The Story of the Steerhide Messenger Bag

Cheryl Schulke I never set out to sell these bags. The very first bag was made simply because I wanted a cool, modern yet artisan, and ultimately practical bag for an antiquing expedition and photo shoot in Warrenton, Texas. When I arrived, I sold the first bag on the spot. I went home and made another. I could have sold that one several times but I held on to it. At the encouragement of friends, I made a few more and they have been selling quietly but traveling far. My first custom order sent one bag to Denver and the other to her friend in South Africa. The hides are best quality Brazilian steerhides. The animals are not raised for their hide. These are products of a thriving beef industry and like many cultures who honor an animal and utilize every part, I believe that the individual care and craft that goes into these bags venerates the life and spirit of the resource. These are the same pelts you see in modern decor magazines today. The quality is in line with those used in both upholstery and rugs. When considering things to make, I always consider the greater impact. The idea of producing stuff just for sake of production has never appealed to me. I am committed to utilizing the highest quality materials to ensure longevity and whenever possible I source supplies from old stock and gently-used sources. Strap material is most often new but I frequently scour resale shops, looking for unique hardware and material to incorporate. I prefer vintage but I use whatever is available and suits the color of the hide. I’ve recently started sourcing leather ends which are often considered cast-off pieces to make my own straps and detailing. I feel good about this because it is a way to utilize something that many consider useless. Each bag is custom-crafted and hand-riveted by me in studio and will never be duplicated because of the variation in hides. I don’t believe in sweatshop labor and if I ever find the need to outsource, my business model is to utilize a community where our involvement provides properly compensated creative labor opportunities for folks who need the work. In the meantime, as I grow my business, I daily try to figure out ways to give back. We were recently inspired by the guy who started <a href="http://www.tomsshoes.com/content.asp?tid=271" title="Tom's Shoes">Tom's Shoes</a>. So we decided to collect 3.5% per retail sale to donate to <a href="http://www.heifer.org/" title="Heifer International">Heifer International</a>. This seemed the best way to complete the circle of what we are creating. <notextile><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/5022/files/stash_studios_first_bag.jpg?1245163994' alt='' /><div id="foto"></notextile>First Steerhide Bag Photo Credit: Pablo Forde Shot in Warrenton, Texas at Sack Lunch, Renck Hall, Marburger Farms<notextile> </div> </notextile> I never set out to sell these bags. The very first bag was made simply because I wanted a cool, modern yet artisan, and ultimately practical bag for an antiquing expedition and photo shoot in Warrenton, Texas. When I arrived, I sold the first bag on the spot. I went home and made another. I could have sold that one several times but I held on to it. At the encouragement of friends, I made a few more and they have been selling quietly but traveling far. My first custom order sent one bag to Denver and the other to her friend in South Africa. The hides are best quality Brazilian steerhides. The animals are not raised for their hide. These are products of a thriving beef industry and like many cultures who honor an animal and utilize every part, I believe that the individual care and craft that goes into these bags venerates the life and spirit of the resource. These are the same pelts you see in modern decor magazines today. The quality is in line with those used in both upholstery and rugs. When considering things to make, I always consider the greater impact. The idea of producing stuff just for sake of production has never appealed to me. I am committed to utilizing the highest quality materials to ensure longevity and whenever possible I source supplies from old stock and gently-used sources. Strap material is most often new but I frequently scour resale shops, looking for unique hardware and material to incorporate. I prefer vintage but I use whatever is available and suits the color of the hide. I’ve recently started sourcing leather ends which are often considered cast-off pieces to make my own straps and detailing. I feel good about this because it is a way to utilize something that many consider useless. Each bag is custom-crafted and hand-riveted by me in studio and will never be duplicated because of the variation in hides. I don’t believe in sweatshop labor and if I ever find the need to outsource, my business model is to utilize a community where our involvement provides properly compensated creative labor opportunities for folks who need the work. In the meantime, as I grow my business, I daily try to figure out ways to give back. We were recently inspired by the guy who started <a href="http://www.tomsshoes.com/content.asp?tid=271" title="Tom's Shoes">Tom’s Shoes</a>. So we decided to collect 3.5% per retail sale to donate to <a href="http://www.heifer.org/" title="Heifer International">Heifer International</a>. This seemed the best way to complete the circle of what we are creating. <img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/5022/files/stash_studios_first_bag.jpg?1245163994' alt='' /><div id="foto">First Steerhide Bag Photo Credit: Pablo Forde Shot in Warrenton, Texas at Sack Lunch, Renck Hall, Marburger Farms </div> </notextile>

2009-06-16T09:44:01-05:00

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2009-06-16T09:44:01-05:00

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The Story of the Steerhide Messenger Bag

2009-11-20T12:28:23-06:00