When I started toying with the idea of becoming a #leathercrafter, I had no idea what I wanted to make. The list that I came up was constantly evolving.
"I want to make a sunglasses case, no, a journal cover, NO, a mousepad!"
You get the idea.
Then, I realized I was procrastinating without even knowing it. I thought I had to have this list of items that I was going to make before I even thought about getting tools, #leather, hardware, etc. I felt that if I was going to spend money on the #leather, then I needed to have every square inch of it planned out.
In reality, I was just putting it off because I was nervous to start working with #leather. I have this awesome quality where I expect myself to be the BEST right out of the gate. Totally unrealistic, I know, but its something I've never been able to get over.
There's a good ol' boy from my hometown that once said, "Ain't nothin' to it but to do it".
He's right. It doesn't matter how perfect you plan something, it'll always go differently. So, I did it. I bought a small set of tools and about 5-6 square feet of vegetable tanned leather from Tandy leather.
After this, I went home and tore into everything immediately. Once I unrolled that shoulder of veg tan, it dawned on me. Start with a wallet, a simple, #minimalistwallet. Well, if you've ever done any kind of craft work, you'll know that nothing done well is ever truly simple.
That first wallet I made was an atrocity. The edges were uneven, the leather I had was way to thick, I didn't know how to burnish things correctly, and the list goes on. It definitely was not the best.
But I did it. I got over the fear and made that first wallet.
I made a couple of those, and with each one getting a little better. On my fifth attempt, I finally had one that I was happy with. One that I felt like I could show off on the Gram (Instagram)! So, I did. I posted it and it was the inaugural post. You can check it out @commodoreleather.
After I finished that wallet, I initially referred to it as the "Scout". After a couple of weeks that just didn't seem right and didn't really align with the name or purpose of Commodore Leather Supply.
That's when it dawned on me - my business is named after a family member, so why not name all of my products after family members? So, the James was born.
Since this was the first design and product that I came up with, I think of it as the flagship product of my line. Because it is the flagship, it needed the flagship name of my family - James.
James is the most common name you'll find throughout my family's lineage. Almost every man in my family owns that name as their first or middle name.
How could I not give it to this wallet?
- Seth
If you're interested in a James wallet, shoot me an email at commodoreleathersupply@gmail.com or a DM on instagram. I'll be happy to go over color options and pricing!
You can also find available and ready to ship James wallets here.