ARTIFACT No. 112 Tote in Vintage Up-Cycled Awning Material Product Field Testing: Maui, Hawaii In celebration of our 20th Wedding Anniversary, Beth and I took our kids to West Maui, Hawaii where we: fished, snorkeled, jet-skied, rode ATV's, hiked, and were continually in and out of the ocean. It was a perfect destination to field test new ARTIFACT products made with vintage up-cycled water resistant materials.  Up-Cycled Products: What are "up-cycled" products? Great question! Upcycling is the sustainable reuse of discarded materials in the creation of products of higher value, qual ..read more

Here is a long overdue video of our sewing and leatherworking studio, where I show our machines and the work stations we use to design and make our handmade bags, specialty aprons, and home / personal goods.  ..read more

In January, we started a new series called "Friday Fit" where every week we feature ARTIFACT products with actual vintage apparel from my personal collection. I've collected vintage for decades and it has been the bedrock for my design language, particularly military, Ivy, workwear, and outdoor pieces. Below is a recap from February: Friday Fit # 3 (Released February 3rd, 2023)  This look leans Ivy Style w/ our small batch handmade No.705 Field Bag - inspired by British game bags and the US WWII musette bag. Which piece makes this look for you? Vintage Apparel Featured: Early 1960’s Viet ..read more

We are delighted to see our No.325T Workshop Apron being worn by Edward Hunter, the Armorer and Conservator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Adam Savage's Tested (YouTube Channel). Edward's workshop is immaculate, which makes his choice in wearing an ARTIFACT apron even more special. He's also a University of Nebraska - Lincoln graduate like me (Anthropology / Sociology) and Erica (Textile & Apparel Design). Small world ..read more

In January, we started a new series on Instagram called "Friday Fit" - where we pair our handmade products with styles using vintage clothing from my personal collection. I've collected vintage for decades and it has been the bedrock for my design language, particularly military, Ivy, workwear, and outdoor pieces. Take a look and consider following @artifactbags on Instagram. We also post cool videos of us making our product. Thanks!  Friday Fit # 1 (released 01.20.2023) Items featured: 1980’s Vision raglan sleeve crewneck w/ iconic screen print of Gator 1980’s Vans Style 38 hi tops. A u ..read more

ARTIFACT had the pleasure of working with BRIXTON (San Diego, CA) in designing and producing a line of products for their Workshop Collective Fall 2022 Collection. We created: a minimalist leather card wallet, an adjustable leather hat band, a leather key clip, and a cotton twill apron w/ removable leather neck strap. All handmade in our Omaha, NE studio to our exacting standards with solid brass hardware and premium full grain leather. Read an interview I did for the collab here at Brixton.com. Shop ARTIFACT x BRIXTON collection here at Brixton.com  ..read more

It's no secret we are inspired by antique and vintage military objects. We love them for their utilitarian design and impressive construction, but also for their look and feel. The natural materials used develop so much character over time and use, which is why they are perfect for upcycling into modern products for second life. Here I share a numbered edition of five zippered totes that incorporate circa 1930's military duffles, and I share some of the industrial sewing machines I use to make them in my Omaha, NE studio.  ..read more

ARTIFACT exhibited our new Guitar Accessories Collection at the Nashville Guitar Show last weekend. Over the years we've exhibited our handmade products at: Renegade Craft Fair, NYNOW, CAPSULE, American Craft Council, Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, and countless regional Pop-Ups. These shows have as many similarities as differences. I've never walked the Nashville Guitar Show and I'm not friends with anyone who has. I was going into it blind, but the cost of a booth was a fraction of a fashion trade show, and I would be completely surrounded by vintage guitars. Why not?  ..read more

Long before ARTIFACT (and children), I was a touring guitar player. Our new Guitar Accessories Collection is near and dear to my heart - with a nod to classic, timeless design.  Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp Cover Custom Amp Covers In the 1950's and 60's Fender kitted their amplifiers with optional canvas and faux leather slip covers made by Victoria Luggage Co. in St Louis, Mo (RIP). They are a source of inspiration for our ARTIFACT covers but I had no interest in creating replicas of them. To put it bluntly, their quality is below our standard at ARTIFACT.  I've handled countless Victo ..read more

I was recently interviewed for a feature on Alliance For American Manufacturing, where I spoke about the benefits and challenges of using domestic labor in today's market. ARTIFACT was founded in 2010 on the tenet's of quality, utility, and timeless design. When I grew the brand from my basement to a studio, I wanted to ensure quality remained as consistent as when I made every product. I chose hiring and apprenticing a production team from within my local community verses playing telephone game managing a production team remotely. Over the years ARTIFACT has organically grown with a boo ..read more