Welcome, I am Pedro Alonso, the hand and soul behind “Texu Crafts”.
I grew up in Asturias in the north of Spain. A mountainous region with rugged coastal cliffs , where both weather and geographical features are an everyday demonstration of the power of nature. Inherited from it, since my early age, a deep love, fascination and respect for nature and wilderness, as well as for the traditions and way of life in the mountains and countryside.
With a solid background in tool making, wood and leather working, as well as other various artistic disciplines, I started “Texu Crafts” to pay homage to the European Craftsmen, with special attention to the superior quality and feeling of an handmade piece, like in the good old days.
Thanks for supporting independent and local handcrafters.
PHILOSOPHY The « Texu » (Taxus Baccata, or commonly known as Yew) was a magic and sacred tree to antic celtic populations, and is still today a respected tree of great power, associated to immortality in many cultures and believes around the world. For me, it is a living homage to the region i come from, and the incarnation of my deep will of using traditionnal methods of handcrafting to produce an unique object that will last for life. In today's world, where consuming became a way of life, i refuse to believe that objects have only a short time life, and made to be thrown away after been used a few times. I refuse to be part of the massive waste, and believe in the beauty of a long term relation between a product and its user.
MATERIALS According to my philosophy, and the respect i carry for traditions and ancient know-how, the materials used in the elaboration of my work are entirely natural, - and Handcrafted with love and an obsession for details, leading to excellency and designed to last for life. All the way from the selection of leathers, threads, dyes, to the packaging and tools i am using, every aspect in the elaboration of my work is a proof of my faith in sustainability, and is coming together to achieve a high quality unique object i can be proud to stamp my brand on.
THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING.
According to my philosophy, and the respect i carry for traditions and ancient know-how, the materials used in the elaboration of my work are entirely natural, - and HANDcrafted with love and a real attention for details, leading my creations to be as close as possible to perfection, and designed to last for life.
All the way from the selection of leathers, threads, dyes, to the packaging and tools i am using, every aspect of my work is a proof of my faith in sustainability, and is coming together to achieve a high quality unique object i can be proud to stamp my brand on.
Concept A long research in old documents, military manuals, papers on ethnographic techniques, materials and old models form the base of the products that can be found in Texu Crafts : resistant handiwork made to last and withstand heavy usage.
Selection All the materials I use are natural and of european or american origin, as much as possible from small family businesses or manufacturers. They have been selected for the natural aspect and processing they've been through before landing in my hands, and most of all for their sturdiness.
Dying Dying is done exclusively by hand, using water or alcohol-based dyes.
Occasionally, some limited editions are handled with dyes such as turmeric, cochineal, henna, trees or berries extracts. These require more time and bigger attention, but create an irregular aspect, unique to each piece. These natural dyes are not colorfast, nor are they intended to be. They will fade away a bit with time, allowing the leather to age and darken, and creating a patina unique to each owner; crocking being part of the deal. I am also currently investigating the possibility of creating my own range of dyes, using natural extracts and alternative methods.
Cutting Each piece is carefully cut by hand to guarantee it to be unique, made to fit together perfectly, and avoid any mistakes.
Sewing All the leather products are sewn by hand, following the famous « saddle stitch » method. A really long process, impossible to imitate or overcome by a sewing machine, - and resulting in a stronger and more flexible product that will last for life.
Finish Once all previously named steps of the elaboration have been taken, time has come for edging, polishing, waxing, posing of the closure, stamping, and finally packaging.