Towpath – a Pittsford leather stamping study

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of stamping studies, this one built entirely of original designs. Volume I-B.

A September study.

Towpath is a small leather collection for Pittsford. Four stamps, all drawn from the canal that made the village.

First, the song every canal town knows by heart. We ran a low truss bridge the full length of the tag, a barge slipping under the span with nothing to spare – LOW BRIDGE above the water, EVERYBODY DOWN below it.

Black-and-white artwork of the low truss bridge and canal barge beneath LOW BRIDGE and EVERYBODY DOWN for the Towpath leather collection of Pittsford, New York.

It looks genuinely beautiful stamped into the leather. The tags come in canal colors – pale sea-blue and navy – and in a warm caramel tan for the towpath itself.

A pale sea blue leather luggage tag stamped with the low truss bridge and canal barge beneath LOW BRIDGE and EVERYBODY DOWN, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

A navy leather luggage tag stamped with the low truss bridge and canal barge beneath LOW BRIDGE and EVERYBODY DOWN, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

A caramel leather luggage tag stamped with the low truss bridge and canal barge beneath LOW BRIDGE and EVERYBODY DOWN, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

Next, the landmark. We drew the round coal tower riding its low shingled roof, white posts and all, and set SCHOEN PLACE beneath it – say it "shane."

Black-and-white artwork of the Schoen Place coal tower for the Towpath leather collection of Pittsford, New York.

On the keychains it stands in the tower's own dusty rose, and in a coal-dark espresso brown.

A parisian blossom leather keychain stamped with the Schoen Place coal tower, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

A dark espresso leather keychain stamped with the Schoen Place coal tower, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

The tower rides the dopp kits too, pressed small in the corner – canal navy over that same espresso brown.

A navy dark espresso leather toiletry bag stack stamped with the Schoen Place coal tower, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

Then, the mule. Fifteen miles was a fair day's pull on the old canal, and a page is a fair day's pull in a journal – so the corner of each cover carries a badge with the mule leaning into its work, FIFTEEN MILES ON THE ERIE CANAL around the ring, and the towline running right out through the border.

Black-and-white artwork of the mule and towline with FIFTEEN MILES ON THE ERIE CANAL for the Towpath leather collection of Pittsford, New York.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather – warm caramel tan and a deep canal-bank green.

A caramel leather journal stamped with the mule and towline with FIFTEEN MILES ON THE ERIE CANAL, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

A forest green leather journal stamped with the mule and towline with FIFTEEN MILES ON THE ERIE CANAL, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

And finally, the bend. From the old survey map we redrew the curve the canal takes around the village – the railroad crossing it and the street cutting through, with PITTSFORD set inside the sweep – and pressed it into the center of a golden tan catchall tray, so the day's pockets empty out onto the map of home.

Black-and-white artwork of the interpretive PITTSFORD canal map for the Towpath leather collection of Pittsford, New York.

A arizona leather catchall tray stamped with the interpretive PITTSFORD canal map, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

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're in Pittsford and you'd like any of the Towpath pieces made real, or anything here changed – say hello through our contact page.

P.S.

A pale sea blue leather luggage tag stamped with the low truss bridge and canal barge beneath LOW BRIDGE and EVERYBODY DOWN, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

A navy leather luggage tag stamped with the low truss bridge and canal barge beneath LOW BRIDGE and EVERYBODY DOWN, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.

A caramel leather luggage tag stamped with the low truss bridge and canal barge beneath LOW BRIDGE and EVERYBODY DOWN, from the Towpath collection of Pittsford, New York.