About Johnny

I grew up among old objects, trade and people who prefer to examine something properly before deciding what it is worth. My father was an antiques dealer. He gave me more than an interest in things from the past. He taught me the trader’s habit behind it: look, recognise, investigate and dare to decide.

That line still runs through everything I do.

I deal in vintage clothing, leather goods and other objects that are nowhere near the end of their useful lives. I study traditional leathercraft and old construction methods, then turn that knowledge into practical guides that let someone get to work for themselves. I also use 3D printing and digital techniques to give new form to historical, unusual and sometimes nearly forgotten objects.

At first sight, these may look like different worlds.

Not to me.

An old leather bag, a forgotten leathercraft technique, a piece of vintage clothing or a 3D-printed historical object all begin with the same question:

What is this, how was it made, and what can we still do with it today?

I have little use for throwing something away simply because it is old, or replacing it without thought because a newer version now exists. Good material, sound design and solid craftsmanship deserve more than one life.

Johnny’s Mercantile is therefore not an ordinary online shop. It is the trading house above my different activities.