Materials: Nature’s Flames 100% New England Beeswax

Beeswax is an essential part of leather working. It acts as a waterproofing agent for thread, protecting and helping to ensure long lasting stitches. As always, I set out in search of a (fairly) local company that would be able to supply raw beeswax. After a phone call here and an email there, I stumbled upon Nature’s Flame, a company based out of Bowdoin, Maine. Natures Flame is grounded in fine candle making but sources their 100% pure beeswax from New England apiaries. Imported beeswax, like heroin,  is more often than not cut by sketchy chemicals such as paraffin wax, benzene (a carcinogen), toluene, alkanes, alkenes, and others (Massoudi, R. and Hamidi, A.(2009).HAZARDOUS EMISSIONS BY SOME TYPES OF CANDLES, The American Chemical Society publication. Summary at: http://www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/0206030-soybean-candles-for-healthy-life-and-well-being.html).
My interactions with Nature’s Flame were steeped in refreshing New England kindness and professionalism. The owner, Bethany, even had to call be back because she was caught in a March snow storm; talk about New England problems.

To check out Nature’s Flame’s and 100% beeswax and candle offerings visit their Etsy store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/NaturesFlame).

Check out the 1oz beeswax blocks:

 

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Project One: Copper Belt Keeper

Recently I’ve been thinking about how well leather ages and how few raw materials age in a similar manner. Copper is one of these materials; there is even a name for the coloring it accumulates,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina. With that in mind, I spent a couple of hours whipping up an in-house designed and crafted copper belt keeper. This will end up in a belt (obviously) that I’m making for a good friend. Tune in for the final project, leather and hardware were shipped today and should be here in a couple of days.
Raw Copper:
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Front:
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Back:
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