Process

For us the process is just as important as the result. There is definitely something deeply personal that comes from creating something with your hands. Since we both grew up as artists, the process was never anything you could really be thought. It was developed from trial & error. It was learned from observation & respect for the skill & craft. This is something that lives in what we make & inherent in everyone of our handmade & hand-sewn goods. We hope that when you receive & start using your Craftmen piece you immediately connect with the process. We love what we do. Not only do we guarantee the construction of your new Craftmen item, we guarantee you will fall in love with it too. We are what we do. We are the Craftmen.

What goes into hand-making every Craftmen item?

Design

It all starts with the concept. Everyone of our products came from a personal need. We don't offer anything we wouldn't use ourselves. Each idea & concept gets put through our own personal tests before it gets the Craftmen stamp of approval.

Materials

We take great pride in what we do & the materials we use. We use locally & American made resources whenever possible:

    Tools: Easily the most recognizable leather hand tools & considered an industry standard, C.S. Osborne, is still family managed & located in our home state, New Jersey. A tradition of quality since 1826. Undoubtedly, it's a sense of pride we get when we look down at our tools & know there is a history, a story behind where they came from. A feeling we know you will also share.

    Leather: Pergamena (also known as Richard E. Meyer's & Sons) supplies our leather. A family owned & operated tannery located in Montgomery, NY. "…All of our hides come from local farms and hunters. Our leathers are vegetable-tanned, a traditional & environmentally sound process, & we try to use natural & biodegradable dyes or pigments whenever possible." Our partnership spans further than a relationship with a full service leather & parchment supplier.

    Thread: What makes our thread special? We us an Irish Waxed Linen Thread. Irish Linen is known for its exceptional quality & strength. This natural thread is then waxed with beeswax. Further strengthening the thread & also creating a seal which binds the stitches. The beeswax also prevents the thread from degrading & breaking down from moisture.

Stitching

Not all stitches are created equal… That’s why we use a saddle-stitch. One for aesthetics, but primarily for strength. If one of the stitches fail or rip, the whole will not unravel. The length of the stitch will remain strong & reliable.

Handmade Process

Often used too liberally, handmade is truly an ideal seen throughout our entire process. We cut our designs by hand with a straight edge & blade. We hand-sew every stitch with two saddle-needles. Down to the envelopes your goods arrive in, we have had our hands in creating everything you see.