Training with Niwa Leathers - 2020

This past March, I had the extreme honor of training with Niwa-san of Niwa Leathers for a week. In my opinion, and the opinion of countless others, Niwa-san is the best leather crafter in the world when it comes to machine sewn fine leather goods. His attention to detail, fun color combinations, practical yet beautiful designs, and his passion for life and craft make him a truly unique artisan. Aside from his leather goods, Niwa-san’s workshop is a work of art in itself. Fully built out and designed to cater to his needs, the space is equal parts museum, atelier, and temple to craftsmanship. The wood paneling, thick lumber, and vintage industrial light fixtures set a tone of firmness that is perfectly tempered by antiques and delicate personal touches. The resulting mood is truly one of a kind and one that will not soon be forgotten.

The goal of my training was to improve my machine stitching skills for 3D objects and to learn construction techniques for making leather goods more conducive to machine sewing. I learned all of that and much more! In between leather working, Niwa-san took me to some fabulous restaurants and showed me all that Japanese cuisine had to offer - Sashimi, Yakitori, Soba, Ramen, Tonkatsu, Donburi and more.

I was also lucky enough to be visiting Kashiwa while the Sakura were in bloom. As be are both interested in photography, Niwa-san took me to his favorite park for a relaxing photo walk. For this outing, he took out his Sarari Edition Leica M240-P, a camera I have been lusting after for a long time, and chose a vintage 35mm Summicron from his dehumidifying cabinet for the occasion. Keeping his camera gear in a dehumidifying cabinet is just one of the many ways one can clearly see Niwa-san’s care and respect for craftsmanship and doing things the right way. He is such a kind, knowledgeable, and supremely talented individual. I hope to see him again.