Branding The Cacti Coasters

Today in the workshop I am branding a new batch of Cacti Coasters (available in the shop here). Each one is cut from my extremely thick Belt leather. I brand one of four cactus designs on each to make the four pack of a variety of cacti found in the Southwest. By branding the leather, I am able to darken it without hurting the longevity. A little known fact – beware of laser engraved leather, this actually burns off the outermost layer of leather and degrades the quality and durability over time, more on that here. In branding the leather you leave the fibers intact and able to withstand years of cold drinks!