179 results for "Valerie Franklin"
Lesson #5) Recap: What is the "Best" Leather?
What "quality" means for types of leather: tannage, sourcing, processing, finishes. Builds on previous lessons in our leather learning series.
Lesson #11) Learn Leather Maintenance, Repair, and Crafting
How to keep vegetable-tanned leather in good condition, review the various leather care products and introduce you to the world of leather crafting for repairs.
Lesson #10) Leather Rescue: How to Revive Old or Moldy Leather
How to rejuvenate and rescue old, dry, stiff vintage leather and moldy, mildewed leather. (Lesson #10 of 11)
Lesson #9) Vintage Leather In the Store: Assessing Craftsmanship Details
How to tell if a leather piece is good quality is in the store: observable design details and red flags. (Lesson #9 of 11)
Lesson #7) Leather Product Quality: Selecting from the Hide for the Use
How craftsmen select from the variable leather hides to create quality products: stretch, thickness, shape. Plus - why maker-made matters. (Lesson #7 of 11)
Lesson #8) Recap: What is "Sustainable" Leather?
What sustainability means for leather and leather alternatives. Why full grain vegetable-tanned cowhide is the most sustainable choice, ethical and moral considerations.
Lesson #3) Leather Processing: Full Grain, Top Grain, Genuine, Suede, and Bonded
How cowhide leather gets processed or split into different kinds of leather, and what names mean: full grain, top grain, genuine, suede, bonded. (Lesson #2 of 11)
Lesson #6) Leather Finishes: Dyes, Oils, Waxes, Glosses, Tooling
Leather finishes at the tannery and in the workshop, including coloring, coatings, and waxes to enhance or obscure quality .Why they might be used and why they matter. (Lesson #6 of 11)
Lesson #4) Leather Tanning: Veg-Tan vs Chrome-Mercury
Tanning is a preservation process. The different ways leather can be tanned using natural tannins or chemicals. (Lesson #4 of 11)
Lesson #2) Leather Sources: Animals (Byproduct vs Exotic) and Alternatives
A broad overview of the different kinds of leather sources: animal, vegetable, fungus, plastic, and paper.
A Local's Guide to the North Oregon Coast
Our favorite things to do, eat, drink and places to stay on the North Oregon Coast near the Manzanita, Wheeler, and Nehalem - between Tillamook and Cannon Beach.
Gift Ideas for Cribbage Lovers
For families, friends and couples that play cribbage together, a special personalized or unique cribbage board makes a great gift. Here are a few ideas to make a special cribbage gift.
Leather Craft Kits for Veterans: History and Today
We share the history of leathercrafting in helping veterans cope with PTSD and tell you about Help Heal Vets, a wonderful organization distributing free craft kits to veterans.
Why Handmade Matters
Lasting quality and attention to detail: why choosing handcrafted leather really matters.
Graduation Gifts Handcrafted for the Job Search
The best graduation gifts help grads land a job! These leather gift ideas are geared for professionals and may even catch the eye of the interviewer.
How to Use Dice to Reduce Decision Fatigue
More than a game, dice are a helpful randomizing tool that psychologists say can help us make good decisions. Updated 6/16/25.
Top 5 Experiential Gift Ideas for Father's Day
Five unique ideas for spending quality time together with Dad to make a memorable Father's Day.
Special Offer: Free Monograms on Group Gifts
We offer FREE monograms to personalize group gifts when you order 4+. Our hand-crafted American-made leather goods make memorable mementos for groomsmen, weddings, family and college reunions!
How to Darken Vegetable-tanned Leather Easily
A conditioning treatment will darken veg-tan leather a little bit and can be repeatedly applied.
Leather Top Tube Protectors and Chainstay Guards
Leather is a great way to protect a bike's finish from scratches and dings. In this post, we talk about why, where, and how to wrap your bicycle frame with a protective and all-weather leather wrap.
Somewhere Between Honey and Dark Brown
Custom Leather Color Blending: an alert customer finds our custom color blend out in the wild.
Why I Use USA-Made, Vegetable-Tanned Leather
Why do we use veg-tan leather, and not vegan in our products?
Leather Colors: Chrome-tanned (Garment) vs. Vegetable-tanned Leather
The difference between leather tannages and what it means for leather product colors
