Handcrafted to Last: The Making of our Log Carriers

This autumn we had the privilege of working with talented local maker Mike Watt to design a unique hard-wearing log carrier for our exclusive range of handmade Heartwood Saunas accessories. Our versatile, durable log carriers are individually handcrafted by Mike at his workshop in the dining hall of an old primary school, just west of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Introducing Local Maker, Mike Watt

Local designer and maker Mike Watt has lived in Wales since he came here to study in 1999, met his partner and fellow maker, Nia, and fell in love with the Welsh countryside.

“I came to university in Cardiff in 1999 and I've never left Wales. I met Nia at Cardiff - we lived on the same floor of accommodation in our first year - and we've been together since. Nia grew up in Llansadwrn, went to school in the primary school we now own, and having visited her and her family during our university summer holidays, I fell in love with the place. I just loved the hills, the rural nature and the friendly people.”

Although his background is in architecture, Mike began working with canvas about ten years ago, as he explains,

“I’ve always been a maker - there’s something in me that likes having my hands busy, it’s part of who I am.”

Mike was inspired to make a timeless, hard-wearing, high-quality bag for himself made from local, sustainable materials, that he simply couldn’t find readily available to buy. He then started working with leather, too, and he and Nia launched their small bag-making business, Rural Kind, in 2014.

Being relatively local and with shared passions, Mike was already aware of Heartwood Saunas when we approached him earlier this year to ask him about making a log carrier.

“I knew we had a similar ethos, and I am always looking to work with people with similar values - people who are making things really well with attention to detail and using local, sustainable resources.”

Robust, Natural, Sustainable Materials

Mike takes his inspiration from the Welsh landscape where he spends his time walking and mountain biking when he’s not making.

“I’m inspired by the hills, valleys and woods I’m immersed in on a day-to-day basis. Here everything’s a bit more rugged, and I think that comes out in the design of the bags I make. They’re natural, hard-wearing, and made to withstand the Welsh weather.”

Keen to protect as well as enjoy the natural world, Mike sources his materials in the UK from the most ethical suppliers he can find without compromising on quality.

“I want to be careful about where I source things, and how they’re produced. The canvas is made in Scotland; it’s really strong and durable, and because it’s waxed you can reproof it, which does a massive amount to improve the longevity of a bag. The high quality leather I use is from Devon, and it’s about as sustainably made leather as you can get - the cows are local to the south west of England, so the hides haven’t travelled a long way. They are a byproduct of the meat industry that would otherwise go to waste.”

The leather for the log carrier’s handles and motif detail is tanned with oak bark using an ancient technique that has been refined and perfected over centuries, at the UK’s only remaining traditional oak bark tannery - the site of which has been a tannery since the Roman times! Unlike modern tanning methods, oak bark tanning is a gentle process using exclusively natural materials which protects the natural fibres of hides, producing much stronger, more luxurious leather with unique colour tones and very little waste. The bark comes from coppiced oak grown in Cumbria for carpentry and charcoal, the hides are from local free-range low-environmental-impact farms, and the tannery are working towards being completely carbon neutral.

The Making Process

Each log carrier is individually handmade by Mike in his workshop, the ex-dining hall of a 162-year-old primary school. Starting with the wax canvas on the roll, Mike scratches the shape of the panel he needs to cut out with just a ruler and a bamboo marking device. Once the panel is cut, all the edges are pressed down with hand-rollers for the double folded seam.

“It’s quite hard work - I get through a few rollers! I do all the sewing on an old walking foot industrial machine - I sew a double line of stitching around the edge for a bit of extra strength and reinforcement, then I sew an extra base panel for the bottom of the bag to make it as hard wearing as possible.”

Once the log carrier has taken shape, the pocket is sewn separately before being secured, and the solid brass snaps are attached.

For the handles, Mike cuts a strip of leather from the strongest part of the hide and burnishes the ends to seal the exposed fibres and ensure a durable, weatherproof edge. He then buffs the leather to polish-off any residue, and uses a bit of beeswax which helps prevent degradation and gives the handles a soft-to-the-touch finish, before riveting them to the bag on his anvil using a hammer.

Elegant, Functional, Versatile Design

The finished design was a collaboration between Mike and Heartwood Saunas, but the overall vision for a functional, simple yet elegant log carrier was shared right from the start.

“I really like seeing a good material used well, and I think my focus on clean lines and simple shapes comes from my architecture background.”

From choosing the leather and the colour of the wax canvas, right down to the magnet-closure pocket and solid brass snaps and rivets, it was important to keep in touch and share thoughts and ideas in the design process.

“I enjoy a collaborative process, it’s great to get someone else’s thoughts about what a design could become. I was resistant to using brass rivets to start with because I’m so used to copper, and brass is a harder material, but I think they really work nicely with the canvas colour and I will probably use brass more for future projects.”

The log carrier can be used with the ends laid flat for longer lengths of wood, or the ends can be fastened up with the brass snaps to contain shorter logs. It also features a front pocket with a magnet closure for storing matches and firelighters. Although intended for carrying logs to the sauna stove or fire, the simple robust design is versatile and is also ideal for transporting camping supplies, tools, and outdoor adventure gear.