Before You Buy

I’ve gathered some things you may want to know before placing your order. I wholeheartedly recommend you read the “About Leather” section if you’re interested in any of my leather products.

Shipping and tracking

Shipping times

Orders are usually shipped on Tuesdays and Fridays. If an item is on backorder, you can expect up to a week delay as I need time to make the product. Shipping times to places like the US and Australia may take anywhere from one to six weeks. For non-EU customers be aware of customs and import fees that you may be required to pay upon arrival of the order

Shipping options

Shipping within the EU is done through Coolrunner, which is a shipping service that allow for cheaper shipping for smaller businesses that do not have the volume to make their own deals with shipping companies. For all other countries shipping is done through PostNord, which unfortunately is significantly more pricey.

If you are a non-EU customer you may be presented with an option for cheaper shipping without tracking and insurance. If you choose to use this shipping option you waiver your right to a refund or replacement in case the shipment is lost in transit. I only allow this option because it has proven reliable, having done over 250 completed shipments this way. However, I recommend you only use this shipping option for smaller single-item orders. It may be cheaper to purchase 2 items with separate cheap shipping than ordering them in one go with tracking and insurance – Please consider saving yourself some money.

Tracking

You will have to request your tracking information through the contact form, or by leaving a note with your order, since the platform my website is built on doesn’t allow for tracking information to be sent out automatically. I can also check international orders for you on the live broadcast if you ask in the chat. I’m happy to get your tracking information to you, so just let me know.

Product availability and requests

When products sell out there is no guarantee that they will return. As many items are one-off products I recommend that you don’t delay if you see something that you like. If you find that an item has sold out, you are very welcome to request that I make another. This can be done through the contact form. When placing a request you are also welcome to ask for colour or details to be changed, and I will consider the possibilities. Please note that requesting a re-stock doesn’t guarantee that I will make more of the product, but I will make a note of it for when I create more stock of sold out products.
Smaller products that I can make quickly, I have enabled back-orders on. You will be notified when this is the case for any product in your order.
If you want to be notified when new products show up on the store you can sign up to my newsletter. I’ll send out an email once in a while when new product is added to the store.

Wholesale and large orders

My store contains both one-off products and returning products, but I never keep a big stock of any one product. If you are a wholesale buyer or would like to place a large order, please contact me through the contact form so we can make an agreement about pricing and delivery times. I’m a one-man business, which means my production capabilities are limited, but I will absolutely accommodate large orders that may require an extra effort on my part, so long as I can keep up with potential deadlines. If you’d like to sell Martillo Workshop products in your store, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

About leather

Leather may stain

Dyed leather may stain! Be wary of wearing a new dark leather belt with brightly coloured pants. You can also expect that bills and cards take on a little bit of colour if they stay in your card holder for a long time. Not all leathers will stain and I attempt to finish all my leather goods to minimize staining, but if you want to limit the risk, only purchase items that are the colour “Natural” – This means that the leather either hasn’t been dyed or only has a light dye from the tannery.

Leather is a natural product

As everyone knows, leather is a natural product and it comes with a set of unique properties. Most of these properties are sought after – wear resistance, subtleness, texture – but others not so much like scaring and blemishes. Leather used for my products will sometimes feature scaring prominently, as it’s part of the leather. I even run a product line specifically focusing on the raw look of unfinished leather. Whenever products feature scaring or blemishes, images of the product will clearly show these so you can best choose what you think looks good in a leather product.

Leather ages with time and use

Almost all real leather darkens with time and use. A light vegetable tanned leather will with enough time and wear adopt a full and beautiful dark brown colour. For many people the aged beauty of leather is one of the big reasons they choose this material. Unfortunately for those who don’t appreciate this feature, it’s unavoidable. Even a leather dyed dark brown will turn darker over time.

Leather needs care

All leathers needs to be maintained and cared for regularly in order to ensure a long life. Based on environment and use the frequency of care will differ. A nice pair of leather shoes worn daily should be treated with leather care products weekly or bi-weekly. Items used less frequently and in less harsh environments may not need maintenance nearly as often. Lastly, products that you would handle daily, like cardholders or wallets may not need any maintenance due to the natural oils from your skin penetrating into the leather and providing the needed care all on its own.
If in doubt, simply feel the leather. If it feels stiff or dry to the touch, it won’t hurt treating it with a care product.
You can use off-the-shelf oils and waxes made for leather conditioning. I always look for care products that contain coconut oil and beeswax. These are really some of the best things you can apply to your leather in order to ensure that it is properly moisturised and protected from dirt, dust and water.

About steel

Steel may rust

My forged products all receive a linseed finish that helps prevent rust. For any products that are indoors and don’t get into contact with water, this should be sufficient to prevent rust long term. However, knives, axes and other items that get into contact with moisture or needs cleaning, it’s necessary to dry them off and apply a fresh coat of oil after use if you want to steer clear of rust. I always recommend raw linseed oil as it uniquely polymerizes and protects the steel long term.

Raw linseed oil vs. boiled linseed oil

The difference in function between raw and boiled linseed oil is that boiled linseed oil polymerizes quicker. Contrary to popular belief, boiled linseed oil isn’t actually boiled. The difference in the production process between the two is that boiled linseed oil have heavy metals added to it, and it is those additives that causes quicker polymerization. Unfortunately, these metals are also very toxic to humans and as such boiled linseed oil is not food safe whereas raw linseed oil is. Linseed oil is produced from flax and I always use raw linseed oil for my products as the slower polymerization isn’t an issue in my work as a blacksmith.

Please note that as linseed polymerizes the chemical process gives off heat, increasing the risk of rags soaked in linseed oil spontaneously combusting. This is especially an issue with boiled linseed oil where the process is quickened. Always store linseed rags in fireproof containers, burn them in a controlled environment or let them dry out away from anything flammable.

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