The Great Cow Harbor Collection – a Northport leather stamping study

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

An August study.

Volume I-D – Gift-Fit Independent Study.

Before it was Northport, the deep harbor at the foot of Main Street was Great Cow Harbor, named for the cattle that once grazed its banks. We took the old name down to the bench and pressed a small collection out of it – five designs in leather, each one carrying a piece of the village.

First, we brought the cow home. She stands shin-deep in her own harbor with a sloop passing behind her, and the village's first name runs beneath her – GREAT COW HARBOR.

Black-and-white Harbor Cow stamp artwork for The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport, New York.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

A navy leather luggage tag stamped with the Harbor Cow design from The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport, New York.

A warm red leather luggage tag stamped with the Harbor Cow design from The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport, New York.

A warm tan leather luggage tag stamped with the Harbor Cow design from The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport, New York.

Next, the trolley. Its rails still lie in the pavement of Main Street, so we set the little car back on them and raised its pole to a wire that carries NORTHPORT overhead. A house key rides home on it, in warm red or deep green.

Black-and-white Main Street Trolley stamp artwork for The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport, New York.

Keychains with the trolley stamp look just awesome.

A warm red leather keychain stamped with the Northport trolley design from The Great Cow Harbor Collection.

A deep green leather keychain stamped with the Northport trolley design from The Great Cow Harbor Collection.

Then, one for the family that visits. A wave curls back under a crescent moon, with a promise beneath – THE TIDE COMES BACK. It sits in the corner of a toiletry bag, harbor navy over chestnut.

Black-and-white Tide Comes Back stamp artwork for The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport, New York.

Navy and chestnut leather toiletry bags stamped with The Tide Comes Back from The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport.

Then a tray for whatever the day brought home. We beached a dinghy on the golden tan and wrote ALL ASHORE beneath her – keys and coins land the same way, pulled up on the sand until morning.

Black-and-white All Ashore stamp artwork for The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport, New York.

A golden tan leather catchall tray stamped with All Ashore from The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport.

And finally, the one we liked the most. By the 1870s the village ran three shipyards and five marine railways, and every hull began the same way – waiting on the ways. So the journal's corner carries a hull on her cradle with the pennant flying, and READY FOR LAUNCH beneath – for the first day of anything.

Black-and-white Ready for Launch stamp artwork for The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport, New York.

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather, in harbor navy and warm gray.

A navy leather journal stamped with Ready for Launch from The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport.

A warm gray leather journal stamped with Ready for Launch from The Great Cow Harbor Collection of Northport.

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 Great Cow Harbor is your harbor and you'd like these made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.