Pen.io

this site is pretty cool for sharing little text based blogs
check Archer Ave. @ pen.io

http://archerave.pen.io

Funniest part of this site is that their blog is hosted by tumblr

the Premier loves surprises

I love Field Notes graph paper notebooks, they are everything that I need and nothing more. I always have one in my back pocket, right next to my handkerchief. Usually when you order a Field Notes 3 pack they give you a nice thick black rubber band, the kind that seems like it should be used, not just left in a drawer or thrown away. This rubber band got me thinking… and then drawing… and then cutting… and then sewing… and then this popped out:

I have been thinking about adding this to the Archer Ave. collection, the final product will be laser cut and engraved, hand sewn and available in a couple different leathers. Let me know what you think.

 

 

Con pantalla de lámpara

Lets start off by thanking Steely Dan for giving me inspiration.
So I tweaked the standard block light after being featured on the etsy home page.Simple is the name of my game so out came a hack saw and some nutserts and the final product was a really functional lamp with a shade (read: any bulb can be used with it). My girlfriend (soon to be wife) is super talented and runs Clementiny Clothing, she makes all sorts of women’s fashions from repurposed, vintage fabrics. She let me rummage through her boxes of fabric and after I found a nice one that I thought would appeal to ladies and kids, she sewed it up into an perfectly fitting shade!

Simple IS better

I need to get back to leather working!

I was listening to Steely Dan when I took this one

Go listen to Aja it is a masterpiece

This is the lumber that these lamps are cut from

For all of the pictures go check out Archer Ave. on facebook.

Block Light

Sometimes designs spill into alternate materials. Check out this table lamp made out of 8×6 lumber that was salvaged from an old, old, wooden house here in Buffalo NY. The porcelain fixture is a period piece that has been cleaned and re-glazed. The power cord is a cloth covered recreation usually used for antique radio restorations. Bulb choices include small (3″ chrome tipped globe) or large (6″ chrome tipped globe). And I am working on a removable shade using vintage fabrics, so you can use any bulb (LED, CF, or incandescent)

Lumber sourced from Buffalo ReUse

Buffalo ReUse is a fantastic source for all types of building materials

Porcelain has been cleaned and reglazed for an almost new look.

The lumber had been stored outdoors for over a year so it needed over 5 days of sun drying which is hard to come by in the spring in Buffalo.

This picture shows the block light with the "small" 3" chrome tipped globe bulb.

Additional bulb options will be available soon including a “large bulb” (chrome tipped) and a vintage fabric, removable shade so more eco/pocketbook friendly bulbs can be used without blinding you every time you look towards the lamp. I personally would put a black light bulb in there and crank up the Steely Dan!!

General Turgidson’s Secretary

First offering part II.

Keeping it simple, direct and long lasting, the second wallet style (model name: General Turgidson’s Secretary) is a single pocket, top entry wallet that holds 7-12 credit card sized cards and a folded bill stack. The design continues with the geometric theme of our angled entry wallet and is made with the same high quality scrap leather. At this time it is only available in dark chocolate polished with beeswax.

Check out the glamor shots:

Model Name: General Turgidson’s Secretary     |     Top Entry Pocket

Model Name: General Turgidson's Secretary

Hand sewn with linen thread

Top entry, single pocket wallet

Laser cut and engraved

Made from 8oz high quality scrap leather

Check back for the next Archer Ave. blog entry for photos of the eco packaging and accessory kit that all carry goods are shipped with.

Check out Archer Ave. on Etsy  http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArcherAve

1st offering

Archer Ave. is very excited to present it’s first offering.  We believe in keeping it simple, direct and long lasting, so to start we are offering 2 different models of single pocket wallets that feature geometric opening and rugged good looks. The wallets can accommodate between 7-12 credit card sized cards and a folded bill stack and really what else do you need to carry? The leather used is very high quality scrap acquired locally (Western New York) to reduce the eco impact of shipping. For this first offering the only color available is a dark chocolate that is polished with local beeswax.

Check out the glamour shots:

Model Name: 375th Street Y     |     Angled Entry Pocket

Angled Cardholder

Hand sewn with linen thread

Model Name: 375th Street Y

Laser cut and engraved

Made from 8oz high quality scrap leather

Check out the next Archer Ave. blog entry for Model Name: General Turgidson’s Secretary and photos of the eco packaging that all carry goods are shipped in.

Check out Archer Ave. on Etsy  http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArcherAve

Prototypes

After sourcing scrap leather for what seems like months, the design stage involved a lot of trial and error, here are some early prototypes:Leather Repurposed from a gap jacket (c.1994)  probably only 2-3 oz leather very, low quality.

Valets cut (these photos were not taken with the new Panasonic GF1)

Stencils (notice the lack of leather working tools or proper workbench) This process took place on my coffee table.

Panasonic GF1

New camera today! Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 with the 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens.  This thing is sweet and I am more and more impressed with Panasonic’s midrange offerings. We started with the Leica D-Lux3 which is basically a Panasonic Lx3 in a pretty Leica case and we fell in love with it! It blows comparable  canon and nikon offerings out of the water in the high end point and shoot category, but it was just too expensive, so we returned it and got the Panasonic Lx3 and all the reviews were correct, it is the exact same camera only half the price! But after a few weeks I wanted to make sure that we weren’t missing out on something great so we picked up the GF1 and it is like a whole new ballgame!. it is not a point and shoot size nor is it as light or compact as the Olympus Pen, but it is the best micro 4/3’s camera I have ever used.

Coming Soon

Handmade Repurposed Leather Goods