I was looking to emboss initials on an old wallet of my father’s as a gift to my son and for kicks I googled “leather embossing near me.” Lo and behold, Fidi still has an old-school leather foil embosser, complete with a machine that uses lead type and is no longer made.

Maybe there aren’t really be new fangled ways to push foil onto leather; still, that machine and the collection of type gave me goosebumps.

Mike Abate bought the business 26 years ago from Sam Swick, who was installed for a few decades before that on Maiden Lane. Mike does mostly corporate work now for companies like Google and JetBlue, but he’s still available for on-site engraving, which he does while you wait.

Call before you go for hours; Mike’s wife has retired so he is not clocking as many hours as he used to.

And just because it’s fun, this is where the expression “mind your Ps and Qs” came from: because all the lead type is backwards, it’s an easy mistake to make.

Sam Swick Leather Goods
call before you go
212-425-0791
40 Exchange Place at William
Suite 1709
samswick1709@aol.com