KEEP IT SIMPLY BLACK

What's good y'all.  Not much to update in terms of the denimz, but I'll probably take a pic and post it at the 1-month mark, just to have a record of its evolution.  That'll be in about 4 days or so be on the lookout for that.  

The shop threw an always pc-friendly "holiday" bash that coincided with our heavily overshadowed five year anniversary.  If only times were better, a truly monumental party could have been had.  But I guess even being around at this time is something to mildly celebrate.  Here are some shots from the shindig.

Ah.  Nothing like alcohol and poinsettias to set the mood.

A little game of s-k-a-t-e as the night closes out.

I'm also anxiously waiting on the leather wallet/tether/belt loop Nicholas (Hollows Leather) put together for me the last week or so.  Mine is the one that is called "simple black set" on his flickr account.  He was super quick, super nice & had some good prices.  I can't wait.  I asked for a card-holder slim wallet, since I charge with credit card most of the time & only rarely carry bills on me.  I didn't want it too thick or too ornate for the sake of simplicity and also so my pocket isn't bulging out two inches wherever go.  I guess I could've enjoyed it better if it came in natural & I could evo it over time, but my BSPs are very willing to share indigo with whatever they touch, and black is beautiful.  Tether came along for the ride, and the simple belt loop got thrown in for good measure.

I'll get my own pics up when I've got the goods.

NEEDZ MOAR LEATHERWORKING!

So I was at the shop one day and it was a regular recession retail Friday (aka SLOW WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT - I've taken to bringing a lengthy book to the shop to at least be semi-productive) and in walks this typical looking homey, wearing some fitted jeans and a generic looking flannel.  

"Oooh, a customer, maybe we'll actually make a little green today", I naively thought.  

At that precise moment, a bunch of other customers herded into the store and things got a little hectic, as I was the only one manning the shop.  As it turns out, nobody wanted to buy anything and had set out to the shop to just mess up the displays, so I was worked up for nothing.   Inevitably, I would hear a little a bit of the customers making casual conversation and I picked up that the first customer, named Sonny, was a carpenter by trade.  

Wow.  I mean, Jesus was a carpenter, right?  I'd always daydreamed of being a skilled artisan.  Getting apprenticed to a master-craftsmen, rising to the rank of journeyman and then earning the right to be called a master of your craft is just so darn romantic!  Working with your hands, being your own boss, keeping your own schedule.  Seems like the life to be had for every pencil-pushin' button-masher imprisoned in their own cubicles.  Of course I was almost immediately interested.

We talked it up - chopped it up for a good hour.  He was a good dude.  Very down to earth and humble.  Willing to admit that the "life" just wasn't all that, that it was largely imagined and idealized.  He was just as chained to his craft as everyone else is chained to their jobs.  He had gone into it blindly, no master-craftsmen for him to latch onto.  In fact, he said he pretty much sucked hard at everything he put his hand to until he got a lot more skilled, and actually found a niche.  Well now he's one of the world's foremost carpenters in the field of S&M Dungeon-craft and his workshop is busy year-round.  So you can imagine why I chose not to show any pictures considering the perverse nature of his pieces, but it was interesting to say the least.  And he left the shop without buying anything to boot!

Well this got me thinking.  You can learn most anything online.  So why not try something I'm interested in?  Most denim aficionados become semi-interested in leather by nature of the vice (almost anything that ages beautifully is worth considering as adornment), and anything handcrafted (especially from Japan) has a price tag that is hard to justify except for in a moment of weakness, so why not try myself?  A belt can't be that hard to make.  So let's make it happen, cap'n!

Images courtesy of Corter Leather.

Slub-a-Dub-Dub!

I've worn my BSPs (not every single day) for about 13 days now, and here's an update on how they're doing.  

I took a pic of their hairy goodness with sunlight seeping in through the window.  Notice the indigo-colored thread used for the arcuates.  They'll look nice once the denim starts to fade.

Here's the denim laid out in natural light.  You can see where they've stretched and where the combs/whiskers have start to set.

Orange Selvedge!  I got them hemmed/chain-stitched at The Stronghold in Venice last week.  I took off about 3 inches, and the Union Special chain-stitch machine worked its magic in under 15 minutes.

Some belt evo.  This hefty belt from Tanner was natural before I oiled it with mink oil and let it age.  Oh, and I got a little thinner in the process, hence the belt notch moving.