In Good Hands – Volume II, a leather stamping study of gestures of care

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

A September study – Volume II.

In Good Hands is a small leather collection about the oldest promise one person makes another – that a thing entrusted will be kept safe. Five stamps, each one a gesture of care.

First, the tags. A tag rides exactly where the hand takes hold, so we drew the grip – a hand closed around the case handle – and set IN GOOD HANDS along the full length of the tag.

The black-and-white IN GOOD HANDS suitcase-handle stamp plate from the In Good Hands leather collection.

One tag in warm tan, one in navy. The black tag carries the words in gold.

A caramel leather luggage tag blind-stamped with IN GOOD HANDS and a hand gripping a suitcase handle.

A blueberry leather luggage tag blind-stamped with IN GOOD HANDS and a hand gripping a suitcase handle.

A black leather luggage tag gold-stamped with IN GOOD HANDS and a hand gripping a suitcase handle.

Next, the keychains. Handing over a key is a small ceremony – a new home, a first car – so we drew the handover: a hand holding up a single key, YOURS NOW arced above it.

The black-and-white YOURS NOW key-handover stamp plate from the In Good Hands leather collection.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

A poppy-red leather keychain blind-stamped with YOURS NOW and a hand offering a key.

A dark espresso leather keychain blind-stamped with YOURS NOW and a hand offering a key.

Then, the toiletry bags. A bag like this is nearly always a gift, so its corner carries the giving: one hand passing a small tied bundle into an open palm, FROM MINE TO YOURS beneath. One bag in warm stone gray, one in deep espresso brown.

The black-and-white FROM MINE TO YOURS parcel-handover stamp plate from the In Good Hands leather collection.

A country gray leather toiletry bag blind-stamped with FROM MINE TO YOURS and a tied parcel passing between hands.

A dark espresso leather toiletry bag blind-stamped with FROM MINE TO YOURS and a tied parcel passing between hands.

Then, the tray. Pockets empty onto the same spot every evening, so we made that spot a pair of open hands, SAFE KEEPING set beneath them, pressed wide into the golden tan tray.

The black-and-white SAFE KEEPING open-hands stamp plate from the In Good Hands leather collection.

It looks genuinely beautiful.

An Arizona tan leather catchall tray blind-stamped with SAFE KEEPING beneath two open hands.

And finally, the one we liked the most. A letter used to arrive written in your own hand, so the journal's corner carries a hand mid-line, pencil to paper, with IN YOUR OWN HAND beneath the stroke it just drew.

The black-and-white IN YOUR OWN HAND writing-hand stamp plate from the In Good Hands leather collection.

One journal in deep wine, one in pale greige.

A sangria leather journal blind-stamped with IN YOUR OWN HAND beneath a hand writing with a pencil.

A gray sand leather journal blind-stamped with IN YOUR OWN HAND beneath a hand writing with a pencil.

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