Rod Boyes – Designer and Craftsman (photo Yan Preson)
Rod has a design history that spans cabinet making to educational software. His chosen material is now leather, and he has designed a collection of cases for musical instruments, mobile devices and more.
ipod nano cases
ipod nano case, internal view
Rod feels he is a cross between an artist, a designer and an inventor, with new entries being added to his “ideas” list all the time. His style is rustic with Art Nouveau and 1950s Jukebox influences thrown in. Nature influences too. He selects all the leathers personally and likes to mix leathers with different finishes, including hair-on cowhide and unusual natural grains, to create interesting contrasts.
Close up of detail on the journal/notebook case
Journal/notebook case
He says “I love the process of design and crafting in leather. It’s an expensive material, and you can’t patch up mistakes, but otherwise it’s very rewarding. It lasts forever, looks great, feels great, even smells good. The variety of finishes you can get is amazing, and I can even create my own effects.” He likes to avoid using modern style catches and fastenings if possible, preferring the challenge of designing using traditional techniques. So… no zips and definitely no velcro!
ipad case
Rod’s other passion is music. He is the singer, guitarist and harmonica player with Americana band The 309s, who play swing music from the 30s, 40s and 50s. Rod has also played in Cajun and Bluegrass bands. His chosen company name, “Pinegrove Leather”, comes from a famous Cajun song “The Pine Grove Blues”. His leather work is heavily influenced by this other passion and this influence can be seen creeping into his designs as he marries his two loves together:
Penny whistle case
Drumstick holder
Pick and capo wallet
Guitar accessory case
Drumstick holder
Heart Gallery Blog 
Great site. I absolutely love leather. I love the way it looks, feels, smells. It is just awesome!