BOUGHT BY THE INCH - a Stowe, Vermont leather collection, Volume III
From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of stamping studies.
An August study – Volume III of the Stowe series.
BOUGHT BY THE INCH is a Stowe, Vermont leather collection across luggage tags, keychains, toiletry bags, a catchall tray, and journals.
First, the Recreation Path itself – five point three miles braided with the West Branch of the Little River, from the village out past the meadows. We drew the path as one steady line and the river as two wandering ones, and let them cross wherever they insist. The collection this opens is called BOUGHT BY THE INCH; the keychain below explains the name.
It looks genuinely beautiful. The black tag carries the design in gold.
Next, the name. When the path needed building money, the town sold it in pieces – two dollars bought an inch, fifteen a foot, and the units climbed from there to the last mile. So we measured a single true inch onto the fob, ticks and arrowheads and all. Whoever carries it owns their inch of the path.
On the black fob the inch is paid in gold; the caramel one keeps a plain press.
Then, the seasons. The path stays open the whole year round – tires in June, skis in January – so we drew one track changing its mind midway, bicycle tread rounding the curve and coming out the far side as two clean ski lines. It sits small in the corner of the toiletry bags, warm amber over deep espresso.
Then, the fact we keep returning to. The path runs across private land almost the whole way, on easements twenty seven landowners gave for free. We drew the line passing through gate after opened gate and set the tally underneath, pressed at generous size into the golden tan tray.
Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather.
And finally, the one we liked the most. In 1987 a town meeting asked whether anyone objected to extending the path, and the minutes record laughter. A journal felt like the right home for that page – one deep green, one pale greige, with two ruled lines left empty for whatever gets decided next.
We made this out of love. Leatherius Woodman is on a mission to create and share artifacts of beauty, craft and love – this study is one of them, and we hope the feeling is mutual. Every image is a render – how we prototype before cutting a die.
If you're in Stowe and you'd like these made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.
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