Werther Leather Goods
Werther Leather Goods (originally Waskerd) is my leather goods shop where we craft tool-bag-inspired bags, belts, minimalist leather wallets, watchbands, passport holders, bracelets & more. Have a belt made while you wait or watch us personalize one of our 10 wallet designs for you on the spot.
Located within the Selden Market in downtown Norfolk, VA between the Slover Library and The Main hotel, we're a short walk from the Waterside District and restaurants on Granby Street. The address is: 208 E Main St., Norfolk, VA 23510
The most convenient parking garage is the "Garage at the Main Hotel". It looks like it is the Hilton's parking garage, but it is actually a city-owned garage. When you exit the parking garage elevators, you will be looking directly at my shop without having to go outside.
SHOP HOURS
Sunday - Monday: 11:00 - 5:00
Tuesday: By Appointment
Wednesday - Thursday: 11:00 - 5:00
Friday - Saturday: 11:00 - 6:00
If you have specific questions, email is typically the best way to get in touch with me. If you are local to the Norfolk / Hampton Roads area, come see me in person.
-Derek Shaw
derek@waskerd.com
If you need a quick hole in your belt or a rivet to reinforce a strap, I'm happy to help, but as I'm trying to stay focused on developing a sustainable business, I am no longer able to take on custom work or repairs.
Here are a few highlights & fun facts since I started.
2009-2010
Living and working in New York City, I spent many days looking for the perfect wallet. I wasn't able to land my ideal finance job, but I did end up making my ideal wallet.
Launch Video (2011)
I made this "stop-motion" style video to announce the launch of Werther Leather Goods (originally "Waskerd"--which is my name spelled backwards).
I didn't share the video, because I didn't think it was good enough.
I officially launched my website in September 2011 with 9 months of leather work, 7 wallet designs, and a pending trademark battle with Wrangler Apparel Corp.
Zero Halliburton 75th Anniversary Case (2013)
I started doing tradeshows in NYC as an attempt to get my wallets in men's stores.
One of the shows led to a collaboration with Zero Halliburton for their 75th anniversary. It was an honor to be a part of the project and to have 10 collaborative suitcases spotlighted at the grand opening of their flagship store on Madison Ave in NYC.
Featured in Esquire "Best Wallets to Buy This Spring" (2013)
I was confused when orders started coming in. I went from selling 1 or 2 wallets a week to 1 or 2 wallets a day after the feature, and I realized I may actually have a viable business.
Wooden Rings (2013)
I started selling wooden rings on my website--something I had been making and selling since I was a kid in middle school. They didn't sell well, so I ended up discontinuing them about a year later.
New Parents (2015)
We were overjoyed to welcome our daughter, Julia. Becoming a parent gave new meaning to life and new importance to Werther. She fit nicely in my "Lunch Tote" design that I used to make.
Distinction Magazine (2016)
Working off the floor in Pittsburgh, then out of my parents' garage in Virginia, to a bedroom nook in Philadelphia, then another apartment, to the back of the truck on a cross country road trip, this was my 6th shop setup, and I was proud to be welcoming Distinction Magazine's journalist and photographer to come check it out for a feature.
Opened my Shop in the Selden Market (2017)
I was accepted into an incubator program in a beautiful historic building right in the middle of downtown Norfolk, VA alongside 11 other small businesses. Originally, my cousin and I opened the shop together, but after a few months, he decided to focus on his own location, and I started brainstorming my own bag designs.
Tool Bag Purse Prototype (2018)
I bought an old sewing machine off Craigslist, and after a few months of fighting with the machine, I had this beauty to show for. I made 40 more over the next 12 months and finally nailed down the process and dimensions for my Tool Bag Purse.
Awarded a "Micro" Grant (2019)
The grant allowed me to invest in dies and templates to help me make my Tool Bag Purse & Tool Bag Weekender more efficiently. This was a game changer as it was taking me about 2 weeks to make a batch of 3 bags at that point.
2020-2021
After 10 years of being in business I finally realized I was hurting myself by acting like I had some big company--using "we" and "us" when it mostly was just me. I finally embraced the fact that I am a regular guy that is uncomfortable in front of the camera like everyone else, and it helped me connect with my customers better and also helped me grow my business.
Awarded Another Grant from the City of Norfolk (2022)
I was able to purchase 2 more industrial sewing machines, a new camera, and a variety of other tools to continue to get more efficient in my processes. I hired a full-time employee and started spending more of my time making videos and focusing on marketing.
Videos, Videos, & More Videos (2023 & Beyond)
I've done a lot of really fun projects the last few years. To see more of what I've been up to, check out my videos. They are all short, and I spend a ton of time on them to make sure they are worth your time.
Although I'm having a lot of fun, I should also mention, these have been some challenging years for sales. I continue to try out new ideas and new designs with varying success. I've had to cut back my employee's hours and work more to keep things going. But I do very much love making my goods and also really enjoy making my videos. (Especially my videos with the handmade captions).
I post the same videos on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts if you'd like to check them out (@wertherleathergoods). I'm going to try to make a blog on here to post my videos as well.
Children's Book (2023-2026)
What started out as a fun way for me to play with my kids--adding small mice to their artwork--has turned into a gigantic project that I am hanging a lot of hope on. It's a story about a family of mice who are leatherworkers. Papa (that's me), wants his daughter to take over the family business, but she has other aspirations. It is coming along, and I'm going to start taking pre-orders very soon!