Duly Appointed – a leather collection of small offices for everyday things

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

A September study.

Volume II.

Duly Appointed – a small leather collection that grants five everyday objects the offices they have been holding all along. A stamp is a seal, and a seal is how an office becomes official, so each design below is an emblem of duty pressed deep into the hide.

First, the luggage tag is sworn in as AMBASSADOR – the envoy that travels ahead and speaks for you when you are somewhere else. We drew its credentials in the old airmail heraldry: a letter under full wing, sealed in wax.

Black-and-white winged sealed-letter artwork for the Ambassador luggage tag design in the Duly Appointed leather collection, Volume II.

It looks genuinely beautiful. The black tag carries the emblem in gold; the navy and warm red tags take a deep blind stamp.

A black leather luggage tag stamped in gold with the winged sealed-letter Ambassador design from the Duly Appointed collection.

A navy blueberry leather luggage tag blind stamped with the winged sealed-letter Ambassador design from the Duly Appointed collection.

A warm poppy-red leather luggage tag blind stamped with the winged sealed-letter Ambassador design from the Duly Appointed collection.

Next, the keychain assumes the oldest post in any house: GATEKEEPER. The portcullis hangs half-raised, and a single key waits in the archway to explain who raised it.

Black-and-white gatehouse, portcullis, and hanging-key artwork for the Gatekeeper keychain design in the Duly Appointed leather collection, Volume II.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather. On the black fob the gate is struck in gold – the iron and brass it always was; the deep green fob is a painted front door.

A black leather keychain stamped in gold with the gatehouse and hanging-key Gatekeeper design from the Duly Appointed collection.

A forest-green leather keychain blind stamped with the gatehouse and hanging-key Gatekeeper design from the Duly Appointed collection.

Then the toiletry bag receives its commission as QUARTERMASTER, the officer who keeps the whole campaign supplied. Razor and comb cross like regimental swords beneath a single star. Quartermaster began as a rank at sea, so the stamp sits in the corner of the navy stack over deep espresso.

Black-and-white crossed razor and comb artwork for the Quartermaster toiletry-bag design in the Duly Appointed leather collection, Volume II.

Blueberry and dark-espresso leather toiletry bags blind stamped with the crossed razor and comb Quartermaster design from the Duly Appointed collection.

Then the catchall tray reports for NIGHT WATCH. An owl stands the watch on a long key while the moon is up. Whatever the pockets surrender at night is safe till morning.

Black-and-white owl, key, and crescent artwork for the Night Watch catchall-tray design in the Duly Appointed leather collection, Volume II.

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped into the golden tan.

An Arizona golden-tan leather catchall tray blind stamped with the owl-on-a-key Night Watch design from the Duly Appointed collection.

And finally, the journal is elected RECORDER OF DEEDS – a county office, reassigned to better material. A quill waits in its inkwell above the title, and beneath the words runs a short blank rule for the signature. One cover in deep wine, one in deep green.

Black-and-white inkwell, quill, and signature-rule artwork for the Recorder of Deeds journal design in the Duly Appointed leather collection, Volume II.

A sangria leather journal blind stamped with the inkwell and quill Recorder of Deeds design from the Duly Appointed collection.

A forest-green leather journal blind stamped with the inkwell and quill Recorder of Deeds design from the Duly Appointed collection.

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 any of these made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.