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Designing leather goods for tailgate culture, weekend travel, and autumn traditions. As college football season kicks off and September settles in, taking the workshop on the road offers a fresh perspective on how gear performs in the real world. Spending time in State College over the weekend reminded me that authentic tailgate culture requires carry solutions that go far beyond standard pocket accessories. A game day trip brings its own set of demands, from camp setups to o

Reflecting on a summer of small batch making, precision tolerance, and building gear meant to last. As August draws to a close and we shift into September, taking time to review a full season of workshop production offers invaluable perspective. Reflecting on our summer output is one of the best ways to sharpen overall design discipline and refine our daily processes. Over the last few months, the bench has seen a steady stream of small-batch builds, each engineered with a sp

Engineering the Grove Trucker Wallet around a specific, real world routine. Exceptional product design rarely happens in a vacuum. While it is entirely possible to sit at a drafting table and sketch out a beautiful pattern based purely on symmetry or aesthetic trends, the most impactful objects are those engineered with a specific individual and a clear routine in mind. When you understand exactly how an item will be carried, how it will be accessed, and the environment it ne

Tracing the transition from a minimal 2020 card sleeve to a structured utility pouch. Design is never a static destination. It is a continuous process of refinement, driven by how our habits, routines, and environments shift over time. I shared a retrospective look back at an archive video from 2020 on IG this week, showcasing the very first wallet profile I ever designed and made for my own daily carry. While that original minimalist card sleeve laid the technical foundation

Exploring brand hierarchy and the quiet language of subtle design cues. There is a fascinating and permanent divide between those who appreciate clear, visible branding and those who prefer quiet, subtle cues. This friction exists across almost every category of crafted goods, from architecture and high-end horology to bespoke tailoring. Neither philosophy is incorrect. It simply comes down to how an individual chooses to express their personal style and interact with the obj

Elevating the workshop workspace with custom leather liners for Trusco toolboxes. An obsessive appreciation for fine, high-utility things and the legacy brands that make them is a massive driving force for what we do at Twenty-one Astor. Whether it is a beautifully balanced writing instrument or a classic piece of workshop machinery, great design deserves to be celebrated. Our leather modding series is born from that exact perspective. The goal is not to change or improve pro

Exploring the design intention behind our core wallet profiles. We have spent the last two weeks at Twenty-one Astor exploring the concept of leather modding. By wrapping objects like the Tsubota Pearl lighters and Godinger crystal glassware, we wanted to highlight how a premium material like leather can introduce a warm, human texture to already exceptional industrial designs. But that exact same design philosophy does not just apply to aftermarket modifications. It is built

Bringing the leather mod series to the bar cart with Wickett & Craig English Bridle. An obsessive appreciation for fine, high-utility things and the legacy brands that make them is a massive driving force for what we do at Twenty-one Astor. Whether it is a steel toolbox from Toyo or a classic timepiece, great design deserves to be celebrated. Our leather modding series is born from that exact perspective. The goal is not to change or improve products that are already exceptio

Exploring a new workshop concept with the Tsubota Pearl Bolbo and Eddie lighters. An obsessive appreciation for fine, high-utility things and the legacy brands that make them is a driving force for what we do at Twenty-one Astor. Whether it is a whiskey glass from Godinger, collar stays from Moulet, or a steel toolbox in military green by Toyo, great design deserves to be celebrated. Our new leather modding series is born from that appreciation. The goal is not to change or i

Balancing the fair, Father's Day, and the unyielding pace of the traditional saddle stitch. There is a distinct rhythm to a quiet morning at the bench. This week, the workshop is occupying a unique space between reflection and preparation. While the focus is quickly turning toward the Father's Day collection, I am currently spending my hours completing the custom orders made by neighbors and visitors at last weekend's Glen Ridge Arts + Eco Fair. On the stitching pony right no

Reaching the end of the Road to May. Pencils down. The workshop is finally quiet. I just finished the last batch of work for Saturday’s show, and as I look at the pieces lined up on the bench, the scale of the last few months finally hits home. This production cycle has been about more than just building inventory. It was a test of the systems I’ve been refining at Twenty-one Astor. From the launch of the Essential Deskpads to the limited Mother’s Day bundles, every piece has

A limited-run pairing designed for Mother’s Day and the Road to May. Seasonal holidays often present a challenge for a workshop like Twenty-one Astor. In the world of mass retail, these dates are usually met with high-volume production and deep discounts. But when you work at a single bench, your capacity is defined by the hours in the day and the quality of the hide in front of you. My approach this year was to lean into that limitation by creating something highly specific

Expanding the Twenty-one Astor lineup with our first collection for the kitchen. Growth for a small-batch brand often means moving from the pocket to the home. I am excited to announce that Twenty-one Astor is expanding into a new category this quarter with a collection of leather goods designed for the kitchen. The first release in this series is the Leather Trivet. It is a project that allowed me to apply our standard of craftsmanship to a larger, more tactile surface desig

The Essential Deskpad and the psychology of a defined workspace. There is a specific kind of clarity that comes with a clean desk. As the light begins to shift this time of year, it usually brings a collective urge to clear the clutter and reset our environments. I spent this past week in the studio leaning into that feeling, finishing a small batch of our new Essential Deskpads. These were designed to be more than just a surface... they are intended to be the foundational la

Introducing the Minimalist Starter Kit and the intentionality of a lighter carry. We often carry more than we need. Over time, our pockets and bags accumulate the weight of "just in case" items that rarely serve a purpose. In the workshop this week, the focus has been on the opposite: the essentials. We have been finalizing a limited run of the Slim EDC Starter Kit, a combination of our Horizontal Slim wallet and a refined Mini EDC Key Clip. The Horizontal Slim was designed t

Some people take the day off, but I’ve always found my celebration at the bench. There is a specific kind of peace found in the repetition of the craft. It is my birthday week, and as has become my tradition, I’ve spent the mornings in the studio. Looking back at photos from five years ago, the growth in the work is visible, but the feeling of the tool in my hand remains exactly the same. For me, "me time" has never been about escaping the work. It has been about the freedom

The Playing Card Case can’t make you a better player, but it can certainly make you a better-looking one. There is a specific kind of satisfaction in creating an object that serves a single, classic purpose. A deck of cards is a universal tool for connection, yet it is almost always housed in a flimsy paper box that begins to disintegrate after the first few shuffles. New for 2026, the Playing Card Case, was designed to replace that temporary packaging with something permanen

Small batch isn’t a marketing term. It is a core value. The workshop has a specific language this week. It’s the sound of the blade on the cutting mat and the rhythmic pull of thread through a signature label. Looking at these pebbled leather panels and nickel zippers, I’m reminded that every piece I bring to the Glen Ridge Arts & Eco Fair starts exactly like this. They are just high-quality components waiting for a purpose. At Twenty-One Astor, making things one at a time al

There are about 60 days until the Glen Ridge Arts & Eco Fair, which means it’s time to start figuring out what will go on the table this year. Preparation usually starts the same way. Not with leather, tools, or hardware, but with a simple list in a notebook. What seemed to resonate last year, what people asked about, and what feels worth bringing back again. Some things tend to make the list every year. Card sleeves are usually one of them. Utility pouches too. They’re pract

Travel has a way of revealing the small things we rely on. Not the obvious things like luggage or a passport. Those are easy to remember. It is the smaller items that tend to scatter themselves throughout a bag. A charging cable. A few band aids. Collar stays. Maybe a couple of Tylenol tucked away just in case. Individually, they are insignificant. Together, they are the things you find yourself searching for when you need them most. Anyone who travels regularly knows the mom