Our Story

Cardinal Leather Works was founded in 2021, amid and despite the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping our great nation. Cardinal was born out of the interest and passion of its’s owner, Russ DonRussello, for the creation of great leather design and products that serve the practical needs of our clients.

We are grateful for the opportunity to produce an heirloom item for you, your friends and families. We assure you that all care is taken to provide the best quality workmanship and materials available in the marketplace. We are ever-learning and expanding our knowledge of the leather industry so that we can pass along the benefits of our experience in design and implementation.

Thank you once again for your interest in quality handmade leather products! We are proud to make each item to order, so you get a one of a kind custom product every time.

Because we are 100% hand made, and in most cases hand-stitched, please allow 3-5 business days to make and ship most smaller items such as keychains, keyfobs, padfolios and wallets. Larger items (like purses and messenger bags) take 1-2 weeks of production time. After the item is complete, shipping is typically 3-5 business days in the US and 6-14 business days internationally (barring any customs issues).

ABOUT LEATHER PRODUCTS:

—Items made from full grain leather may contain natural surface imperfections and may take colors and dyes differently from piece to piece--so each one is unique and has its own character.

—Leather products develop a patina with use and time. Some colors may fade while others may become more robust. Again this is normal for real leather products and adds to the personality and charm of each individual item. This is why there are so many fans of leather products—each item is easily identifiable and gets more “comfortable” with use!

—Some scarring or marks are common and lend to the unique nature of the custom leather product you are buying.

See our Journal for more information about leather care.