Morning Sabah People,
Happy 4th of July -- the day that truly feels like it marks the beginning of Summer, and that we're always happy to be spending with family & friends.
While our roots & heart will forever be in Turkey, our El Paso, Texas workshop opened in Spring of 2022, and two years later, we couldn't be more proud to be manufacturing right here in America.
It has not been easy, from building out our physical workshop & developing a robust supply chain to identifying, hiring & training local talent. Thankfully the hard work has paid off and we've been able to bring to life some of our most special projects to date thanks to El Paso.
Moreover, making things by hand is all about people. We're lucky to now have sixteen passionate and hardworking craftspeople who have been dedicated to tackling every project, idea & design we've conceived with care & enthusiasm. A huge thank you to that brilliant team!
If you've never purchased anything made from our El Paso workshop, might today be a day to consider doing so. Whether it's one of our belts or tote bags, our newest Collector's Series Baba, a leash or collar for your pup, or perhaps the OG... namesake El Paso Baba?
We hope you'll consider supporting this great venture.
Otherwise, enjoy a beautiful day & weekend ahead.
Sincerely, The Sabah Dealer --
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Handmade in El Paso, Texas.
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El Paso, like Gaziantep (home of our original Sabah workshop), is a border town with a history of trade, craftsmanship, and cultural exchange. Amongst the many things El Paso offers, it has a rich history crafting leather goods like saddles and cowboy boots. The making of cowboy boots by hand employs many of the same techniques and skills required to produce Sabahs & Babas. When we first visited in 2019, we were enthralled by the talent we encountered.
Like our Turkish craftspeople, our El Paso team is made up of multi-generational shoemakers & leather workers as well as novices eager to learn and develop their craft. The workshop is a beautiful and vibrant place to work. We're excited to be providing great jobs & above average wages in a market that has seen most manufacturing work go across the border or overseas.
So just like in Turkey - this workshop is a place for folks to learn a craft and make a good living while doing it.
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The Original: El Paso Baba.
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I'm excited to reintroduce you to our El Paso Baba, made by hand in our El Paso workshop, using an undyed, vegetable tanned saddle leather for every aspect of the Baba: sole, insole and upper. We've never used a leather quite like this before. Our El Paso Baba takes the idea of "breaking in your pair" & "patina" to a whole new level. Like the most well-worn saddle, or a beautiful set of boots -- these Babas start out smooth and lighter in color and only get richer, more beautiful and perfectly molded to your feet with every step.
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What is Vegetable Tanning?
Vegetable tanning refers to an ancient leather tanning method which uses natural elements such as oak, spruce bark, quebracho and olive leaves. These substances are placed for long periods of time in earthen pits with leather hides, infusing them with the natural elements. As these tannins are derived from plants, not synthetic chemicals, the leather is called “vegetable-tanned leather.” Less than 10% of the world’s leather is tanned this way today because it’s time consuming and costly; however, it results in incredible leather that ages like no other, best demonstrated visually in our opinion -- see below.
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Shown above are the very first El Paso Babas we made, which I've been wearing since late 2021. I've taken them from El Paso to Santa Fe, from the streets of Mexico City to the beaches of Oaxaca, worn them around the house, to the office, all over Long Island, and criss-crossing NYC. Unlike our other Babas, they felt stiffer from the start. I remember being a little skeptical. But, David - our product engineer promised me I'd fall in love. And he was right, they've softened, darkened and really found the form of my feet unlike any other shoe we make. I've conditioned them many times over, which is essential for this type of leather -- that process has really brought out the richness of color.
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I made this playlist with July 4 and other summer hangs in mind... from 60s Americana to French Pop and psychedelic Turkish rock to Lebanese Jazz. I hope you love it... and feel free to send any recommendations back!
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I loved receiving this photo of St Lucia rocking the stage last night at Surf Lodge in Montauk 🎸 thanks @nzirpolo! I first met Jean and his wife, Patti, (the husband/wife duo behind St Lucia) at the original Sabah House East Village in 2015 — wonderful energy, great style… a few weeks later Jean was airborne, guitar in hand, in his Sabahs on stage at Lollapalooza! Great to see him back at it again 🤘🏼 Cheers Jean & Patti - keep rocking!
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No longer want to receive these emails? Unsubscribe.The Sabah Dealer 56 Bleecker Street New York, New York 10012
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