Heirloom Quality Meets Neo-Minimalism
“YOU JUST KNOW WHEN YOU PICK UP A BAG, IT’S GOING TO LAST A LIFETIME. THE PRODUCT SELLS ITSELF. PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF OUR DISPOSABLE CULTURE, OR PLASTICS THAT END UP IN THE OCEAN.”
— CHAD VON LIND, PROPRIETOR, CRAFT & LORE
In the mountainous region of northwestern Idaho, nestled near a 25-mile-long lake, is the small city of Coeur d’Alene. That’s French for “heart of an awl,” a term used by 19th-century fur trappers to describe the business savvy of the Native peoples they traded with — as sharp as the tool used to punch leather.
As it turns out, that urban area has proven to be a fitting place to run the leatherwork enterprise, Craft & Lore, a happy coincidence not missed by its proprietor, Chad Von Lind.
“I work with a lot with awls,” Von Lind, 37, acknowledged, just one of the many tools used in his workshop to handcraft small leather goods — wallets, belts, Apple watch bands, Nato watch straps, key kedges, totes, briefcases, weekender bags, packs and more.
The company’s 2,000-square-foot workshop is located in an industrial park, in the northern part of the city. The workspace also hosts a showroom. “We get a number of walk-ins. Our business workshop is a destination. People who come in, know who we are and have the intent to buy, not just browse,” he said. “Not all shoppers are from the area. Last month, a gentleman from Canada hopped on his motorcycle and came to our
