Rogues Fayre: LW Leatherworking Takes to the Stalls

History, heathens, and a whole lot of leather.

Last weekend I packed up the tools, loaded the car with belts, wallets, and keychains, and headed out to Rogues Fayre - a day of history, knights, and reenactors that brought the past back to life for an afternoon. It was my first ever event, and it set the bar higher than I was expecting.

Setting Up in Good Company

The Grand Opening kicked off at 11am with muskets firing across both Queen Square and the Churchyard, and the whole place had a proper atmosphere to it. Knights in full armour, minstrels, fire breathers, falconers - it made a good backdrop for a stall of handcrafted leather goods. There's something fitting about laying out full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather at an event built around craftsmanship, history, and things made to last.

The Public Were Brilliant

Throughout the day I had a steady stream of visitors stopping by the stall - curious, and genuinely interested in the story behind the leather. People picked up belts and felt the weight of them, took in the smell, and noticed straight away that these were full-grain, handmade pieces. A few ran their fingers across the grain of a wallet and asked how long it would last. Decades, I told them. With a bit of care, maybe longer than some of the historical figures being re-enacted a few feet away.

The conversations were the best part. Explaining vegetable tanning, talking about how full-grain leather develops a patina that's unique to whoever's carrying it - that's not something that comes across on a screen. Face-to-face is where this stuff actually lands.

Sales That Spoke for Themselves

It was a solid day on the sales front. Wallets were a firm favourite, and the belts moved quickly too - a good entry point for people discovering the stall for the first time. A few keychains found new homes as well, which is always satisfying given how much goes into making each one.

A few customers mentioned they'd be back, or asked about ordering online, which is always a good sign. New faces, a few new followers, and some business cards handed out to people interested in bespoke pieces.

The Event Itself

Rogues Fayre put on a proper show. Highlights from the timetable were the HEMA fight demonstration, the Knight School sessions, and the musket volley at 3:30pm that had everyone jumping.

The organisers clearly put a lot of effort into making it a full day out, and that translated directly into footfall past the stalls. A well-run event makes for a happy trader.

All in all - great success. First event down, and I'd happily do another one like it.