The Artifact Blog
The Apron That Wasn’t Supposed to Exist
I want to give a little shine to a product that was never intended to be a product: our No.325 Workshop Apron.
When I founded ARTIFACT in 2010—then called Artifact Bag Co.—we made bags and leather goods, nothing else. Customers would stop by our old Farnam Street studio to pick up orders, and they often noticed the waxed canvas and leather aprons my team wore. I had designed them for in-house use, inspired by vintage denim and canvas shop aprons from brands like Hercules (Sears) and other classic workwear makers in my collection.
This was a few years before rugged workshop aprons became a staple for barbers, baristas, bartenders, and makers of all kinds. We were early—and the timing was right. Visitors started asking if they could buy one, and I kept telling them they weren’t for sale… until one of my team members finally asked, “Why not?”
That was the nudge we needed. We started making aprons in small batches, and before long, aprons became a core part of what we do. ARTIFACT (we dropped “Bag Co.” along the way) now offers aprons for workshops, kitchens, gardens, and beyond—each one rooted in our commitment to durable materials, intentional design, and honest work.
This story was originally published in our ARTIFACT newsletter.
If you like stories like this—about craft, design, and the tools we make—subscribe here to get them delivered straight to your inbox.
If you like stories like this—about craft, design, and the tools we make—subscribe here to get them delivered straight to your inbox.