The lessons that stayed with me

The things that shape us

Some lessons are absorbed slowly and quietly. You don’t realise how deeply they’ve taken root until years later, when you find yourself living by them without conscious thought.

For me, many of those lessons trace back to my grandfather.

He wasn’t an idle retiree. He kept busy—not out of restlessness, but out of purpose. When something broke, he didn’t rush out to replace it. He repaired it. And if it couldn’t be repaired, he remade it—carefully, economically, sustainably.

During the years when I spent much of my free time horse riding, most of my gear was hand-me-downs that needed repair. Bridles, reins, brushing boots—things that had already lived a life. My grandfather would study each piece, copy what was needed, and quietly make it whole again. He even made a leather headband for my horse, with his name 'Willie-Pep' stamped into it. Some of those pieces are still with me today.

I never watched him making leather goods from scratch. What I watched was something more subtle… patience and a respect for materials; a belief that nothing should be wasted. He worked for everything he had, and that shaped the way he treated the things he owned.

His mindset sits at the very heart of Smithco.

The work I do is slow by design. I use full grain leather because it lasts, because it softens, ages, and tells a story rather than wearing out. I make pieces that are meant to be lasting, not replaced at the first sign of wear.

Smithco isn’t about perfection. It’s about longevity. About making things that live with you, adapt with you, and get better over time.

I didn’t set out to build a brand when I started—I drawn toward work that felt meaningful and grounding. As time goes by, the clearer it becomes that this is a continuation of something much older. It's a way of working that values craft, resourcefulness, and quiet determination.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me.