Nearly all of the leather goods we sell can be customized with different colors and combinations for leather and thread. As a rule of thumb, hand-stitched is required for any thread colors other than natural or black. Please contact us with any custom queries before making an order.

We also accept orders on completely custom bespoke leather goods. Whether you're looking for changes to a design we already offer, or something completely new, we welcome the challenge to bring what you have in your mind to life.

Depending on the size and scope of the bespoke item, we may require a non-refundable deposit to begin work with the remaining balance of the project due before shipment. Circumstances for billing are determined at our discretion on a per-project basis.

Please contact us to begin the conversation about your idea!

About Us for leatherworking. Hobby farm with sheep
Tim Parsell, leatherworker in Alpena, Michigan. Tim makes leather goods and custom axes. Image is Tim hand carving a handle.
Custom leather goods in Alpena Michigan. Custom leather laptop bag. Bespoke leather bageather goods

Meet the Maker

Hi there! This is Tim, the owner of Parsell Artisan Works (PAW).
I'd like to take a few moments of your time to share my story. Before I go on though, thank you so, so much for stopping into my little corner of the world.

I never understood or appreciated how special my northern Michigan upbringing was until just the last few years, and in hindsight it had a formative impact on where I am now. I spent my childhood on a hobby sheep farm where we sheared, processed, and dyed the wool from our small flock for spinners and knitters alike. I fondly remember sitting in on craft show booths with my parents, where they sold items from the farm as well as ceramics and other handcrafted goods. During the summer I would spend time with my grandparents whom operated craft stores for decades. The perspectives they shared with me in regards to artistic curiosity and business are foundational for me to this day.

And they weren't the only ones that have had an impact on my life. My entire family is full of painters, tinkerers, drawers, engineers, and photographers; my social circles include blacksmiths, bladesmiths,
woodworkers, adventurers, and countless other skilled misfits. I'm in good company, and I am now honored to represent the third-generation of entrepreneurial makers in my family with this studio.

Parsell Artisan Works began in 2016 as a hobby. My first
"official" items were restored axes, and not long after I began
producing leather goods for my fellow bushcrafters and lovers of the outdoors. The people that have been around since the beginning remember me for my hard-use leather goods and still ask for them five years later.

Since then, my work has improved, my offerings have become more diverse, and I have steadily increased the amount of time dedicated to the craft. PAW received its LLC in 2021 and is operated as a part-time business to this day.