Customer Service Questions: 

Business Questions

Q: What does "Studiolo" mean? 

A: "Studiolo" is an architecture term for a small private cabinet or study room. The "lo" is a diminutive, like "little studio." And Geoff is an architecture nerd. 

Q: Do you *really* make everything by hand in a garage?

A: Yes, really! We know, there's a lot of "handmade washing" these days and it's diluting the meaning for real people like us. Geoff makes everything in our home, in small batches. He uses hand-tools and everything. In 2016, we upgraded our home garage from a two-car to a full-sized workshop by moving from urban Portland to the rural Oregon Coast. To see a short video of Geoff's handiwork in action and see "what handmade means to us", go to: http://vimeo.com/cineastas/walnut

Q: I love what you're doing. How can I support? 

A: Thank you for your support! We are a grassroots company and we appreciate all the grassroots support we've had to keep it going. Here's what can help us: 

• Share the word about us on your social media. Word-of-mouth referrals to your friends and family are the highest compliment we've ever received! 
• Share your pictures with us - either on social media or email - so we can show the world how beautiful these products look in person.
• Keep up with the latest news with our newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Instagram.
• Leave a review of our store or our products on our site.

Q: Who did your art / photography / logo / web design / graphic design / videography?

Product Questions

Q: How does the leather hold up in the rain?

A: Great! Leather has always traditionally been an outdoor material (think equestrian gear, work boots, etc). We use the same high-quality leather used for horse gear and bridles, so it's designed to withstand the elements. Leather is an exceptionally durable material, which is why we like working with it. That said, we recommend taking care of your leather using the directions on our Leather Care page.  

Q: Can I use your bicycle products on my motorcycle? 

A: Sorry, but no! We don't recommend our products for use on motorcycles. We don't have access to a motorcycle to design them for. There's a wonderful motorcycle-specific leather craftsman in Oregon called Langlitz Leathers you might want to check out, or for your custom project, check out the website Custom Made, or there are other leathercrafters on Etsy that may be able to help out.

Q: I wish my Walnut product were just a shade or two darker. Is there any way to darken it? 

A: Our vegetable-tanned leather darkens naturally with age and use, but you can speed up the process with a conditioning treatment. Read more on our blog post.

Q: Are your bike products theft-proof?

A: Nothing is theft-proof these days. But read this blog post for customer ideas on how to deter theft of your leather bicycle accessories.  

Q: Where can I get the bike(s) shown in the product pictures?

A: The bottom line is, you can make any bike beautiful and uniquely yours - that's the fun part! The two bicycles shown in most of our pictures are a 1980's Bianchi that we stripped completely down, had powder-coated in cream and chocolate colors, and re-built all the components from the ground up. The dark blue road bike with honey leather wraps on the handlebars and top tube is a 1970s era vintage French Detouron that we found on eBay, delivered straight from France.

Q: I have questions about your bicycle handlebar wraps.

Check out this page with FAQ specific to our Leather Handlebar Wraps.