The Deep Lead Collection – a Leatherius Woodman leather stamping study for Lead, South Dakota

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of stamping studies. Every design on this page is our own original work.

A September study – Volume I-C.

For Lead, South Dakota – the Deep Lead Collection, four original designs pressed in leather.

First, the name of the town, said the way miners said it. A lead is the old word for a vein of ore, and Lead is named for one – so we crossed a pick and a shovel inside a loop of wire rope from the tool wall and set LEAD, SOUTH DAKOTA around them.

The black fob carries it in gold – the right metal for this ground. The chestnut fob takes it blind.

A black-and-white stamp plate of crossed mining tools inside a rope ring for the Deep Lead Collection of leather gifts from Lead, South Dakota.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows crossed mining tools inside a rope ring stamped on keychains in leather.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows crossed mining tools inside a rope ring stamped on keychains in leather.

The same ring rides the corner of the toiletry bags, warm mid-gray over deep brown – rock over timber.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows crossed mining tools inside a rope ring stamped on dopp kits in leather.

Next, we filled a skip. PAY DIRT is what miners called ground that finally pays; under the words, the ore skip from the recreated drift rides its wire rope, loaded past the rim.

On the black luggage tag it presses in gold foil – pay dirt, literally. The golden tan and deep brown tags carry it blind.

A black-and-white stamp plate of a loaded ore skip suspended beneath PAY DIRT for the Deep Lead Collection of leather gifts from Lead, South Dakota.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows a loaded ore skip suspended beneath PAY DIRT stamped on luggage tags in leather.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows a loaded ore skip suspended beneath PAY DIRT stamped on luggage tags in leather.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows a loaded ore skip suspended beneath PAY DIRT stamped on luggage tags in leather.

Then the way in. Two timber posts and a header beam carved 1876 – the year the digging began – frame the dark of the drift, rails running toward the vanishing point. We pressed it at generous size into the golden tan tray, for whatever a day leaves in your pockets.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

A black-and-white stamp plate of a timbered mine portal marked 1876 for the Deep Lead Collection of leather gifts from Lead, South Dakota.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows a timbered mine portal marked 1876 stamped on catchall trays in leather.

And finally, the one we like the most. The cage runs down the shaft past the level marks, and at 4850 FT the rock opens into stars – the 4850 level of the old mine is where they watch for the universe now. A journal for writing down what gets found.

One in true black, one in deep green – the pine that makes these hills read black from a distance. Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather.

A black-and-white stamp plate of a hoist cage above a symbolic star chamber at 4850 FT for the Deep Lead Collection of leather gifts from Lead, South Dakota.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows a hoist cage above a symbolic star chamber at 4850 FT stamped on leather journals in leather.

The Deep Lead Collection from Lead, South Dakota, shows a hoist cage above a symbolic star chamber at 4850 FT stamped on leather journals in leather.

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'd like anything from the Deep Lead Collection made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.