Heritage

Growing up, I'd often hear stories of my grandad and his hobbies - he is known for being able to turn his hand to anything, and produce beautiful things.

That's where my interest in leatherwork started... in the form of a belt that my grandad had made for my dad that was passed down to me.

I always remember thinking, 'wow, I wonder if I could make something like that one day', but never understood what my dad was talking about when he told me he'd just passed it on because it had 'shrunk'!

There's something so wonderful about growing up and being able to learn a skill that runs in the family - it provides a good opportunity to connect, share stories, teach and learn.

To this day, Grandad keeps busy by making whips, belts and tool rolls out of leather. He also enjoys restoring old sewing machines, rehandling collectible chisels, and making pens out of exotic timber.