My name is Mike; John isn't my family name, it's my middle name. The business moniker Mike John Leather started as a placeholder until I came up with something better but nothing else seems to fit what I make quite like my own name.
The short story about MJL is due, in part, to my own pickiness. I wanted a particular wallet and the stores didn't have what I was after, so I decided to make my own. The details involve an old set of stamping and lacing tools, a couple of Al Stohlman leathercraft books, leather scraps and old handbags, hours of video tutorials and countless tries and failures.
A few years in and I'm still using some of those old tools - I keep them around, anyway. I still refer to the old books from time to time and I continue to play around with leather scraps well into the night. I remain particular about even more things now and I invariably learn through trying and failing, ever uttering the words, how can I make this better?
Every wallet, bag, pouch, tray and case that comes off the workbench is made by hand by me. As a maker, I've come to believe that a product is never fully done but that each iteration is just a step towards a vision of perfection I have for it. It's that vision I strive for when I sit at the bench to make something. Each Mike John Leather piece is made to last and to function as it ought, giving consideration to both form and function from the very start of the design process. After some time, trials and errors, I've managed to create a small product line and I sell my work with confidence in my craftsmanship and aesthetic; I am grateful every time someone takes interest in what I make.
I don't plan to change any lives with what I make but I do hope to give folks one less thing to worry about when they're using one of my products, giving them a little peace of mind knowing they are carrying a reliable and quality product. Though leather work is a passion of mine, it is not my life's purpose. Our lives are made for something much larger than you and me and what my hands can make.
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matthew 22:37-39)
I am passionate about what I make but my first love is Christ. A love that permeates every aspect of my life, including my work here that I present to you.
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Mike John Leather
Handmade by hands made by God