Inspiration.... such a powerful word, and I am absolutely `blown away by how many people have used my work to inspire them over the years, yet it still seems to be a bit of a sticky subject ‍

i.e t what point is it copying ?? is this something new?.....  No way !!!! Looking back through time, artists have been inspired by their heroes... 

So...

Here I wanted to take a little look about how to proceed with this kind of thinking 

Without question, one of my absolute favourite techniques to use, and a massive favourite with my clients GILDING.... Yes, this is always going to be one, that's going to need mastering very much like hand tooling, but Yes, this is always going to be one, that's going to need mastering very much like hand tooling, but in just the same way, this finish can add so much to the final look of any piece. It's why clients pay me thousands of dollars just to take that extra time to go through this process.Most certainly one worth spending the time to master announce with everything speed (or rather lack of it) is the key to success.

Would you believe every single leather armour and accessory design we've ever created has been prototyped in eva foam !!!!! I know, some of you will think a bit excessive… But seriously, have you seen the price of leather ...

Which is 100%, why aside of wanting to get things perfect, that everything we produce in leather ...starts off with a rough pattern and then a foam prototype just to make sure that every single piece sits perfectly, moves perfectly & articulates in whatever way we need it to articulate

Keep in mind... Ultimately this prototype shows us that when you stand back and admire this from a distance, it hits the mark.

Another quick look at one of my new designs released last autumn, and really after having spent a year on the biggest design blitz in almost 3 decades to look back. I'm so grateful at the efforts everybody's gone to to make this happen.. These designs are combination of so many elements that we've worked to develop over the last 30 years, I'd like to believe these represent some of my best works to date.

It's rare that I get the time to share videos of things just outside of production because they tend to go straight from the design table to the photography, then into production. I'm actually really pleased at how these have come out....

So here you go a quick fly around you and one of my newest designs The Fenrir... And I'd like to think very much a style that combines powerfully as something 100% practical in terms of protection, while at the same time, giving people that opportunity to have something amazing to look like, even if they were attending a Wrwhile at the same time,...

All too often when working with clothing, the actual working properties aren’t taken into consideration enough. One of the things that working with an armour teaches you is the specific body movements you’ve got to be prepared for the are not, ordinarily called for in every day movement. You think that bending over is something we’re all used to, and yet none of your modern clothing is going to be made of 3.2 mm leather….. which is why it’s so important to consider an advance. How am I gonna be wearing this….

I remember only too well my first outing in leather almost 30 years…. feeling so proud, walking across the field of battle, then sit down for our banquet and do my impression of a turtle with my body armour rising up to my ears. At the moment, I sat down, ‍

Another of my NEW Range of Armour Designs just gone live and as so many folks have been asking to see these baby's in the flesh…. I've created a few of these in case anyone wanted a peek…The Hervor Leather Body Armour in the flesh…

An element that's overlooked with many projects and yet it's probably one of the most critical elements ensuring that your client gets exactly what they want .... and you avoid that scenario of somebody saying that's not what I asked for when you hand your project over ..... 

Lists are your friend.... Taking notes and asking the right questions being very careful to keep your opinion to being purely objective when it comes to guiding your customer in the right direction, just in case you spot a poor choice on the part of the client

Think of this is the stage where you get to both give guidance and gain understanding of their vision

So often, when working with leather, you'll find that through natural wear, depending on what threads you've used, there's bound to become some kind of weak point, sooner or later.  We use heavier wax threads because we are creating items that have to be put under a huge amount of wear and tear out of the ordinary and so it's always super critical to ensure that your stitches are tight.  Many people often use two needles to create a saddlestitch, but honestly, I found it so much simpler to simply stitch in both directions giving you the ability to individually tighten the stitches and in close to 30 years I've never seen this fail.

Another quick look at one of the latest pieces to have been released Autumn 2023 and as so many folks have been asking to see these baby’s in the flesh…. Created a few of these case anyone else wanted a peek…The Aslaug Leather Body Armour in the flesh… A quick close look at the build of The Aslaug

Introducing the Aslaug Body Armour – a handcrafted leather armour steeped in Viking mythology. Inspired by the tales of Aslaug, the daughter of Sigurd and the shieldmaiden Brynhildr, this armour tells her story through its intricate design.

Aslaug’s tale of being smuggled to safety inside a harp is beautifully depicted on the chest of this armour, serving as a constant reminder of courage, resilience, and survival.

The Aslaug Body Armour fits like a second skin, making it suitable for any shield maiden of war. It’s one of our most practical designs, offering full-length coverage and fitting bust sizes ranging from 36 to 40 inches & 40...