A New Chapter

A new start is on the way…

Starting a brand-new chapter in our world...

Since we began changing to the new website and business name, we are taking things to a new level by creating fine art jewelry and leather designs.

For the past year, we have been collecting a rare selection of unique and historic steel dies from 1865, the last time they ever saw the light of day.

We will be creating jewelry and leather designs from steel dies that are well over 200 years old. These designs are one of a kind and are not found in mass production anywhere.

Some of these dies have been in a storage facility since 1865. They were part of the companies that began the entire process of working with steel carved dies created by Civil War Veterans after the Civil War ended.

Some of the dies are the original master dies that were created and thought to be lost in history, but they have made their way to us to be recreated in a new era with old-style creative design and processes.

Below are just a few of the more modern steel dies from the 1920s and 1930s. These are steel-pressed dies from the original hubs that were hand-carved in the 20s and 30s.  

When these dies were pressed, they were fired to almost a melting point of 2,200-2,500 Fahrenheit (°F) / 1,205-1,370 Celsius (°C). Then, the hot steel was placed into a 400-ton hammer press, and the original design was literally slammed into the red hot steel puck that you see in the photos below to make the reverse image die.

The photos show the original hub design, but the dies we received are the negative reverse of what you see in the image.

Preserving the art of so long ago is a fascinating process and art form.

As soon as the weather begins to warm up again, we will be out in the shop, creating fabulous jewelry and leather designs.

We cannot wait...

These steel dies are from the eras of 1800 to mid 1900’s…