5 Guy Gifts for Father’s Day

Believe it or not, Father’s Day is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start hunting down that perfect gift for Dad. Want to get a little more creative than the typical tie or baseball cap this year? Look no further than Moxie & Oliver for a unique leather item that your father is sure to appreciate and actually use. Our wide variety of handmade pieces provides something for everyone, and make for a perfect manly present for Dad. Plus: everything is customizable! Add your Dad’s initials or pick a cool pattern for any leather item.

Here are five of our favorite guy gifts:

The Simplicity iPad Case.

Electronics Cases

Whether Dad doesn’t have a case at all or could use an upgrade this is a great gift idea. Choose from camera straps, iPad/iPhone/iPod cases, Kindle cases, laptop sleeves, and nook cases. All made with quality vegetable-tanned leather, these electronic protectors are extremely durable and sure to last the device’s lifetime. Dad will think of you each time he uses it—which will be a lot. Go with a simple, solid colored iPad case or get Dad a cool wood grain patterned camera strap for his trusty Nikon or Canon camera.

Belt

A belt is debatably a man’s favorite and most practical accessory. Just like a button-down shirt or a tie, Dad could always use a new belt. Choose plain leather for a classic versatile look, or push for a fashion statement with a patterned belt like the Tweet Belt or the Sweet Home Belt.

The Wood Grain watch.

Watch

A wristwatch is a classic Father’s Day gift. Giving him a one-of-a-kind, high-quality leather one will show him how much thought went into it.  He’ll think of you every time he checks the clock. Moxie & Oliver’s cuff watches – like the Wood Grain watch and edgy Cow Skull are really unique and personalized pieces that dad will definitely use if he’s the watch-wearing type.

Wallet

You know your dad will use this gift. Choose from a variety of shapes, sizes and styles to best suit your father’s day-to-day style. We carry executive, passport, bifold, trifold, biker and small wallets. Make it extra special with a customized pattern or engraving. The rustic Wild Wheat Money Clip Wallet is great for a father who’s all about simplicity, and the dad with a sense of humor will get a kick out of our tongue-in-cheek wallet styles, like the Cult Classic.

The Leif Flask.

Flask/Wine Tote

If your dad’s a drinker, these beverage accessories will always come in handy. We have tons of flask sizes, even key chains, with many different patterns to choose from. A wine tote is a creative gift that would make for a great customizable piece. For the wine-o dads, a personalized wine tote is a unique statement shopping piece that shows he cares enough about tannins and the wine’s ‘nose’ to carry it in style. Or, a one-of-a-kind leaf-patterned flask is the perfect gift for a dad who likes to bring along a nip of whiskey to the summer barbecue.

Check out our five favorite guy gifts for Father’s Day.

The Poison in Your Purse

 

All too often when I am at the studio my son finds a little piece of scrap leather to chew on, and I let him do it.  I use vegetable tanned leather so there’s nothing in it – no pigments, no dyes, no artificial softeners – it’s just cow skin and tree bark. If I were using chromium tanned leather, however, this would be different.  Chromium tanned leather is commonly used in handbags, shoes, jackets, upholstery and other garments and accessories. 

Why would it be different with chromium tanned leather? Well, because chromium tanned leather can contain lead. 

Lead white was being produced by the 4th century BC and was a common ingredient in house paint in the 20th century.  Among the benefits of lead-based paint are reduced drying time, more vibrant colors, better coverage, and stabilization of the paint formula.  The risks, however, if the lead is ingested are horrible.  Lead is a neurotoxin and can, among other problems, cause damage to the brain, nervous system, stomach and kidneys.  It can also cause reproductive problems in adults.  Recognizing he US banned lead from house paint in 1978 but this does not mean it is gone from all paints, and certainly does not mean it is gone from paint in all countries.

In a day and age where many of the products that we have in our homes do not come from domestic sources.  In 2007 Mattel issued a nine million item toy recall for lead based paint and small magnet hazards. We’ve become more vigilant in testing children’s products for lead paint, thanks in part to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, but the CPSIA will not protect your child from lead in leather.

Why? Because babies don’t just play with baby toys. As my son reminds me every time he picks up a piece of scrap leather, my keys, wallet, cell phone, or other non-toy item to chew on, some kids just like to stick things in their mouth.  The lack of testing standards for lead exposure in leather goods means that you can find lead levels up to 195 times the federal limit for children’s toys in your wallet.  You don’t want your kid even touching your wallet in this case, since lead can leach onto the skin, let alone putting it in his mouth.  And, if you’re of child-bearing age, you don’t want to touch it either since it can cause fertility problems.

There is also no CPSIA requirement for leather testing.  Despite ABC’s report on the lead hazards in purses, the CPSIA lists leather as an exempt material:

Title 16 §1500.91 (d) The following materials do not exceed the lead content limits under section 101(a) of the CPSIA provided that these materials have neither been treated or adulterated with the addition of materials that could result in the addition of lead into the product or material:

(d) (8) Other plant-derived and animal-derived materials including, but not limited to, animal glue, bee's wax, seeds, nut shells, flowers, bone, sea shell, coral, amber, feathers, fur, leather.

The current federal limit is 100ppm in children’s goods (toys and clothing) but without testing, how in the world would you know if those cute leather booties are safe for your child?  When their feet sweat, will the lead in those gorgeous leather colors leach onto your little one’s foot and into their skin?  Will they take that bootie off when they are in the backseat of the car and put it into their mouth while you’re driving down the freeway?

The truth is, you don’t know.  A few major retailers have had their bags tested as a result of the work of the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), but not four months ago the CEH posted a warning to avoid purses and belts from several retailers over the holidays as they still are not meeting the safety standards.  Lead contaminants have also been found in shoes and leather upholstery.

But I need a purse! Yes, probably true.  Well, don’t go running to a synthetic alternative to avoid the lead in leather problem.  Studies found lead in faux-leather handbags, too. So here’s what you can do:

* Avoid chromium tanned, or garment, leathers.  Instead opt for vegetable tanned leather (like the ones from www.moxieandoliver.com)

* If you were carrying a vinyl or faux-leather bag and want to stay away from real leather, consider canvas or another fabric instead. 

* If you really love that chromium tanned leather handbag, buy a lead testing kit.

The other thing to remember is that lead is a cumulative poison. What is in your handbag, belt, or shoes now probably won’t kill you, but your body doesn’t get rid of lead as quickly as it takes it in, so minimizing exposure whenever possible is the preferred course of action.

The potential of lead poisoning from chrome tanned leather – working with, touching, wearing, etc., – isn’t why I decided to work with vegetable tanned leather initially.  These dangers were not even in the news until 2007, three years after I started working with leather.  My reasoning was simple: the idea of trying to burn a pattern into a pre-finished, pre-dyed, leather when I have no idea what is in the dye is disgusting at a minimum.  Potentially deadly.

Vegetable tanned leather is a natural material – no dyes, not finishes, just hide and tree bark.  I add the colors with water or alcohol based dyes, and an acrylic topcoat. It doesn’t require special protection, ventilation, or caution to use these dyes. There are no warnings or MSDS sheets.

And, my baby can safely be in the studio with me.  He can touch the leather, and I don’t have to worry about him getting lead poisoning.

Be safe!
-Caitlin

 

*The photo above is an old vinyl/pleather “Stewardess” bag.  I used it as the model for my handmade, vegetable-tanned leather, Travel Bag collection.  All of the pieces at www.moxieandoliver.com are lead-free, of course!

Color of the Year

I don’t know how you choose the color of the year at the beginning, but Pantone does.  The 2014 Color of the year is Radiant Orchid and this, my friends, is my Orchid Belt. Beautifully detailed carving with a collection of orchids at the back, trailing vines, and another orchid on the tip for a little visual excitement from the front.  Wood grain background, and of course, a bit of Radiant Orchid in the flowers.

Enjoy, and wear radiantly!

-Caitlin

ISO The Perfect Belt (the answer)

 

I’m always asked how I got started in leatherworking, and it’s a simple story, with roots in necessity.  I needed a belt. 

After college I started working at a law firm.  I wanted to be a lawyer, or so I thought, and figured I ought to at least try it out before committing to going to law school.  Yeah, possibly the best thing I ever did.  I got a job as a paralegal in a somewhat traditional law firm that actually had a dress code. It included provisions about the length of your skirt, nylons, and the like.  I don’t think they ever measured my skirt length, but I do remember getting a talking to on more than one occasion about not following the dress code.

So if there’s one thing I really hate it’s being told how to dress.  I was determined to find a way to push the outer limits of the dress code without being in violation. I was being defiant in a way I couldn’t get in trouble for.  I probably still had a bit of youthful rebellion left in me (which only drove me to do creatively rebellious things, like paint flames on my car). 

My boyfriends mother had given me a belt from her youth that I loved – it was probably from the 70s or something – but it was falling apart.  It was one of those belts that was multiple pieces of leather stitched together with a stiffener in the middle, and it just wasn’t going to get me through daily wear.  I looked and looked, but every belt I found was cheaply made and boring.  I did a post a while ago on how to choose a leather belt that will last and once you know what to look for, you’re not going to find many belts other than mine that will fit the bill!

In my creative solution finding, I bought a belt strap, some knives, paint, and dye and got to work.  My first belt was a simple black belt with roses (the photo is of a collar in the same pattern) and the second was one I called the Kitty belt, with carved dogwood flowers. I guess it sparked, or renewed, a love affair with leather.  It’s been ten years and I still have those first belts, and they look just as good as the day I made them.

The last few times I’ve done a show people have asked about belts, so this year, I’ll be sure to have some in stock.  Guaranteed to make you smile, and outlast your jeans, think of these belts as heirlooms.  You can pass these belts on to your children (or your son’s girlfriend) and they won’t wear out.

xo

c