By the end of the first day I met Jory, I was on a surfboard in the frigid Pacific off the central coast of California. There were no waves. But there was a conversation, and a pretty memorable one at that.
At the time, I was five years into an eight year stint as head of marketing, product management and a few other odds and ends at Festool USA. Perhaps a little exhausted from my many years at a desk and a little enamored of the things being made in Jory's shop that day, the conversation steered toward the paths we all take in life and how we each define success.
I like to remind Jory that this was the day my own path shifted, the day I realized that my measure of success was fundamentally flawed... the day I finally figured out that I needed to make something of my own.
Now here I am. Making leather aprons. And not near as much money. So yeah, um... Thanks Jory?... WTH?
Well, I figure after all the support and good advice he's provided since that fateful day, the least I could do is make my dude his own signature work apron. And I think it turned out just right, blaze orange and all. (sidenote: our friendship was essentially forged on a shared love of the color orange, large slabs of walnut, and vintage Triumph motorcycles)
The Goods We've taken a fresh round of that gorgeous, feels-broken-in-out-of-the-gate bison and figured out how to add some extra awesomeness with our patented hand-dying technique.
Full disclosure: the hand-dying process does dry this one out just slightly, so it doesn't start quiiite as soft as the regular bison... but still quite a bit softer than the veg-tan walnut, ain't no doubt about it.
Description:
We take all the liberties with our hand-dyed work aprons, so you can expect that no two are the same and that yours will start off with a character very much its own. Some are darker, some are lighter and some even feature the hide's original brand (those are our favorites) or scars from pesky varmints or barbed-wire. They are designed for an easy break-in for many years of comfortable wear.
Main Panel: Hand-dyed Walnut Bison Thickness:4-4.5ozwhole hide leather Front pocket: Hand-Dyed Walnut Back Pocket: Orange D-tabs: Orange Straps: Walnut Bridle
Hardware:Vintage Brass
Length Options: Short version below.
26" - 5'6" and below 28" - 5'7"-5'8" 30" - 5'9"-5'10" 32" - 5'11"-6' 34" - 6'1"-6'2" 36" - 6'3"-6'4" 38" - 6'5" and above 40" - For the really big kids
Please use this as a guide. If you want more coverage, go with the longer size. If you sport a large bay window or for some other reason require a bigger fit, go with the larger size.
Streamlined Plain Front:This is the classic Calavera style... no muss, no fuss. Still, all aprons come with a standard-issue upper pocket for pens, pencils, small rulers and such.
Lower Pocket (with or without flap):A traditional rectangular pocket style that hews tight to the main apron panel to prevent accumulation of dust and debris, with or without the inclusion of the optional upper flap.
Paolini Pocket:Generously sized, side-entry pouch design prevents dust and debris from collecting, without the need for flaps. If we were going to rock the pocket, this would be our choice. Named after Gregory Paolini, who is a fantastic woodworker and teacher, as well as one of our favorite human beings.
Strap options:
The Jory comes standard with the Y-Back Strap setup, combining the comfort of the harness style straps with a sturdy, adjustable belt for a perfect, secure fit.
Tape Measure Clips and/or Towel Rings
Apron w/ Plain Front - See gallery for options
Apron w/ Standard Pocket - Upper positioning matches gallery. Lower positioning will go to the lower front of the pocket.
Apron w/ Paolini Pocket - Upper positioning will be on the front of the pocket, near the top. Lower positioning will be on the front of the pocket. See gallery for visual.
And if all that is way too confusing, just drop an email to michael@calaveratool.com and we'll walk you through it.
A note on caring for your work apron
In the shop, we finish all our work aprons with Dr. Jackson's Conditioning Cream. A modest application will do good things to worn or dry areas. For hotter, dryer regions (or applications), we recommend modest doses of Fiebing's Aussie Leather Conditioner with Beeswax. Don't apply too much or things may get a little sticky.
