Hi, we are your Craftsmen: Aaron and Kathleen Johnson.

We have always had a passion for creating and making things and have had our own small brands selling our goods individually. Now that we have been married for a while we thought it was about time we started a joint brand. 

And so The Local Craftsman was born.

Honestly, it would have been born a lot sooner but we couldn't decide on a brand name. Both of us had struggled to find something perfect, occasionally changing our individual brand names because they just didn’t fit us.

We both think of our selves as crafters and love the idea of the local craftsman who lives in your neighbourhood and can make you anything you want. You can ask them for custom made things or even get your favourite bag or wallet duplicated or fixed. 

In todays consumerist culture you can buy things so cheap that they have lost their value, are sort of ‘throw-away’ items and are no longer cared for in the first place.

While we can't change that, we do want to offer an alternative.

Products and goods that are handmade, that have a story and are unique to their owner - even if 1000 of them are made because you can't duplicate nature and how the owner uses it. Two wallets made at the same time will still be different as they use natural full grain leather that has scars and imperfections and are hand-cut and hand-sewn. As with two rings, the sizes will vary person to person but also as a handmade object they will always be slightly different, making them completely yours.

More About Leather Work:

I am a self taught leather worker from Merimbula, Southern NSW. I handstitch and make  all kinds of leather goods like kangaroo leather wallets, bags, journals, braided bracelets, keyrings and much more.

I only use leather from Australian tanneries and like to say that my work is "Made in Australia from Australian Leather". I like using full grain leather that still has the grain lines, scars and tickbites from when the animal was alive. This means that even if I make 100 of the same wallet each one will be unique and one of a kind. 

Many people don't know but leather is one of the most sustainable products in the world, especially vegetable tanned leather (which I try and use wherever possible). It is a by-product of the meat industry and would get thrown away otherwise. It can last thousands of years if taken care of properly (the oldest piece of leather is a shoe that is over 5000 years old) but if left in the wild it will often degrade naturally within 50 years.

I draw inspiration from old designs that have an ever present style but are no longer made and I put my own twist on them using the leathers available to me. I also try to create new designs to suit the modern world like custom phone case wallets and card holders made from kangaroo leather.

The hand stitching method I use is an old technique called the saddle stitch that has been used for hundreds of years and is far superior to a sewing machine stitch, using this method means i can stitch anywhere. Before I worked as a leatherworker full time I would often stitch on the train on my way to my full time job.

I am passionate about making things with my hands using the best materials possible. All the items are handstitched by me using the traditional saddle stitching method. I am self taught and have been doing leather work for over 10 years. 

I will often bring unfinished leather goods to the market and handstitch them there, showing people how leather is traditionally stitched by hand. I can also stamp peoples initials on some items or I can even let the buyer do it themselves. 

The leather goods I make include: Belts, bags, camera straps, keyrings, braided bracelets, journals, kangaroo leather wallets and sometimes whips.

I love going to markets and festivals to meet people and gain inspiration about what to make and how it should look like. Trying to improve on existing designs by putting my own style on it and using some of Australia’s best tanned cowhide and kangaroo leather.

I also take custom orders and do repairs so if you have any questions please few to ask. 

To see some examples of our work you can find us using the links below:

https://www.thelocalcraftsman.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/Thelocalcraftsman/

https://www.instagram.com/thelocalcraftsman/