About Three Mutts Customs

I’m Chris Wright, the artist and craftsman behind Three Mutts Customs. I’ve spent years working with and studying various materials to find the mediums that challenge me to create rugged, useful items for others to enjoy.

My passion for motorcycles has recently inspired me to revisit my Boy Scout roots and take up leatherworking again.  The three materials I have found to be the most enjoyable are, yep you guessed it…Leather, Wood & Metal.  This combined with my three ‘kids’ make up the name Three Mutts.

Beginning in Cub Scouts then through High School shop classes and later on in life through different jobs, personal exploration and mad scientist type experimentation I’ve learned to manipulate these three natural mediums into everything from everyday household items to works of art, some of which have been purchased by international collectors.  I tend to enjoy making both types of things as sticking to solely artwork, while creatively challenging, leaves my work with an empty feeling as artwork is rarely used by the end purchaser.  On the other hand, the household items end up being used to the point that after some many years of use, they artful side of them doesn’t resemble the original item.  By practicing both in an on-going ritual of creation and adaptation I feel I am better serving both my artistic and practical sides which helps keep the desire alive.

For those curious few, here’s a partial list of my favorite materials to work with:

Woods:  Cocobolo, Masur Birch, Box Elder Burl, Maple Burl and African Blackwood
Leather: Veg-Tan & Latigo Leathers, Kangaroo
Metals: Aluminum, Copper & Brass (steel is fun too but I’m not equipped for it right now)

Some of you will notice that many of my recent project/products revolve around the Honda Shadow Aero 750 and Shadow Spirit 750.  This is because those are the bikes my wife and I ride.  I enjoy working with other bikes (an old roommate had a Harley Davidson Dyna) but since I have the easiest access to these two, that’s where most of my experiments begin.