steveb leatherworks: the blather

Winter in NYC these days aint shit. Back in the day, a snowstorm shut it down Getting shut down was a pretty normal event growing up. Typical scene here. You can see my car buried in front of the house, while my old man’s had 4+ feet of snow on top of it drifting off […]

You believe in ghosts?  Well I do.  I grew up with them in the pictures that I saw as a kid, in the stories that I heard the adults in my family tell and now, in being the guardian of their memories. Ya see, in my heart of hearts, I am afraid that all of […]

I dye alot of belts and use an airbrush when browns, reds or any fade is called for. Great way to make a big mess.. using airbrushes and not having a spray booth or backstop. I needed a way to secure a belt in a spot that I could dye it. ..minimizing over spray, maximizing […]

As I have mentioned in posts past, making a set of leather goods is a kind of special affair, most folks buy one piece at a time, so getting the chance to do a few pieces for one person at one time is cool – i enjoy tying a belt and wallet together with a […]

Fortunate to have family members that live in fairytale film sets (see example below), I spent the Holiday here with part of my clan. Funny how being in a place like this puts you in the mood to eat vast quantities of rich food and burn plenty of wood. Of course, I would be remiss […]

Sitting here with a full stomach, visiting relatives on Xmas day with snow on the ground, it feels like the last time i was on a bike was a year ago. Looking at the shots on my camera, i must admit that this is not wholly true. Only 24 days ago Shank, Dan-o and me […]

For your Xmas consideration – another in the series of Journal covers I’ve been producing…presented here for your viewing pleasure is a real sweetie. This Journal came out nice. Deep and dramatic stamping really sets this Journal off the hey-now scale, you must feel it in your hand to appreciate just how good it feels – its that tactile point of difference i look […]

After nearly 20 years of faithful service my novelty jockey helmet needed a rebuild in a pretty big way. Back in the day, most any self respecting NYC biker wore a jockey helmet – this was most certainly a *club* style influence.  Growing up at ground zero in the moto scene, there was never really […]

Freddy – wanted to give his Dad, Big Joe, a steveb belt for the holidays. Big Joe, is not a jeans wearing kind of guy, instead favoring “slacks”. This necessitated the manufacture of a narrow *dress* belt. So in answer, a 1″ strap was cut from a brand new, delivered last week hide, because, Big […]

A new belt for Tyler. Black color, tan thread, brass buckle, a wack stamping pattern, lined with Pig. Tyler never had his draws so stylishly secure. 

My normal Scrapper belt is a three piece affair with a buckle end, a billet end and a back piece…very fancy, and a bit complicated, requiring skiving, gluing and some odd sewing. I made Bill’s belt a half a Scrapper with only two pieces, simplifying matters and giving him something deceivingly simple and unique. Color […]

Spending a full day in the shop under fluorescent lights standing on concrete was enough to send me out into the snowstorm pummeling the area today just to get some air and move my body to an area larger than 15sq.ft. Heard on the radio there are 6 hour delays at the airports. I feel […]

Hmm, simple, clean elegant and certainly something different – this latest Journal stands on its own. Made with the very finest domestically tanned saddle skirting, the Smooth journal feels substantial with high-quality tactile overtones, has a hefty hand and is imbued with beautiful color, a complex blend of: brown, dark brown, saddle tan and burgundy. This […]

I love logos. I have a thing for graphic design. My specific interests are in logo’s, identity’s, brandmarks – whatever you might want to call ’em. I like the idea of distinguishing ones self and services through a graphic mark or device. If designed, with knowledge and sensitivity of the subject matter – a logo […]

I am back to making toolbags. I thought I’d share this recent toolbag that left the shop for a happy new home. The proud new owner, a repeat customer, has simple tastes: black leather and red flames. This bag was particularly challenging to make because of the material- 10oz, fat stuffed motorcycle latigo- overkill in all regards – this is […]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx-lh3_LbrM[/youtube]

Some tools you really need to do a job well and there are some jobs you can get by with a sorta-kinda tool, maybe. Edging is one of those things, that having the right tool, in the right size really helps. Edgers are foundational tools for most any leather crafter. You reach for them often […]

15 years ago doesn’t seem all that long from a numerical standpoint. But the truth is that 15yrs is a helluva long time, in a lot of other ways….  looking at these old shots from a memorable road trip of long ago reminds me of that. Pupkin, Gonzo and me headed up to the wild […]

It is not too often that I start a project without a clear idea of the “desired end-state”. Usually with customer work, I attend to the details in a number of emails or conversations that drill down into the  specific colors, design and hardware they’d like me to use. I don’t ever cut leather until […]

Alot of my customers carry a briefcase or over-the-shoulder/sling/ messenger/ computer bag. Usually they are some sort of heavy duty ballistic nylon – like my favorite (and pricey) brand of choice – Tumi. All of these type bags come with a standard issue shoulder strap – pretty ugly. Since I am always looking for ways […]

As if you havent figured it out by now, I like my words. I like words in general, but i especially like my words…lol. I always carry a journal with me, to capture thoughts, take notes when i am in a meeting and in general, to make me look smarter than I am. For many years […]

Looking at these two pictures of Dennis’s bike, I think to myself – “oh man, what is up with you? Featuring a bike looking like this – a powder puff pimp queen?”  Forever and ever, I’ve been a 3 shades of black guy (wrinkle, gloss, satin), my fxr best personifying this ideal, as that bike […]

One of the rules of taking care of your tools is to use them correctly. Screwdrivers should’nt be used to pry or be pounded on with hammers (unless they are someone else’s), ratchets are not breaker bars, knife blades are not screwdrivers, etc, etc. In the leathercraft world we dont use metal hammers very often, […]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkos3fuVodA[/youtube]