// ARTIST PROFILE :: SCOTT LELIKOFF //
For our newest feature, we profiled Scott Lelikoff, local leather maker and founder of Pedal Happy Design. We met Scott last summer and loved his leather, bicycle-friendly, growler and wine bottle carriers. We loved them so much that we quickly partnered with him to make a handful of custom pieces. Our first batch of leather goods quickly sold out, but this spring we conceptualized a whole new line of TAHOEMADE leather goods, including mason jar carriers. We caught up with Scott at his workplace in Reno to get the low-down on his journey that led him to leather making, and now we want to give you an inside look into how the unique products are crafted.
On a bicycle-powered brewery tour from Seattle to San Francisco, Scott needed a way to carry his beer-filled growlers safely and efficiently on his bike. He tried a metal carrier but he found that it didn't work well in the long run, so after taking a leather making class he created a carrying case which proved to be very effective. He has perfected the dimensions and design over the last year and half, and now offers the product to the public as blanks or personalized through his website and various clientele including: Urban Outfitters, Free People, Bespoke and a number of breweries throughout the globe.
The leather is a thick, vegetable tanned cow hide and is very durable and aesthetically pleasing. However, Scott revealed that the thickness and unpredictability of the leather makes it difficult to work with at times. “It’s not always true to size and uniform throughout the hide,” he told us.
He sources all of the leather hides from the Lone Star State and from there does all of the cutting, dying, shaping, stamping, and sewing himself right here in Reno. Each piece takes him around an hour and a half from start to finish, but he hopes to start getting them cut beforehand to allow for more efficient production time.
Our TAHOEMADE mason jar holders are now available at Truckee Thursdays and will be on sale this weekend at Wanderlust Festival. Also, be on the lookout for our growler and wine bottle carriers to be available in the coming weeks.
Be sure to check out pedalhappydesign.com and like Pedal Happy Design on Facebook.
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