Don Speden  Leather worker

Early in 2015, Don started hand crafting leather items after being taught by a Japanese master leather worker whilst living in Japan. Now residing in Oamaru, he has since learnt to make a wide array of items from leather with his speciality being wet formed bags of various sizes  and leather drinking mugs known as blackjacks.  He loves history and enjoys reproducing items from long ago that are rarely seen these days.  Apart from making traditional leather items he also makes contemporary items intended for daily use. He only uses high quality natural vegetable tanned leather and every product is hand stitched with linen thread and dyes the leather himself using non toxic water based dyes. Designing and making products out of a natural material such as leather that looks great and is useful gives him great satisfaction  
 

All Images and content Copyright ‘Crafted’ 2016-2017