Out with the Old, In with the New: Your Spring Reset Starts Here
Spring is your reset button. A chance to clear out what’s worn down, clean up what you keep, and upgrade what you carry every day. Whether it’s your leather goods, your routine, or your overall style — now’s the time to get it together.
Why Spring Is the Perfect Time for a Reset
Spring has a way of making things clear. More light, a change in pace—it’s harder to ignore what’s worn out, cluttered, or overdue for an upgrade. It’s the season that naturally pushes you to reset.
After months of heavier routines, now’s the time to clean up what you keep, clear out what you don’t, and be more intentional about what you carry every day. A quick spring reset to refresh your leather goods and get organized goes a long way.
Step 1: Clean & Restore Your Leather Goods
Your leather’s been through a lot. Dirt, wear, and dry conditions can take a toll, but a quick clean and condition can bring it back to life. Take the time to restore what you already own—it’ll look better, last longer, and be ready for the season ahead.
How to Clean Leather the Right Way
We prefer using our Leather Care Kit each spring for all of our leather refreshing needs. Complete with a soft rag for both cleaning and conditioning, a horse hair brush great for buffing and a full sized leather butter and cleaner.
Step 1: Grab a soft cloth and wipe your leather good down, removing any dust or dirt sitting on the surface.
Step 2: Shake your bottle of leather cleaner and spray onto the shop rag included in your kit. (It is always recommended to test all products on a small, inconspicuous spot on your leather good before diving in.) Rub in a circular motion allowing the cleaner to lift the dirt from your item.
Step 3: Dampen a separate cloth to wipe off excess dirt and cleaner. It’s important not to soak or oversaturate your leather.
Condition & Protect for the Season Ahead
Step 4: This next step is where you reinvigorate your well worn leather. In a circular motion, rub your shop rag on the leather butter and using that same motion apply the conditioner to your leather good. This step is important in preventing cracking, maintianing flexibility and extending the lifespan of your leather heirlooms.
Step 5: For an optimal shine, finish your restoration by buffing your item with the horsehair brush included in the kit! Volia! Your leather goods are now ready for a fresh new season!
Step 2: Declutter & Upgrade Your Everyday Carry
If you’re carrying things you don’t use, it’s time to let them go. Streamline your essentials and upgrade what you rely on daily. Fewer, better pieces make everything easier—and look a whole lot better too.
What to Toss (Be Honest)
This is the hard part of spring cleaning. Letting go of those worn-out wallets, broken or unused items and things that just don’t fit anymore.
We’ve all got that box of items sitting in the back of our closets that we’ve been putting off donating or repurposing. There’s no better time than now to get it done!
What to Keep (and Upgrade)
If some of the items you are letting go of need to be replaced be sure to look for quality over quantity (sorry but this means no more Temu leather goods), functionality and efficiency over trends and durability over lesser materials.
Items that come to mind: that wallet you’ve been carrying around since the 90’s, the belt that’s been separating into 3 different layers for the past 4 months and the duffle bag thats been repaired 7 times in the 4 years you’ve owned it. No judgement, we’ve all been there, but don’t you deserve better?
Step 3: Organize Your Life (Not Just Your Stuff)
Getting organized isn’t just about what’s in your bag or your pockets—it’s about how you move through your day. Simplify your setup, build better habits, and create a system that actually works for you.
Build a Smarter Everyday Carry System
Are the 12 credit cards (5 of which are expired), the sandwich punch card that you haven’t used in 2 years and the ticket stub to your last concert that important to have with you at all times? Again no judgement, but that excess is putting holes in your jeans. Why not make the swap to a more minimalist profile for your everyday carry items? Check out our hand sewn minimalist wallets, these make a great alternative and get straight to the point.
Raise your hand if you jingle everywhere you walk? Bringing your own theme song with you everywhere you go is cool and all, but why not streamline a bit? My personal favorite is the HK Keychain or the Wriststrap. Stylish, durable and practical to keep all of my keys in one place.
Everyone has that one spot on the dresser, kitchen counter or first available surface that acts like a catch all. So why not tidy things up a bit by having a something to put your things in. The Leather valet tray is the perfect, low effort, high impact solution for this problem.
Sometimes all you need is an extra little bag to put those random items in your purse, gym bag or computer bag in. Enter chat: Leather Zipper Pouches and the Comrade. Our favorite, quality made solution to large bag clutter.
Step 4: Refresh Your Look for Spring
A new season is the perfect excuse to clean things up. Lighter layers, refined accessories, and a more intentional approach to style can completely shift your look without overhauling your wardrobe.
Tie in apparel + leather with handcrafted, locally made leather goods. Leather cuffs, custom belts, Redwing Boots, branded apparel and hats and the buddy bag are just a few of the things we love to refresh our look with.
For more suggestions read about out some of our staff favorites!
Start Fresh This Spring
A reset doesn’t have to be drastic to make a difference. A few intentional upgrades, a little maintenance, and a cleaner approach to what you carry can go a long way. If you’re ready to refresh your routine and invest in pieces that last, Axe & Awl Leatherworks has what you need to start the season right.
Head over to our website or stop in to our brick-and-mortar to start fresh this spring with Axe & Awl Leatherworks.
