About Simpsonelli Leathercraft

I'm Michael Simpsonelli, a musician, designer and leatherworker based in Vancouver, BC.

I started working with leather over 15 years ago working with a few friends who did leather work, and soon after teaching myself saddle stitching to make my first leather bag. What began as a creative experiment developed into an ongoing pursuit of original designs.

Over the years, I've made everything from guitar straps and belts to wallets, motorcycle bags, knife sheaths and custom pieces.

Today, Simpsonelli Leathercraft is my independent workshop where I continue to develop new designs and produce each piece individually by hand in East Vancouver.

How it started

I made this bag in 2009, when I was first teaching myself how to work with leather. This was the first time I stepped out and made my own design, followed by guitar straps. I was making belts and buckles for the friends companies I was working for, and decided I wanted to make myself a nice satchel I had been envisioning - one that would last a long time! It’s old, worn, and far from perfect, but I’ve kept it all these years because it marks the beginning of everything that followed.