Local Knowledge, Volume I-B – a Stowe, Vermont leather collection

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

An August study.

Volume I-B of the Practice Log goes to Stowe, Vermont. Local Knowledge is a small leather collection – luggage tags, keychains, toiletry kits, journals and a catchall tray – each piece stamped with something the people who love this town already know.

First, the luggage tags. When Stowe built its Recreation Path, neighbors bought it into being inch by inch – two dollars an inch, fifteen a foot – so we ruled a true inch scale along the tag and set the old price above it. A thing measured in inches, bought by the inch.

The black-and-white Two Dollars an Inch stamp design from the Local Knowledge leather collection of Stowe, Vermont.

The black tag carries the scale in gold; forest green and caramel take a blind press.

A black leather luggage tag stamped in gold with the Two Dollars an Inch ruler, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

A forest-green leather luggage tag blind-stamped with the Two Dollars an Inch ruler, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

A caramel leather luggage tag blind-stamped with the Two Dollars an Inch ruler, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

Next, the toiletry kits. Vermont keeps a fifth season the brochures skip, the one between snowmelt and green, and the kit that washes it off ought to wear its name – one deep boot print, MUD SEASON under it.

The black-and-white Mud Season boot-tread stamp design from the Local Knowledge leather collection of Stowe, Vermont.

Looks great pressed blind into the honeyed russet kit.

Two leather toiletry bags blind-stamped with the Mud Season boot tread, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

Then the keychains. Seen from the valley, Mount Mansfield lies on its back like a sleeping face, and the summit is the chin – so we drew the whole ridgeline and dropped a surveyor's tick on the highest point.

The black-and-white Chin ridgeline stamp design from the Local Knowledge leather collection of Stowe, Vermont.

A forest-green leather keychain stamped with the Chin ridgeline, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

A caramel leather keychain stamped with the Chin ridgeline, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

Then the catchall tray, where the pockets empty after a day outside. Skis leaned by the door under a thin moon, and IN FOR THE NIGHT beneath the scene – the last stamp anyone sees before bed.

The black-and-white In for the Night crossed-skis stamp design from the Local Knowledge leather collection of Stowe, Vermont.

An arizona leather catchall tray stamped with crossed skis and a crescent moon, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

And finally, the one we liked the most. After the leaves and before the snow the valley goes bare and quiet – stick season – and that is when there is time to write. A single branch with one last leaf holding on, STICK SEASON beneath it, in the corner of the cover.

The black-and-white Stick Season branch stamp design from the Local Knowledge leather collection of Stowe, Vermont.

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather.

A country-gray leather journal stamped with a bare branch and Stick Season, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

A dark-espresso leather journal stamped with a bare branch and Stick Season, from the Local Knowledge collection of Stowe, Vermont.

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.