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Leather Sources

As of June 2010, I have vowed — after I use up my current stock of leather — to use only recycled or ethically sourced leather. If I can take an already-existing leather product and reuse it, I will do so. But I prefer to go straight to ethically sourced leather and fur, which includes brain- or vegetable-tanned hides only and preferably local. It means that animals will have been harvested humanely. This includes salmon skin leather, which would otherwise be a byproduct destined for the landfill. Unfortunately, this will limit the types of products I can design and produce and will likely affect the price.

I think that, if humans are going to harvest animals, we should do so humanely and use every single part of the animal in whatever way possible. However, I also know that many of the practices in the meat and leather industries worldwide are reprehensible — like we-should-be-going-straight-to-Hell kind of reprehensible. Furthermore, I know that leather tanning can be a polluting process — especially when unmonitored/unregulated and done on a large scale and when using chemicals (this is why big tanneries operate in Third World countries).

I have had tremendous leather guilt, and it's a subject I've not seen covered on the leatherworkers' listservs and bulletin boards. I tried to manage my leather sourcing, but it's impossible, like trying to figure out which oil company was the source for your gasoline. The market is far too obscured and global and conglomerated. Does my leather come from very abusive India? Hard to be sure, but it's likely since my leather suppliers buy from tanneries worldwide.

If you think I'm being melodramatic, check this out: Earthlings. WARNING: This will make you sick. And, if it doesn't, I want nothing to do with you because your soul is a piece of charcoal.

Privacy

I take your privacy seriously. Customer information is managed in accordance with my Privacy Policy.

Packaging

Your product will come packaged in Trellis Earth biodegradable corn (bioplastic) bags. From the Trellis Earth website: "Bioplastics are designed to biodegrade via natural processes. Traditional plastic bags and food containers require great amounts of energy and raw materials (natural gas, oil and coal) to produce and recycle. Only approximately 1-3% of plastic bags are recycled and plastics in our landfills take hundreds or thousands of years to degrade and tax our environment by leaching toxins. (Note: bioplastics cannot and should not be introduced into the traditional plastic recycling stream because corn plastic "contaminates" the process, weakening the resulting products made after recycling.)"

I use recycled padding, such as old Anchorage PRESS pages, maps, magazine pages, and such as that.

Pricing

Leatherwork is time-consuming. One-of-a-kind pieces are largely experimentation. If I charged for my labor, my pieces would be outrageously expensive. Instead I try to keep prices reasonable in light of the fact that people are accustomed to mass-produced foreign-made goods.

Services Available

In addition to custom work, I also do repairs. If you have an old leather satchel or mailbag or other piece, please submit photos and I'll let you know whether I can help you. For a sample of repair work, check out the restorations page.

Payment and Non-Payment

I accept PayPal, check, or money order. My stipulation with checks is that I wait for them to clear before I ship. I will contact you; and, if you have not paid within 5 days or notified me that payment is on the way, I will return the item to available status.

Barter

I am also open to bartering by formal agreement. Please contact me.

Shipping

I ship USPS First Class and USPS Priority Mail only, with delivery confirmation. Your item may arrive packed in recycled materials, as I try as hard as possible to divert from the landfill.

If you request insurance, I will be glad to comply. You may request upgrade to USPS Express Mail.

Refunds and Exchanges

RETURNS: If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, I will offer you an item in exchange or process a refund if the item is postmarked within 30 days. Shipping will not be refunded.

DAMAGE/LOSS: If you do not request insurance and the item is damaged or lost in transit, you are responsible.

Guarantee

Repairs to my own work are free forever; all you need do is send it in. This does not include replacing worn out leather: leather just wears, and you need to take care of it. Full guarantees depend upon the item. Sometimes recycled, vintage, and found materials can be unstable; and I do a lot of experimentation. Please ask upon purchase. No guarantees on used items!

Used Items

No guarantees, period. It's used, People! And I didn't make it.