LEATHERWORK

A D V E N T U R E

I am a tinkerer who likes to have a foot and a finger in a variety of creative fields – a jack of all trades, one might say. Some time ago I recognized that many of my creations share a common, underlying theme: The feeling of wonder I experienced in childhood when watching adventurous movies like Indiana Jones, The Golden Compass and The Mummy. My inspiration, I realized, stemmed particularly from the various treasures and gadgets related to the genre. I also registered that my various creations, taken together, had started to form a saga of their own. Imaginative maps detailing yet undiscovered worlds decorated my walls, while the warm light from my brass lamps set a cozy and mysterious mood for the props and Beauchene skulls lining the shelves of my private library. Not to mention the handmade leather gear and clay sculptures lying scattered on top of my workbench. My home, I realized, had started to look more like the office of a mad professor or a mummy hunting adventurer than anything else. The props were all there, down to the genre-appropriate brass gadgets and leather satchels decorating the walls. That’s when I named my artisan business “The Adventure Depot”. It just seemed fitting.

- Prepare for cargo inspection and have your papers in orders please!

Toll Enforcer Hedblom of the upper District Watch.

STEAMPUNK UTILITY BELT

UTILITY BELT MODULARITY

I supply adventurers with their need.

Ever since I was a child, I have always found ox-red leather combined with brass to be inspiring beyond words. When I became old enough, I realized that I should create things that were just as wonderful. Leather and brass quickly became two of my favorite materials. They both age beautifully and make for endless design possibilities. One design genre that has always piqued my interest is the steampunk subculture, with its adventurous aesthetics, brass gears and interesting clothing designs. Seen in the pictures is one of my steampunk outfit designs, constructed from brass and leather. One thing to notice here is the modular utility belt, designed to support different modules, ammo holders, boxes, compasses, mounts and rings. Fitting for both mummy hunters, royal couriers and sky captains alike.

The Aeather suspension chamber is made from resilient glass of a Soviet made bloodletting cup (åderlåtningkopp), a golden drop of rare element rests on top of a LAB glass tube

C H A L L A N G E S

The first – and maybe biggest challenge here was knowing where to start. Most of the materials I found online had to be shipped from America, but after asking around I finally found a tannery in Tärnsjö. Another obstacle was the economic aspect. Leather, just like brass and hardwood, is expensive, and many works with leather for little to no pay. I had to identify a target audience for my work and find out what kind of products would attract them. One of my greatest commercial successes turned out to be leather dice cups with fitted lids, where tabletop role players can store their dice on their way to the game. Once I identified my target audience and their needs, many of the other problems solved themselves.

My leather Dice Cups have sold well. I identified a user need for a simple way to secure the container so its lid wouldn’t fall off on route to a game. I came up with a design that exceeded expectations—one I hadn’t seen before—where the extra thick lid stays firmly in place using friction.

I am a vivid nerd in many forms, and a role player to boot. I have role played couple of times in Gamla Stan at Munkcon, here I also meet the same RPG group monthly for over a year. Many skilled game gamemasters and genuinely kind people gather here.

There are so many interesting designers and entrepreneurial people in this meet up—the members of Fria Ligan have been writing and designing RPGs for decades. Their products are the the best-selling in the industry, and Swedish RPGs sell well in the US too. I heard from Dan Algstrand, the designer of the infamous Jorges Bestiarium, that he created the book’s texture by using early scanning methods on his own leather jacket. This was back in the day before todays tools, and when textures where hard to get your hand of.

Jag minns med stolthet min första dag i hovets flottilj, jag drog på mig min läderrustning och svor trohet till vår älskade kejsarinna.

Trots att solen länge lyst över väldet, och folk hälsar glatt på varandra, så vet jag att mörkret kan slå till igen. Vi är symbolen bland molnen för kejsarinnan Ines ständiga vaksamhet, tack vare hennes vägledande dygd och eviga strålglans så ska riket och monarkin bevaras.

In a workshop’s veiled alcove, here where leather yearns for patient hands. We find leather sing the endless and silent hymn – to the spirit of timeless crafts.
Men jag hör er inte mitt kära läder, för er mästare blastar Lady Gaga på repeat hela jävla dagarna - och jag får då så mycket gjort <3

GAME MASTER SCREEN

This double-sided leather screen holds three metallic plates, making it magnetic. Brass acorn nuts which I fitted with neodymium magnets allow users to securely attach notes and papers to the screen’s surface, making it look like the users screwed the notes in place.

Johnny Hedblom, en legend i sin egen tid, ger sig nu ut på ålderns höst på sin avslutande resa. Med afgång i Gefle stad via statens järnväg och slutligen med luftfarkost från öst-Svea Luftverk (Köp tub Svea Luftverk gasol och få en på köpet) skall den redan väl beresta Hedblom genomfärda karga och molnhöljda landskap till Svea rikes avlägsnaste kolonier.

Gefle Gazette har följt hans steg med andakt; och jag har nu bevittnat själv hans stoiska särart. Med beslutsamhet inför den sista expedition söker han efter den sista, dolda hemligheten.

Resa av denna art har ingen ännu lyckats hitta sin återvändo, herr Hedblom lämnar efter sig sin nu sin enda son, Alexander Hedblom.

Mummy Hunter Alexander Hedblom
- The expedition begins with success.
The second descent goes through this time without the use of a local guide.
The company soon came in contact with of sealed burial chamber, whose walls adorned with ominous warnings and superstitions.
We are driven by our belief that every secret, no matter how dark it has been, can be brought to light and preserved for the highest-bidding baron or grevinna.