Home / Our Story
Handmade
with honor.
Crafted for
heritage.
The story of Bailey: where he's come from, what he's built one stitch at a time, and where he's headed next.
Part one · Where he's come from
The story so far
Every good piece of leather has a history in its grain. So does the man working with it.
01
Where it started
Long before the leather, I was a kid who couldn't leave anything alone: taking things apart, wearing a whip cream bowl as a helmet, and wearing his dad's softball cleats around the house.
Hard work wasn't something that was a hard example to find or follow, and those examples early on were God's kindness of the creativity that would come later.
02
2021
The first stitch
To the right is my very first Bible I ever rebound. One too many youtube tutorials gave me the blissfully ignorant confidence to try it myself, and I've never looked back.
"Looking back at my earliest work is tough because of how much I've improved, but I can't be too critical when my oldest is so proud to carry this exact Bible to church each Sunday"
Est. 2021
03
Why "Half-Dead"?
It has a bit of a double meaning. The first is to reflect my craft where I take hide from a dead cow and make something beautiful and life giving.
The second and more important meaning is to echo God's saving grace in my life that's left me "half-dead" but fully alive. I've already died to my old self and have one more Earthly death ahead. Until then, I'm blessed to be fully alive and craft while I am!
04
Today
A family at the bench
I'm still a one-man operation, but rarely working alone. The boys pull up to the bench with mallets in hand, learning the same thing I did (and still am): that good work takes patience, and it's worth doing right the right way.
"I never have to worry about scrap going to waste when my little helpers use it to practice."
05
2026
Still at the bench
This year allowed me to develop my signature rebind look featuring a signature spine and always artistic embossed covers. The workbench is more well established than ever, and has more than enough tread for the work ahead.
Part two · Where he's going
Work goes far beyond the workbench
Next · 01
More hides from the Old World
Bringing in more storied leathers with character you won't find anywhere else.
Next · 02
A bigger family bench
Passing the craft down, building the business one project at a time, and growing a shop the next generation can grow into.
Next · 03
Steady and sure
When I think of five years from now, my big dream is bigger impact. I look forward to growing my reach of customers to be impacted through faithful work, and working with some unique hides along the way.
What we stand on
Faith. Family. Craft.
01
Faith
Every Bible that crosses the bench is someone's treasure. We treat it that way and count it a blessing to hand it back with a new life.
02
Family
This is a family shop. Little hands help hammer, and every piece is built to be handed down to the next generation.
03
Craft
One maker, one piece at a time. Full-grain leather, hand stitching and honest work that honors both the craft and the customer.