Leather crafts for a lifetime at Dark Forest posted on 03/01/2021
Welches resident Jeff Curry appreciates well-crafted objects
that can last a long time, but sees us living in a society that is more focused
on buying stuff that will quickly be thrown away. Curry still uses his
grandmother’s cast iron pan, seasoned decades ago and still doing its job,
while also enjoying a record player and the records that date back to his
mother’s youth.
“You just don’t throw those away,” Curry said. “They still
work perfectly great. I’m much more interested in things you're going to hold
on to and have more meaning.”
And with that philosophy in mind, Curry opened his new
business venture, Dark Forest USA, a lifestyle goods company that offers
handmade leather products, including wallets, camera straps, cast iron mittens
and more.
Curry, who grew up in Pittsfield, Mass. and went to school
in Vermont, uses American leather and thread for his products and the leather
is tanned with vegetable oil, making it more environmentally friendly than the
chemical-based alternatives. His products also come with a lifetime guarantee.
“I really wanted to make something that would stand the test
of time,” Curry said, adding that he’s “on a crusade” to share with people why
investing in something that is well-made will pay off in the long run, rather
than buying a number of cheap alternatives.
Dark Forest USA, named with that idea that even in the
deepest, darkest parts of the forest, the light will always shine through, is
Curry’s second business venture, after starting the textile company Treefort
with a business partner. During that endeavor, Curry learned some basic leather
skills while creating hundreds of different logos for a variety of products,
but when he suffered a ski injury in 2017, he started developing his new
business during his recovery.
“From there, I just kind of got hooked on the whole
leatherworking thing,” he said.
Curry, who also worked locally at Windell’s Ski Camp as a
ski coach, noted that the momentum for his new company gained steam during the
coronavirus pandemic, when he was stuck at home and devoted more time into
crafting leather.
He added that when he takes his pieces to craft fairs, the
cast iron mitten (used to protect hands from a hot skillet) is a popular item,
while his golf tee holster (featuring embossed initials) was a hit as a
Christmas present for his father.
In the near future, Curry hopes to figure out the final
designs for feminine wallets, saying that he’s always experimenting with new
designs, but he doesn’t want to rush something along and then have to change
it.
“I’m a very meticulous person,” he said. “I need to figure
it out and make a couple to test out before releasing it.”
For more information, visit www.darkforestusa.com.
By Garth Guibord/MT | 
