The Cardwell Flats Collection – a leather study from Cuero, Texas

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of leather stamping studies.

A September study.

Volume I-D: The Cardwell Flats Collection – five original designs rooted in Cuero, Texas, where the town's name is Spanish for rawhide, and where, on April 1, 1866, an estimated eighteen hundred cattle left the flats for St Joseph, Missouri.

First, the fact the town carries in its name. We set CUERO IS SPANISH FOR RAWHIDE in plain type, two big words bracketing a whisper – so the leather introduces itself.

The black-and-white Rawhide stamp plate from the Cardwell Flats leather collection of Cuero, Texas.

On the golden tan it reads like the rawhide it names; the deep espresso is the dressier of the pair.

An Arizona leather keychain stamped with the Rawhide design from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

A dark espresso leather keychain stamped with the Rawhide design from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

Next, the drive itself. We ran it the long way down the tag – CUERO at one end, ST JOSEPH at the other, 1866 riding above the trail between them.

The black-and-white Long North stamp plate from the Cardwell Flats leather collection of Cuero, Texas.

The black tag carries the route in gold.

A black leather luggage tag stamped in gold with the Long North design from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

A caramel leather luggage tag stamped with the Long North design from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

A blueberry leather luggage tag stamped with the Long North design from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

Then the count. Every drive began as a figure in somebody's ledger, so we put the tally marks over 1800 HEAD and the date they walked.

The black-and-white Tally stamp plate from the Cardwell Flats leather collection of Cuero, Texas.

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the deep wine journal; the warm tan wears it more quietly.

A sangria leather journal stamped with the Tally design from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

A caramel leather journal stamped with the Tally design from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

After that, we engraved a working Texas spur, rowel to heel band, above DAY IS DONE – because a catchall is where the day's carry finally comes off.

The black-and-white Day Is Done stamp plate from the Cardwell Flats leather collection of Cuero, Texas.

It looks genuinely beautiful on the golden tan tray.

An Arizona leather catchall tray stamped with the Day Is Done spur from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

And finally, we sent a chuck wagon rolling under the single word PROVISIONS, pressed into a stack of warm tan over chestnut. A dopp kit is the nearest thing a traveler still packs to one.

The black-and-white Provisions stamp plate from the Cardwell Flats leather collection of Cuero, Texas.

Caramel and Sicilian leather dopp kits stamped with the Provisions wagon from the Cardwell Flats collection of Cuero, Texas.

We made this out of love. Leatherius Woodman is on a mission to create and share artifacts of beauty, craft and love – this collection 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'd like this collection made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.