Back of the Napkin
The official blog for A. M. Aiken's founder (thinking quite big as he creates this), initially a place for him (Aaron) to put his thoughts and ideas as they relate to the various goods he makes...but will likely morph into what it needs to be as time passes. These are the scraps laying around his workshop, desk, suit coat pockets, and so on. Unpredictable things await.
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things change - let’s actually get back to human [e-] commerce again

Writing this is intended to get things off of my chest, to help me process things, to help me think “out loud”, to educate others, to remind myself, to stop stewing and start doing. Also, I recognize that this is very inside baseball. A few things that I know, just so that we are clear and on the same page (just riffing here): 1. Change is Inevitable (Who Moved My Cheese?) 2. People change, systems change, code can and will change (and not always correctly). 3. A majority of one’s eggs in one’s basket is unwise. 4. Change can take...
October 18th, 2024

1 Year Anniversary

My, how time flies. I've been doing this leather thing full-time for a year now. Up to this point last year it was just a hobby that turned into a part-time thing. It is incredible how much has changed since I picked up my first leather and tools in early 2021. But now to have a year of doing this full-time already...just amazing. I've learned a lot, grown a lot, sold a lot, made a lot, and changed a lot. A massive THANK YOU to all of my customers! None of this possible without you! I never take for granted...
October 14th, 2024

back of the napkin scribbles vol. 4

Some Thoughts on Perfection I made a rather custom cigar case this week and the process highlights my thoughts on perfection. I think perfection is overrated. Way back when I first got into woodworking, late 2019, so not that long ago, I put a website together, as one does, to show things that I made and maybe get a few projects commissioned. That didn’t go anywhere, and I’m good with that, but through the process of making the website, of learning how to work with wood, of figuring out exactly who I was as a woodworker, I determined very early...
October 13th, 2024

if you have an idea

just do it. That's Nike's thing, right? Just Do It. Yesterday I started to fight something off. Started with a sore throat, then runny nose. Lots of water. Lots of tea. Lots of vitamin C and zinc. Overdosing on everything. Lots of sleep. Woke up with no sore throat, nose not quite as runny, but still doing stuff. More water. More tea. Still drinking coffee, of course. Overdose on the vitamins. Where did I put those tissues? I really should make a tissue thing for my bag, which is always nearby, so I always have tissues handy. And so I...
October 10th, 2024

back of the napkin scribbles vol 3

Friday nightPhiladelphiaI was in Philadelphia this week, a quick family trip for a few days. While there I got a few photos of the next Strathmere Leather product, The Franklin. It seemed appropriate to do so. In general I've started to gather up all of the photos I've taken since making the bag, including the making process, in an effort to start working on that portion of the upcoming product launch.  New Things I've launched quite a few new products this year and I feel pretty good about it. All really good products, if I may say so, high quality,...
October 5th, 2024

second look: the Galileo passport case

I have made a bunch of these now, perfected everything that needs to be perfected, and have just one more (the hand-dyed calfskin version) to assemble and photograph before being ready to get it out into the world. The logo is also in progress and is looking amazing. The first look is here and has more words, photos, and a video.  This look is just to show the three drum-dyed color options. We've had rain for the past few days, it is raining all day today, and rain is in the forecast every day for the next week. I don't...
September 25th, 2024

first look: The Galileo passport case

The Galileo, a passport case (actual tagline TBD). Like Galileo’s pioneering spirit, the passport case is built for practicality and durability while maintaining a sense of elegance and refinement. Galileo’s contributions to navigation and understanding the cosmos inspire the theme of international travel, making The Galileo not just a functional accessory, but a wave (bon voyage!) to the adventurous and curious traveler who values craftsmanship and precision. (Also testing out uploading videos here on Scribbles..) The Galileo will be made of 100% vegetable tanned leather and will be offered in two standard styles: drum-dyed veg-tan cowhide with Italian suede interior...
September 24th, 2024

Introducing: The Jefferson Notebook Case

I made the first Jefferson Notebook Case prototype on August 6, not very long ago, really. My, how time flies! Since then it has gone through countless iterations in order to perfect the size and function. I've been using my case for this entire duration and did so heavily. I use it daily, hourly, the poor thing is used and abused. But it has survived and has done so without issue.  In addition to making and testing the case, and making all sorts of variations and sizes as-well, I've been working on a dedicated website for this product, TheJeffersonCase.com, similar...
September 14th, 2024

back of the napkin scribbles vol. 2

Writing this at the end of a very long and busy 2 or so work weeks. Maybe a month. Maybe a year. I don’t remember the last time I had a day off, a day where I didn’t do some work on a client project. Even Saturday’s and Sunday’s lately include some client work, even if a small step in a larger project. Bottle of wine in motion at the moment, an autumn and winter thing craving for me. Had a cigar earlier while I edited the below mentioned Jefferson video. Listening to Jay-Z right now, my go-to lately. Classics...
September 14th, 2024

the feeling of making

One of my customers stopped by this afternoon to pickup their Strathmere Leather Weekend Bag...and when he carried the bag away, down my sidewalk, and put it into the back of his car, I felt a certain kind of way. A bittersweet feeling, for sure...and then I recorded the video linked here, maybe embedded below. Me jabbering, rambling, attempting to describe the feeling, and in doing so, talking about my creative process and what it is like to make things. 12 minutes long. At least my fresh haircut looks good :-) Cheers, ~ Aaron
August 21st, 2024

back of the napkin scribbles vol. 1

When I started working with leather it was intended only as a way for me to make what was needed for a few woodworking tools that had become homeless. They were removed from their original location in my previous workshop and needed new homes. New storage solutions that had to be mobile. Leather seemed like a quick way to keep things safe, organized, and simple to move as-needed. I drew ideas on paper, exactly how I continue to design things today, and then they came to life with leather. Everything seemed to click, seemed to work exactly as I intended,...
August 12th, 2024

email me to purchase

I recently finished building out the website for my latest bag in the Strathmere Leather lineup, Ocean Front, and got down to the end, the part where I need to seal the deal, make the sale, initiate payment, have money change hands. I thought about embedding the product directly from my Shopify site. That way you could just click or tap Buy Now, pay the money, and move on. Felt kind of yucky to me. Most of my products are quite personal in their origin, the inspiration of them has meaning to me, and putting a Buy Now button at...
July 23rd, 2024

A few Strathmere thoughts and updates

The post below originally appeared on my personal blog, putting it here because this is where thoughts like this belong as all of this is really some back of the napkin thinking. The StrathmereThe launch of The Strathmere leather weekend bag didn’t happen last week as I had originally planned. I want to launch the initial Strathmere Bag in tandem with The Strathmere Club which is going to be a membership program of sorts and offer an initial primary benefit of knocking 35% off the retail price of The Strathmere leather weekend bag. I want this initial launch to coincide...
May 13th, 2024

ideas

I’ve had the passing idea over the course of the past 4 or so years that it would be cool to have a camera setup to record me working and then I publish that somewhere. I listen to a lot of dj type music while I work, maybe have that tied to the published video somehow. Just an idea. Maybe a crazy weird one.  the Strathmere clubThe Strathmere leather weekend bag, something I worked on and finished making last week, has sparked many ideas for me. More bags, at least one more, I’ll write about that later, but also wider...
May 3rd, 2024

duffle bag

I have had on my list to make a duffle bag for weekend type trips for a few years now, probably since I first started getting into leather work. This week will be the week, I hope. It should be. Something I enjoy about the creative process is self-imposed deadlines. I leave on Friday for a quick beach trip, a trip I have known about since February. I could have started on the duffle then, really designed the thing out, but that’s not how I work best. I work best under pressure, controlled as much as possible. And so this...
April 22nd, 2024
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