Every single piece we make is a one-of-a-kind.
Why is this?
It is primarily due to our cherished raw materials. They are rescued. They have lived a life before coming to us. Fire-hoses change with age, they darken, they weather, they get lovely scars as they go about their business saving lives. The hoses are also stamped with their brand, Angus Duraline, their type, their British Standard mark and their date of extrusion. When we clean the hose and cut it into patterns to stitch into our final pieces these marks all fall in different places.
Our leather off-cuts are also all distinct. We rescue the small pieces that are unusable for our partners, or the leather that they reject because of the texture: stretch marks, insect bites, or imperfections that we love to celebrate! When we cut the leather into our system, then weave and stitch them into place the variations in the material always create a unique signature.
This week we had 40 guests from the University of Victoria in our workshop, and many of them were pleased to choose not just an Elvis & Kresse piece, but the precise item from a batch that really caught their eye. As one guest closely examined more than 20 of our Classic Tote bags before deciding on the one she liked the best, we thought how amazing it would be to host a reunion at the farm, for all our Totes. We have been making the Classic Hose Tote for more than 15 years. As each one is distinct, we could guarantee that everyone would take their own bag home.
It is true, that two pieces can be made to the same pattern, and may be similar, but they would never be the same.
