steveb leatherworks: the blather

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 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 […]

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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 […]

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 […]

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]

Reaching back in the archive here for a little discourse on a special *surprise birthday* wallet with a meaningful, personal piece of art showcased front and center. My customer Brandi was a girlfriend of the gent who had this art as a tattoo. Mind you this was a small tattoo, and a very old tattoo..and […]

Some years back i was given a scrap of alligator to play with. I don’t work with hides or skins much, so put it aside, knowing that one day when i had some idle time, I’d get to some experimenting and see what I could do with it. Time passed, and lo and behold, I […]

blue suede paisley.. Found some really different and exceedingly expensive leather suitable for lining wallets. Both pieces are a matte finish suede and sport cool paisley/ bandanna. type prints. Both colors are outstanding, both prints are really something different. I was only able to find a small piece of each, so this is sure to be […]

This customer had a favorite scrimshaw blade he carried every day. Being a folder type of knife, some sort of pouch style sheath was appropriate. Being a daily carry knife, required I use a strong, tight to the body style – so it wouldn’t get hung up or snag on stuff. I decided to use […]

Good to have a selection of hammers – craftsman lump for punching tips and slots, ancient cobblers for flattening folds or setting stitching, small ball peen from my college jewelry making days for fine tuning copper rivets, traditional rawhide mallet for lighter punching duties, silver workers hammer for fine seam flattening and metal tapping . […]

Big Mark wanted a special Fin. I am not going to argue with anyone whose first name is Big. A little 408 area code action seemed a good theme in his mind, I bundled this idea up with a sweet tribal flame treatment and together we made this a distinctive beauty. Red matte finish upholstery […]

You know how sometimes you see a picture and a flood of memories come back, and things seems as vivid as they were 16 years ago. I’ve been on this tear for a few months now…scanning as many of the images I have in my many, many photo albums as possible. I don’t know exactly […]

No big complicated  deal from a leather-work perspective, pocket wallets are simply handy as hell. Honestly, the utility, simplicity and sheer usability of these little stinkers has me engaged. I have been considering refinements, but after playing with a few designs,i find the original is still the best. Lets you carry your bills, license, a […]

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 […]

At steveb worldwide global llc inc co. we pride ourselves on unleashing a veritable torrent of innovation on our unsuspecting friends, neighbors and yes – our customers. Here at the training centre (notice the affected  “e”) we like to think of it as cruel and unusual..but really it is neither. It is actually a positive […]

Utility..let me ponder Utility – one of the key guiding principles behind the design of my work. Stuff has to work well first and foremost. You wont find leaherwork that is uncomfortable or unusable coming from my shop, no sir, sacrificing style for utility or comfort aint gonna happen. You might need to break a […]

Belts… might seem a little weird, but i invite you to meditate on the true nature of a belt with me. Sometimes in steveb land, we like to dig into the mundane and peel back a layer for contemplation, not that a belt is mundane, mind you. A  belt can be as simple as a rope with a knot, […]

Had the treat of making a two-piece set for one of my business associates, specifically, the gentleman who silk screened my most recent t-shirt. Sean, of Otherworld Graphics let me go to town with this set – dealers choice totally – how cool is that, I ask? Well, personally I think it is pretty damn […]

Black kind of sucks for the leather crafter. Dying a piece black kind of guarantees that alot of the detail put into a piece gets lost. Not the first time I’ve said this. So if I produce a piece in black, i try and “texture it up”, with a dramatic stamping pattern – while trying […]

Ever have a job sneak up on you?  What looks like a simple job…turns out to be a “not so simple” job? Tradesman know what I am talking about, its those “no problem” jobs that come to bite you in the arse, demanding special attention…Well Beau’s Fireman Suspenders turned out to be that kind of […]