mill handmade

hand made leather goods | Brisbane, Australia

Hand made leather goods, Brisbane AU

April 01, 2024  /  mill

 

First bifold with Vinymo.

A shipment of Vinymo threads!

Like many other crafters, I love the purist look of linen threads ever since the beginning. In terms of aesthetics it’s a no brainer, the traditional look of linen compared to polyester is like wood vs plastic. Over time I realize that polyester has one major advantage over linen which is resistance to abrasion.

If one was to stick with linen the natural solution would be thicker threads. In fact much thicker; or to groove out the stitching lines so that the threads would sink deeper into the leather but these solutions are another form of compromise.

I tried polyester in the past, in fact the first Japanese wallet I made for myself was stitched using thick poly threads which held up well but had a distinct sheen that didn’t fit with the traditional look. Most crafters would already heard of Vinymo’s excellent reputation but it wasn’t till last year that I saw Niwa Leather’s personal wallet with healthy stitching after a decade of use. It was not only in good nick, the Vinymo also looked much more natural in comparison to other polyester threads.

I was instantly converted. So for future wallets and items that are subjected to abrasion wear I’ll be using Vinymo threads for stitching. The trick to make it look closer to linen is to melt the right amount of wax into the threads 😉

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March 19, 2024  /  mill

 

Custom bund for Seiko SPB359J1

Custom cutout for Braun classic.

 

Custom bund for Seiko Laurel reissue. The client wanted a vintage brown which the boutique didn’t offer so I got the lucky ticket to work on them. There’s been a few requests of specialised styles over the years and I’m going to slowly populate a listing for these options for ease of viewing.

The second one is a Braun watch with a flared cutout. A straight forward feature that looks best when the fit is flush.

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March 10, 2024  /  mill

 

Arctic elk.

New colours of kudu.

 

CF Stead produces some of the most unique hides around and their elk has been on my sight for some time. At a distance it looks quite similar to kudu so I wasn’t sure if there would be much difference between the two.

After initial handling, the elk feels noticeably softer with a dense fiber. Both have natural marks and scars, although the marks on the elk are much more subtle compared to kudu. Perhaps due to the sparse environment up north. What makes the elk unique is its fissured surface which makes this leather appear to be cracking with a napped texture. It’s not quite nubuck nor smooth, but can be rounded off with some patina. Simply put, the hide feels like an old barn find.

Two new colours of kudu (tundra and woodland) are also now available. Tundra is a bluish grey and woodland is a dark brown with an amber undertone. I’ll be adding some product examples of the new leathers in the next few weeks ✌️

The elk is currently available for:

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February 03, 2024  /  mill

New updates have been added to the site. This time around its focused on watch straps and special features that has been requested more frequently. The update includes:

  • Thin base conversion
  • Special lug width
  • Custom tip style
  • Hidden stitching
  • New buckle colours and widths

Thin base conversion

A useful add on for timepieces with thin lugs. Reducing the thickness at the base allows straps to flow more harmoniously along the contour of thin lugs. Straps without this conversion are 3.5mm and above in thickness (at the base). Thin base straps are made to be under 3mm (at the base).

 

Left: standard base straps (approx 4mm at base). Right: thin base straps (approx 3mm at base).

Example of thin base straps on thin lugs.

 

 

Special lug width

Some timepieces have lug widths that fall outside of whole numbers. This could also apply for vintage watches that may have been subjected lug wear; resulting in smaller or wider lugs than its initial width. This feature allows you to specify lug widths to the nearest .1mm on each side of the straps.

 Example: 19.3mm long end, 19.7mm short end, 16mm buckle.

 

Custom tip style

Straps can now be customized to different tip styles. Available options:

  • English point (standard)

  • round tip

  • pilot tip

  • square tip

  • vintage point (sharper point compared to English point).

Hidden stitching

Is now an available option. Please note this type of stitching is not compatible with extra padding.

Novonappa straps with hidden stitching


New buckle colours and widths

10mm, 12mm and 14mm buckles are now in stock and will be included with the corresponding straps. Yellow gold, rose gold and PVD black style buckles have also been added in selected widths. Please refer to chart for availability.

Buckle availability chart

Fromt left to right: gold, rose gold, PVD black, stainless steel

 

Thank you guys for the orders and support! I will have more updates coming this month.

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January 01, 2024  /  mill

 

This year I learned that organisation is a superpower. There’s a magical feeling when things are in its right place. The freedom to have fun, pursue ideas and goals. That’s how the year started but as the plate got full, I slowly drifted away from that sense of feeling.

It’s scary how easy it is to forget something so important but it’s a lesson that needs to be learned. I took on too many things this year and ended up causing a ton delays with each task I took on.

Well, I can’t describe how nice it is to start the year with a clean slate. The order log is back to normal, painting is mostly done and the updates are finally in the works. It wouldn’t be possible without you guys, family, friends and support of everyone who gave me the opportunity to craft their goods. Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. I hope to bring you an exciting 2024 🤘

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All of our products are hand made with traditional leather crafting techinques. They are cut, saddle stitched and burnished by hand. Our stock of leathers are sourced from the finest tanneries around the world. We use full grain leathers which shows its natural qualities and will have subtle differences between every hide. The combination of these processes results in a unique feeling between every product.