Not everything we make starts on a canvas. Some of it starts with a piece of leather, a blade, and a lot of patience.
Our handcrafted leather tassel keychains are the smallest thing in the shop — and one of the most personal. They're made by hand, in small batches, right here in Los Angeles, by Jason Scott Ashton Hodges. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he's also the one running the business side of Inkwell Fine Art Prints day to day. Turns out, crafting and creating runs in the family in more ways than one.
A hobby that became a small craft
Jason started teaching himself leatherwork back in 2012 — no formal training, just curiosity and a willingness to mess up a lot of leather before getting it right. What began as something he did for fun on the side has turned into a genuine small-batch craft: every tassel is cut, shaped, and assembled by hand, one at a time. Nothing about it is mass produced.
Between managing the day-to-day of Inkwell — the orders, the shipping, the behind-the-scenes work that keeps his mother Antionette's art moving out into the world — leatherwork has become Jason's outlet. It's slower work. More tactile. The kind of craft where you can actually see what your hands made by the end of the day.
What makes these tassels worth having
Each tassel is made from genuine cow leather and finished with leather edge paint for a clean, durable edge. At 3.75 inches of soft, looped fringe, it's substantial enough to notice but light enough to move naturally — clipped to a tote, a handbag, a backpack, or just a set of everyday keys.
Every tassel is marked with a small S|A logo charm — Jason's initials, Scott Ashton — in your choice of nickel, brass, or matte black hardware. It's a small detail, but it's the kind of detail that tells you a real person made this, not a factory line.
The specs:
- 3.75" of genuine cow leather fringe
- Comes with a 26mm split key ring
- Choice of nickel, brass, or matte black hardware
- Available in orange, green, black, and brown
- Handmade in Los Angeles, one at a time
- Manufactured in the USA
- Ships free
Shop the Small Leather Tassel Keychain →
A gift that's easy to give
At $36, the tassel sits in that sweet spot of gifts — meaningful enough to feel intentional, small enough that it's not a big ask. It works as a stocking stuffer, a "just because" gift, an add-on to something bigger, or a treat-yourself purchase if you're the one who appreciates handmade things.
Because it comes in four colors and three hardware finishes, there's a combination for almost anyone — a deep green with brass for someone who likes warmth, a matte black with nickel for someone who keeps things minimal, an orange with brass for someone who isn't afraid of color.
Why handmade still matters
In a world where most accessories are stamped out by the thousands, there's something genuinely different about owning a piece that one person cut and assembled with their own hands. Jason's tassels carry that — not because they're trying to make a statement, but because that's just what they are. Small, useful, well-made, and personal.
Shop the Small Leather Tassel Keychain → — handcrafted in Los Angeles, free US shipping.