Horween American Football Leather

Well, sort of... And then not quite

I just purchased some new leather and I have been wanting to show you pictures of it. Unfortunately the weather hasn't been friendly lately, so it has been impossible to take some pictures in good, natural lightning.

The leather was bought from a very friendly man in the US, who got the leather from his job. Now this isn't the regular football leather, that the American tannery Horween supplies to the likes of Wilson (check this video out), but it was specially tanned by Horween, according to this man. Knowing the relationship between Horween and the company, that he worked for, I do believe him.

Like I said, the leather was specially tanned for a very special project. Somebody got the idea that if the grain of the leather was inverted, then the ball would float better. Just like it is the case with the golf ball and its dimples. So instead of a convex grain, the grain was concave. The idea was patented - along with a lot of other things - but when the final project was realized, nobody seemed to care. They were all pretty satisfied with the regular football. This meant that the whole project was scrapped pretty quickly and instead the man, I finally bought the leather from, took it home with the intention of making leather aprons, but that didn't work out either.

I should probably have thought twice about buying two large hides of a leather, which were used in not only one, but two failed projects. But I loved the story and I love the colour and the grain of the leather. It is a bovine leather, but the grain texture is unlike anything I have ever seen. It could give the impression of an exotic leather, or possibly fish or bird skin. But it isn't and I have to say that the leather feels very hard wearing, although it is slightly thinner than the leather I normally work with.

If you have any good ideas to, what this leather can or should be turned into - not footballs, please - then please share your ideas in the comment section or send me and e-mail, I would love to hear from you.

Crafts - Leather iPhone 4 Case

Today was spent in the basement workshop with a good friend and long time supporter of my crafts, Anna.

Anna wanted something to protect her newly acquired and much loved iPhone 4. So I helped her make a case for it in some 3-4 mm (6-8 in total!!) thick vegetable tanned leather.

In the past I have made wallets, card cases, billfolds and different cases but never a case for an iPhone, so I spent some time yesterday drawing some sketches for a possible design. But it was still tricky making the pattern just right for it. But for a prototype I think we nailed it pretty much. I think, it will be a bit easier the next time around - at least I hope that is the case. So if anybody wants one, let me know (at info.afterthedenim@gmail.com), and we can sort out a price.

The process was pretty straightforward, but it always involves a lot of steps. First you cut the leather, then you soak it in water to make it easier to work with. After that there is some more cutting, some more preparation, and some hand sewing. Finally you burnish it, and you burnish it hard and you burnish it good.

Finally you give it some conditioner, in this case pure neatsfoot oil, which always darkens the leather slightly. I decided to use neatsfoot oil because this case will probably be put under hard use and abuse.

* Disclaimer. I didn't do the sewing - I just assisted - my sewing is usually just slightly more straight and clean. But Anna still managed to do a pretty awesome job. Bravo.

** Second disclaimer. Pictures were taken with her iPhone in artificial lighting, while it was pitch black outside. So remember, it looks way better in real life.

*** Third disclaimer. This iPhone case is pretty damn good, so actually it doesn't need any disclaimers. Sorry.