Drumm’s Leathercraft

Rossie telling Cy how to act on the cruise.

I’m on a much-needed vacation for the next two weeks. In the meantime, new leathers, bespoke project pictures, and hopefully plenty of aloe are all on their way. See you in August! 🛳️🏝️😎

On December 10th, 1786, the Metta Catharina set sail from the Russian port of St. Petersburg, bound for the Mediterranean Sea with precious h**p and leather. On its voyage, the Catharina was caught in an intense storm and was forced to shelter in the Plymouth Sound. While the crew was able to safely reach the shore, the storm broke the Catharina from its anchor and the ship was lost at sea.

Nearly two centuries later, divers were finally able to track and locate the ship along with its cargo scattered on the seafloor. Remarkably, the leather hides were perfectly preserved despite being underwater for nearly 200 years. After discovering these hides, they were highly sought-after for some of the most expensive leather goods and have since been a part of the ship’s lore.

With careful research, one tannery has been able to reproduce the hides in the same tanning process using willow bark and curing with birch oil. This process gives the leather a unique smoky smell. The leather can also "bloom" as the wax ages, though the white waxy layer can be worked back into the leather with a horsehair brush. Reindeer Birch leather is available in brown and black colors. What an awesome background story to go along with your piece!

Visit drummsleathercraft.com to start designing your piece using Reindeer Birch leather!

Bespoke barbed wire belt crafted using leather from a 1867 tannery in Pennsylvania:

• hand-finished custom color
• nickel matte hardware
• screws allow for easy buckle and keeper replacement
• one-of-a-kind barbed wire engraving
• matching English point ends

Another late night last night. But today’s not a rest day - I’m starting another project tonight 🥳

Spent some time perfecting the color of this belt. It’ll end up being a lot different than what I normally do, so I’m excited for that!

Aside from possibly breaking a toe, here’s an interesting wallet I recently made that mixes a bifold and card holder. Despite the apparent simplicity, a lot of thought went into the design and construction. I try not to add too many of my bespoke pieces to my website, but this thing is so cool!

Started before my trip and finished late last night, just in time for the long weekend 🇺🇸

Heading home soon from a trip to learn about leather tanneries in Colombia. Beautiful weather, amazing people, incredible culture, delicious food, and a little-known leather and leather goods producer.

Unfortunately, because the few tanneries they have are family-owned - and to protect the growing market, much of the processes and ingredients for dying are kept secret.

But I will say this: while France, Italy, Japan, and Spain are the global leaders in crafting incredible leathers and leather goods, Colombia is a hidden gem with a bright future!

Photos of the tanneries weren’t allowed and I don’t have much information to pass along; however, enjoy a few pictures I took.

🚨 Added to the site 🚨

5 options available with unlimited customization!

Click the link to check it out.

L03 - Passport Sleeve | Drumm's Leathercraft Traditional Option A refined passport sleeve crafted from natural-color Italian leather, designed to protect your travel documents with timeless style and simplicity. Hand-sewn construction Natural-color Italian leather White stitching Choice of lined or unlined construction Brass button stud closur...