Handmade For Craftsmen
OM Workbench seeks to honor those who work with their hands by thoughtfully creating durable leather gear ready for use in a variety of fields. Designed by craftsmen for craftsmen, our products are handmade and built to last, becoming functional heirlooms through generations of work.
Product Features: what makes OM Workbench unique?
Leather
Our leather is a US sourced, vegetable-tanned hide produced in Pennsylvania. We use only a wholegrain grade of leather, which provides the tightest, most durable cut of leather by not trying to hide the scars, stretchmarks, and story of the material. We enjoy incorporating those visual imperfections into our design in order to create a more robust product. The traditional tanning process creates a lovely water-resistant finish. and we finish each product with a thorough oiling.
Hand-stitched
All of our products are hand-stitched using the saddle stitch, an interlacing stitch that is resistant to unraveling even when sections of the stitching are cut. This process is the most time consuming aspect of our gear, but the advantages are well worth the effort. Unfortunately, sewing machines produce a frailer “locking stitch” that sacrifices quality for production speed. Additionally, we back-stitch at the start and finish of each seam to provide extra stability at those critical junctions. Our polyester thread is finely braided and waxed, making it tough and durable, and is resistant to UV rays, making it better than nylon for continual outdoor use and abuse.
Burnished Edges
We take care to burnish all edges after cutting, in order to prevent the exchange of moisture and to keep the leather from drying out. This, along with regular oiling, will keep your leather products moist and flexible for many years. Another benefit of burnishing is that it causes all exposed fibers to lay flatly in one direction, which prevents fraying and ensures the grain structure of the leather remains intact. Burnishing leather is the equivalent of a woodworker sanding and oiling a Windsor chair; it’s just the proper way to finish a piece.
Anchor Tabs
Anchor tabs add reinforcement to key junctions on our bags by evenly distributing the stresses and preventing unnecessary play. Achieving tighter connections helps ensure the bags hold up to the rough life of an oft used tool.
Brass Hardware
We use custom-cast brass hardware and brass Chicago screws. Brass is non-rusting and resistant to corrosion, which makes it ideal for outdoor use. Keeping the leather rust-free helps ensure that our gear stays strong. The Chicago screw rivets lay flat against the leather and don’t tear into the material like conventional set rivets do.