Garny - Leather Passport Case

My name is Gábor Ruzsán a self employed dreamer, wood & leather worker.
I make fabulous rétes aka strudel and home made pasta, which can satisfy everybody’s taste buds.
My first woodworking lesson (experiment) was in Hungary the summer of 1967 at age 5. My uncle Janos was “baby” sitting me at his new house, what he was building mostly by himself. He was showing me the “yes I can make it” life approach and it does work. Wandering at a construction site was a great adventure for a kid like me and yes, I just had to look, so I can find “the treasure” what I was looking for: a broken saw blade. A “real” tool what I can use and work with and show off my handy work. First I made sure it is safe so part of it I wrapped it with a rag to make a comfortable handle. My uncle was still busy finishing an outside light installation. Now the big question: what should I do with my new hand tool? Outside only broken bricks and big wooden beams, they did not attract me. Maybe inside I can find some nice workable wood. Oh boy! I did eyeball a very nice shiny wood. It happened to be attached to the brand new bed’s footboard in the bedroom. Watching the sawdust falling out from under my new hand tool was a real satisfaction. I managed to make about a half an inch deep cut. I could not go deeper (I couldn’t even try) because my uncle stepped inside to the bedroom and he was watching and truly looking for words. There was about 2 seconds of silence. These 2 seconds seamed like I was frozen in time. I just costumized their new bed. Permanently.

Him and his wife always mentioned this story with a smile and never an angry word.

Few years later and on an other continent (America) me and my wife was walking through a craft show at Bethel NY, where we met with one of the exhibitor Peter Galbert chair maker and as a gift, my wife signed me up for a chair making class.

With a few words this is my woodworking story.

My leather making experience and knowledge was inherited from my parents. Both of them was a long time leather worker, they manufactured all kinds of leather balls and harnesses for horses.

My designs and makes are focused on traditional technics combined with functional minimalism.