Runs True – a carriage-craft leather collection

Volume I-C — Grounded Inspirational Independent Study

A September study.

A horse-drawn vehicle is a system of specific solutions – a wheel trued until it spins clean, a body slung on leather so the road hurts less. Runs True is a small leather collection drawn from that world of made things, where the useful and the beautiful were built as one.

First, we set a Concord-style coach on its leather thoroughbraces and drew the road beneath it rough, the way the roads actually were – MADE FOR ROUGH ROADS is the builder's promise, and a fair blessing for anyone's luggage. It runs the length of the tag in deep wine and in deep green.

The black tag carries the gold, the way gold striping once sat on black coachwork.

Black stamping artwork of a Concord-style coach above the words Made for Rough Roads for the Runs True collection

Runs True Made for Rough Roads coach design stamped in gold on a black leather luggage tag

Runs True Made for Rough Roads coach design blind stamped on a Sangria leather luggage tag

Runs True Made for Rough Roads coach design blind stamped on a Forest Green leather luggage tag

Next, the wheelwright's verdict that named the collection. A wheel built straight enough to spin without wobble is said to run true, so we drew a tall fine-spoked carriage wheel and laid RUNS TRUE on a band across its hub.

The black fob carries the gold; chestnut takes the blind deboss.

Black stamping artwork of a carriage wheel and the words Runs True for the Runs True collection

Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

Runs True carriage wheel design stamped in gold on a black leather keychain

Runs True carriage wheel design blind stamped on a Sicilian Brown leather keychain

Then, the piece of the coach that was always leather. Before steel springs, a coach body swung on thick stacked straps called thoroughbraces, and the ride was only as good as the leather – so SPRUNG ON LEATHER sits in the corner of a toiletry kit, honeyed russet over deep brown.

Black stamping artwork of a coach thoroughbrace and the words Sprung on Leather for the Runs True collection

Runs True Sprung on Leather design blind stamped on Indian Summer and Dark Espresso leather toiletry kits

Then, for the catchall tray, a singletree with its trace hooks hanging empty – UNHITCHED. At the end of a working day the team came off the hooks; at the end of yours, the keys and coins come off here, into golden tan.

Black stamping artwork of a singletree with hanging chains and the word Unhitched for the Runs True collection

Runs True Unhitched singletree design blind stamped in an Arizona leather catchall tray

And finally, a pair for the journals. AGE IS EVIDENCE runs inside a band of coach-lining scrollwork we drew already worn, the line broken where the years would break it – restorers leave such surfaces alone because the wear is the record, and a journal in deep wine earns its wear the same way.

Black coach-lining cartouche artwork with the words Age Is Evidence for the Runs True collection

Runs True Age Is Evidence design blind stamped on a Sangria leather journal

Its companion is a stereoscope with a card in the holder and LOOK TWICE beneath – the instrument that turns two flat pictures into one deep one, and a habit worth keeping. On deep brown the press reads as quiet shadow relief.

Black stereoscope stamping artwork with the words Look Twice for the Runs True collection

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather.

Runs True Look Twice stereoscope design blind stamped on a Dark Espresso leather journal

We made this out of love. Leatherius Woodman is on a mission to create and share artifacts of beauty, craft and love – this collection 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.