Savoir-Faire Bag by Ferdinand's Supply Co

A local Ballard leather-working company, Ferdinand's Supply Co., has been a regular at the Ballard or Fremont Sunday Markets throughout the summer and I always visited their booth when we're there. They make some awesome leather goods and a few other interesting objects. We bought a coiled rope bowl from them at one point that currently lives on our coffee table as a catch-all for our various remotes and controllers. More importantly though, this little company makes spectacular bags out of domestically sourced leather that I have been admiring for months.

A few weeks ago, we were checking in at a favorite local shop called Velouria and found they had started carrying some Ferdinand's Supply Co items, including something called the "Savoir-Faire Bag." (Savior-faire: a French noun phrase that means being adaptable and adroit, knowing what to do in any situation.) I was immediately in love with the bag but hesitant to add to my already sizable bag herd. It had a black oiled leather body and vegetable tanned handles fixed with copper rivets. A hand-cut thin wood piece was used for structure at the base, and a small leather slip pocket was inside. Topping it all off, a stamp of Ferdinand's logo (a bull, naturally). I loved it because it was perfectly sized/proportioned, made of excellent materials, and basically looked like the pure essence of what a leather tote bag should be.

Well, this Friday Dustin surprised me with the very bag (grabbing it from Velouria), and I've been cavorting around with it ever since. The vegetable tanned handles should darken some and show an interesting patina over time, and the black oiled leather will repel water (good for Seattle!) and remain awesome looking for a lifetime. The leather is really thick and durable. This is definitely an 'heirloom' sort of thing and I'm really lucky to have it. I hope to run into the Ferdinand's people again soon at a local market or holiday show to let them know I'm savior-ing the faire now.













Rowen's pretty great too.