Anvil Handcrafted

Anvil Handcrafted x Forever Outside

Had the pleasure of meeting the fine folks behind Anvil Handcrafted last week.  Check out their website first and foremost:  www.anvilhandcrafted.com/ .  Not only are they fabulous craftsman, but even better, they're climbers!

I was invited to the new Anvil HQ in Culver City for a personal belt building clinic and think tank.  Anvil Handcrafted has been hosting these very rad belt making workshops throughout Southern California.  Their mindset is why sell someone a belt, when you can teach them how to make one!  It's always a natural and visceral experience to build something.  Perhaps it's working on your house, building a skateboard ramp, or even painting your walls, it feels good to MAKE.  Forever Outside is all about the process of MAKING things, so the prospect of working with an unfamiliar material like leather was enticing.

We started with a strip of raw leather and beveled the edges with a "shaver" I guess the tool is called that. Then we marked holes for the buckles and punched them out.

Afterwards I got to use Anvils' anvil, CLASSIC!  I have to say my leather working was a bit on the nervous side.  Perhaps I'm so used to working with computers and screenprinting and everything is about delicacy and finesse. It was quite the stress relief to really whack the mallet into the leather!  Put some muscle into it!

At this point, I had a secret weapon up my sleeve and bust out my burner, my wood burner that is. Freestyling some hoboglyphs and pictographs I like to think I turned the clinic into a collaboration!

After a couple hours of doodles and leather distressing, mixed with chat about climbing, it was time for the stain.  I wish I had a couple more photos of this part.  The stain dried fast with the application from a dauber.  I remember catching drippy graffiti tags using the same dauber and witche's brew ink.  Good times!

Had a little help hammering the rivets on and establishing the hardware, and VOILA!  A belt was born.  Made in the U.S.A.!  Made my hand, my hands!  All with the help from ANVIL HANDCRAFTED. 

I'm not sure what the future collaboration between Forever Outside and Anvil Handcrafted will be, but I know we're going to hit the crag together this weekend.  Perhaps I will make a couple of these belts and put them in the store, anyone interested?

For more amazing leather work, check out instagram @AnvilHandcrafted