Where I Shop: My Favorite New Place to Buy Leather Goods

Some of the most successful businesses have started in the backs of cars (see: Nike), so it isn’t particularly surprising to discover that Main Line-based leather goods brand Waltzing Matilda first got its start in a VW van. But now the year-old company has planted roots, opening a brick-and-mortar in Wayne. I finally got the chance to pay it a proper visit, and — though my magpie tastes veer more to gilt and glam — I’m obsessed. 

Owner Mike Balitsaris started his company a year ago with a pair of sandals he handcrafted from scrap leather; today, his sandals have something of a cult following (and for good reason; they’re great-looking, impeccably crafted and hard-wearing; I have my eye on these). Now the line includes bags and accessories, which range from the small (wallets, belts, wine bags) to the large and crazy-luxe (bespoke punching bags). Many of the bags are one-of-a-kind, created from scraps of leather salvaged from old factories (Red Wing, Coach, Timberland) and antique items like saddles, war-worn military spats, World War II ammo cases. I’m dying over this one.

The shop brims with these rugged, American-made goods, but also with bolts and scraps of leather; half of the boutique is a workshop, so you can see some of the goods being crafted. While it’s worth poking around yourself, it’s more fun to let Balitsaris take you around. He’ll point out where each bit of leather came from, how the hardware is handcrafted by a local blacksmith, how if you look inside that bag over there, you’ll see the initials of the soldiers who used it first. (Tip: Ask him about custom items.)

Oh, and about that old VW van? Balitsaris still goes mobile from time to time, now in an old Airstream trailer. Because brick-and-mortars might be the dream, but sometimes, nothing beats selling out of the back of a car.

The Details: Waltzing Matilda, 21 West Avenue, Wayne, 610-688-1500.