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Cavin Richie moved to the Puget Sound area in 1970 to be near the sea. For over thirty years his carvings have reflected his surroundings. All of his work is highly detailed. His line includes birds, mammals and amphibians. He begins the lost wax casting process using shed elk antler and woolly mammoth ivory. Cavin loves the earthy look of bronze and the way it shows the detail of his original designs.

“Carving,” says Cavin “is like touching antiquity. I feel a kinship with a long lineage of carvers dating back to the Pleistocene.”

Below are the steps that Cavin uses to create each of his remarkable pieces. The carving alone can take up to twenty hours. Each piece is a miniature sculpture.

Cavin begins by sketching the wildlife into the shed antler.

The antler is smoothed.

The wildlife is cut out of the antler.

Details are added to the piece.

A rubber mold is created that will be used for the wax model.

A wax model is created. A second mold is created around the wax model.

Liquid bronze is poured into the mold. When the bronze cools, the bronze piece is removed from the mold.

The rough casting is chased, the findings are soldered on and the patina is applied.

Watch Cavin on our YouTube channel.

Profiles in Craftsmanship:

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Wildlife in Bronze

Cavin Richie has a tremendous talent for capturing the essence of nature in his jewelry. His bird designs are exquisite. Below are just a few of our latest additions. More can be discovered here.

Kingfisher Pendant

Also available as a pin.

Magpie Pendant

Snowy Owl Pendant

Also available as a pendant.

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Cavin Richie

Art Edison of Edison Leather Works purchases kangaroo leather from us. He graciously sent us several photographs of his work. Art considers his work a “serious hobby” and he is not set up for (or interested in getting) lots of orders. He likes making a few things and selling them on a limited basis.

From the photos you can see the craftsmanship of his work. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to check out his blog postings, they are very enlightening.)

While we sell Art kangaroo lace and skins, please note that not all of the photos below are fully made with kangaroo leather.

Wallets:

The wallets are all hand-stitched using traditional 2-needle saddle making stitching. The black one is a trifold and the colored ones are bifolds.

Purses:

Like the wallets, the purse is all hand-stitched. The exterior is medium weight kangaroo, and it is fully lined with a very lightweight oak-tanned cowhide (Hermann Oak). The handle is kangaroo. There are several types of braids (flat, round, turk’s head). The round braid goes all around the gusset of the bag underneath and is doubled.

Belts:

These are a few belts that Art made with our factory cut narrow lace. The black was as ordered and all the colors were dyed using Fiebings, either regular or professional oil. All of the colors require a fair amount of “elbow grease” to rub out the excess after they dry well. Art typically dyes them, lets them hang to dry for a few days, and then gives them a thorough coat of Pecard’s Leather Dressing. Then they sit for several days and when he’s ready to braid them he rubs them a lot with rags.

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Edison Leather Works

Braiding and Leather Supplies

We are pleased to announce that we are now selling nearly all of Cavin Richie’s jewelry. Cavin’s designs are a reflection of his surroundings. His line includes intricately detailed birds, mammals and amphibians.

For the past thirty years Cavin has carved with shed elk antler and woolly mammoth ivory. These carvings became the basis for his lost wax casting jewelry. “Carving,” says Cavin “is like touching antiquity. I feel a kinship with a long lineage of carvers dating back to the Pleistocene.”

A patina of green, white, black and other colors complement the earthy metal and give each piece a unique finish. All the Wildlife in Bronze jewelry designed by Cavin Richie are made in the USA.

Our polar bear is on the prowl!

The white patina on the snowy owl gives this pendant a highly detailed look.

Orcas are a Northwest favorite, but are found throughout the world.