Harkin was founded by Courtney Phillips and was conceived by a stirring to marry function with design that embraces community and honors the earth. Courtney designs with the intention of harkening back to a time when materials were harvested directly from one's local community. Each piece is made to be useful for generations until it can be brought back to the soil again for a flourishing garden. (This is called Soil to Soil).
Leather
The materials Harkin uses are sourced with the above intent. All ready made products are created with veg tan leather made by Pergamena in New York. The animal skins are all derived from the US as a byproduct of the meat industry. Traceable leather is used as much as possible (read about traceable leather here). Vegetable Tanning is the oldest method of leather tanning, using tannins from tree bark or vegetables which makes for a toxic free process with no harm to the people tanning the leather. Additionally, all leather scraps from these products are composted in the Harkin Studio, bringing all excess material back to the soil.
Care
Caring for leather is vital for the longevity of your Harkin product. Just as your skin needs to be lotioned, your leather needs to be conditioned periodically to avoid it becoming dry, which can lead to hardening and cracking in the hide. If you are not using your leather product for a while, store it in a dust bag that can sit on a shelf. It is best to not hang a bag with straps on a hook for more than several days because the leather can hold shape to the drape that is being created. Sit it on a bench instead or lay it in a dust bag. Pen ink is impossible to remove from leather, it is like tattooing skin. Keep your pens in a pouch so as to avoid any ink stains on your leather.