What would you do as a weary sailor, sailing back to your home port after months at sea? I’d breathe a sign of relief, thankful that another trip is complete and my family will be fed. I’d sit on deck, with my flask in my pocket, and carve stories and trinkets for my young ones to remember me by when I leave on the next voyage. That’s what the scrimshaw wallets are about, and coming soon as their own collection.

This is a card holder I made in early October, 2007- only a month after I had picked up my tools for the first time. It’s still in use today, and it’s owner has this to say:

“its still my wallet, and its held up wonderfully. man, its been a few years since i bought this from you i think… seems like it at least. thanks again, this thing is awesome.”

See how it’s aged after the jump!

I’m happy to announce that Corter Leather will now offer satchels, ranging in size from 4″x6″ to 9″x11″, plus almost any custom sizing. They feature nice thick, soft natural vegetable tanned leather (more colors coming as well), copper rivets, and all hand stitching. Pricing starts at only $115, and they’re available right now on a custom basis with a full line available in the store in April! More pictures after the jump.

Long, snowy day. Late night, or early morning, and a sneak peak at a new product that isn’t meant for pockets.

About 2 weeks ago, I found a couple really nice hides that a fellow had found in a barn. They were between 6 and 7 oz, and though they were old, they had been stored in a dark closet rolled up backwards, so they were still fairly light. I decided it was about time to put out a utility collection, something I had been meaning to do for a long while. More info after the jump!

There are 2 utility wallets available now, a bifold and a snap wallet. Both wallets feature 3 different weights of leather in their construction. The shell is of the thick, durable leather found in the barn. The interior is made of a 5 oz structure with 3 oz pockets. What does this mean? The most significant thing is that the wallets are a bit slimmer than a standard wallet, coming in at just under 1/2″ thick. The thickness of the outer shell also meant that no lining was needed, thus cutting down on production time and cost! The snap wallet features a coin snap, and the bifold a copper riveted tab for a key ring, chain, or anything else you can think of. Both wallets have 6 card slots and a bill slot.

Available for $85/each in the store now!

Heres a couple photos from the weekend I spent with some wonderful friends up in the mountains. We did some skiing, spent some time in a nice relaxing hot tub, ate some great food and visited the Long Trails Brewery (I would highly suggest them, and visiting them. They have a small brewery and only 3 people operate machinery that bottles 250 bottles/minute!)

I’ve never been one to make resolutions, but seeing as how 2009 was kind of a blah year morale wise for us here around the Corter camp, I made a few for 2010. As always, my first resolution is to continue making the best product I can for all of our wonderful and supportive customers, and to keep the company moving in the right direction in terms of growth (which 2009 was great for!). So, my personal resolutions for 2010 are very underwhelming and simple. I like the sound of a mellow year. 

First, I’m resolving to be selfish, in a sense that I probably need to take more “me” time and think things through. I tend to do whats best for others over myself, and I’m going to try, as odd as it sounds, to think of myself first more. 

Second, I’m resolving to watch 2 movies a week. Why? I don’t watch many movies, so I’d like to take some time to relax, put work down, and watch some good films. My “bedroom” is more like my workshop with a bed in it, which means it’s hard to escape work sometimes, so this will hopefully force me to relax a bit more.

Last, I’m resolving to write every day. I’m talking with a pen, in a journal, for only myself to read. I think it’s very easy to live such a public life with statuses, tweeting, and all of that, so I’m making my journaling habit a daily ritual for 2010. 

And what will I be writing in? A handbound, Corter Leather Journal of course! I’ve recently designed and started prototying a hand bound captain’s journal, which will be added to the spring 2010 Brewster collection. They’re 80 pages, 6×4, and use 100% cotton paper. Heres what a couple of them look like:

The holiday cardholders are done and up in the shop! They’re $35, and come in natural, black, and an awesome vintage tan I did. No dye, just tanning and some oil.