and pecking my way through the garment districts “fitting, fixtures, findings and accessories” shops and wholesalers looking for treasure. Thats a trip, let me tell you. Not conventional retail establishments by any stretch, these down & dirty shops are ancient storefronts with a counter, and warehouse racks and piles of stuff in a seemingly confused array. As one learns , this is not true at all, these shops are laid out with a laser like precision. You lookin’ for a pricelist? A catalog? A display of wares they have in stock?  Ha – this is bidness done in the old world style” “watt ya lookin fo? – yeh, we gots one of dem”…it RULES, i love this stuff…the last bit of old NYC.

With that said, with all this laser like precision, my stops and query’s netted me nuttin, until i found myself up in the Diamond district and stopped in at one of the best known jewelry and metalwork suppliers – and found these beauties – and 15ft of 10ga copper wire to make copper jump rings with. Score one for the treasure hunter and for my customers looking for something new.

The copper-plated steel chain is lightweight, with a great color – the brass chain is heavier, with a milled cut in the side of it – adds a little “sumpin sumpin” to the look. I am going to keep looking for solid copper chain, but am not hopeful in the short term. I was thrilled to find this as it is.