the very best place to shop and the staff are 100% wants you to leave happyHaroldF LothropSrread more

Finally found an beautiful leather belt worthy of my brass Sugarloaf belt buckle by Bill…read moreRoyall....Frank has lots of different leather and knows belts...thanks!

I should have written this long ago but with enforced "stay at home" rules firmly in place, I've…read morebeen going through my list of unfinished reviews. This is one of them, long overdue. Most summers find my husband and me traveling up the coast of Maine and landing for some of the time in Camden. The Leather Bench is a Camden shop we always visit. They sell a beautiful array of leather goods from wallets, purses, bags, hats, jackets, boots, gloves, change purses. If a product can be made out of leather, chances are The Leather Bench has it and it will be beautiful. The store is small and packed with their products all nicely arranged. My understanding is that it is a family-owned store. The staff is helpful and welcoming. We've purchased a number of items over the years. On our last visit my husband bought two cases for his glasses and a leather change pouch. When this pandemic is behind us, I look forward to our next trip to Maine and to The Leather Bench.

The products from this location look amazing, however the sourcing is a bit misleading unless you…read moreask. The work is done by a studio in CA, with the material sources from our of the country (I think they said India). I was looking for local products, so that no longer fit the bill. That said, the products themselves have a great range of sizes, shapes, and colors! Idid try on a jacket that should have been big on me but it was way too small, so be careful because the jackets are also not true to size (which is very important when you are also paying the premium).

I was in the market for a new riding jacket. Stopped in after an hour ride there and it was a quiet…read moreand unassuming little store. The owner was very helpful and instead of just buying 1 leather jacket, I bought two. I will will be going back for any more leather goods needs.

From the owner: We offer a wide variety of finished leather goods at affordable prices. To go along with the…read morefinished we also have raw materials so you can create your own projects out of leather. Your one stop leather shop.

I ordered a leather belt with a particular buckle that my husband loves and received it yesterday,…read morein plenty of time for his birthday. It's gorgeous. I couldn't have asked for a nicer or more professional job. In corresponding with Mr. Mackinnon via email, he was friendly and courteous. Overall, my experience with Narrangansett Leathers was wonderful. I will certainly be ordering more. Linda Thomas Exeter, New Hampshire

Excellent customer service! Very friendly and courteous!. Excellent quality of workmanship!…read moreI have had two pairs of hubby's bike boots done great job! Thank you Paul!

Absolutely wonderful. Paul fixed up two pairs of shoes for us that would otherwise ended up in the…read moretrash or repaired, badly, by yours truely. I think the cost of the work was a steal and I told His Excellency so.

Very friendly man that owns, runs and makes the jewelry. Really good prices, he says that he priced…read moreeverything when he makes it and the price of silver has only gone up but he hasn't changed the prices on the items. Place could be a little cleaner and the jewelry could use a dusting, but a good selection and good prices and great pieces.

An interesting blast from the past. The owner is the leather and jewelry designer. He has his…read morestudio on site and spends his down time creating. I did buy something as his prices were good. But the store could benefit from a good dusting/cleaning.

This is an aggregate review for a number of visits I made to this shop over five weeks' time,…read moreAutumn 2020. TL;DR: Go to this lovely shop. You'll be super pleased with their selection; find things you love/ need/ must have; and it will be a cheerful experience. Scroll down to the numbered list below to see what I scored. The Longer Story: I had just moved to town for a six month artists' residency in Rockland and didn't know a soul. After a bit of unmotivated unpacking, I took myself thrift store shopping, as one does, for retail therapy to fill the void. Luckily for me, Curator was the first spot I hit because I met co-owner Ben, a deeply friendly and cheerful guy. I met his wife Emily on my second visit. She's equally friendly and cheerful. And luckily for you, me, and everyone else we know* that might like to shop at Curator, both Emily and Ben love what they do. It shows. Curator is a bi-level shop with "menswear" (plus shoes & accessories) on the top floor and womenswear (plus shoes & accessories) a floor below. It's a gorgeous spot so whilst you're totally focused on your sartorial fix, take a few minutes to notice the thoughtful experiential design of the space--a lil modern, a lil dreamy, and a lot of DIY mojo. The first time I popped in I had a proper look around in order to get familiar with the Curator edit lens. In doing so, I found a pair of brand new, black leather Swedish clogs, size 6, that almost fit, but really didn't. Ben commiserated with me but reminded that sometimes things don't work out and that's totally okay. You know what? This is #truth. In thrifting, specifically, but in life, generally. I have pretty specific aesthetic when I thrift/ vintage/ consignment shop: excellent textiles/ fabric; handmade beauty; strong shapes/ cuts/ tailoring/ weaves; classic designs but also, the super quirkier, the better. Curator earns high marks in all of my categories. This is pretty rare. What it means is that I knew I would find something each time I came in and that's exactly what happened. Here's what I acquired: 1) a lovely VINTAGE SILK SCARF, cut, repurposed, and hand-stitched from a muted, lustrous apple-green silk obi with tiny, stylized, watercolor cherry blossoms. It should be said that the silk is excellent quality--heavy but super supple. $16.00. I wouldn't blink paying 10x that amount for this in Brooklyn or Paris. 2) a luscious oversized "menswear" CABLED CREAM CASHMERE SWEATER. I literally walked into the store, said hello to Emily, looked at the mens' sweater rack, saw *my* sweater hanging there, and snagged it. I've worn it at least once a week for 10 weeks running. Bonus: it's got good gauge (number of stitches per inch) and ply (number of cashmere threads twisted together to make the yarn). $38.00 Buy vintage cashmere, ya'll, always. 3) a FUZZY WOOLEN BEANIE, knit moss, plum, garnet & deep peony, from Nepal. Gorgeous colors. Warm as hell. $13.00 4) a crazy beautiful HAND-KNITTED ART SWEATER, again "menswear" so sized a bit enormous, but seriously fluffy & so wild and otherworldly, it had to be mine. Again: walked in, looked to my right, saw the sweater. Bought it. This weave is a medley of pelucid blues w/ intricate cream & white dropped-stitch-knit technique that looks as if "snowflakes" are resting on the garment, for a moment, w/o melting. I wouldn't be surprised if the maker had been dropping acid whilst knitting this piece, just as Van Gogh imbibed generous quantities of absinthe to produce his signature hypnotic, ethereal yet muscular brushwork for "Starry Night." That. Trippy. Y'all. Emily, bless her, asked if I'd like to try it on (perhaps because of its size & erm...vibe) and I declined. I knew I'd find use for it. I have worn it once, to sit on my sofa and drink champagne while I FaceTimed-celebrated my best childhood friend, finally divorced, because that is how we show up for each other: in any all ways possible. When we meet up again IRL, I will give this sweater to him because he truly deserves life's best, which sometimes arrives in unexpected, sweater-form shapes. $42.00 I'll end by noting that one can find more traditional, excellent things at Curator as well, like vintage LL Bean Sweaters; vintage Carhartt; vintage work wear including lots of Levis denim; a Pucci silk frock; a number of excellent plaid and thick weight shirts; fine leather goods; vintage jewelry; woolen capes; disco spectacular sequined numbers; and vintage Ts in fine condition, etc. Go. Enjoy yourself. And before you do, check Curator's social to learn of their COVID-safety protocols. Should you prefer to shop from home, check their IG & website. I took a look recently and it's not as wow-ing an experience as being in the store itself but of course, as a treasure hunter, you already know that. *(Thanks, Miranda July, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_and_You_and_Everyone_We_Know)

Such an awesome consignment shop with so many good vintage finds…read more Men's clothing upstairs, women's clothing downstairs. Clean and organized aesthetic, so it's not overwhelming when you walk in like a lot of consignment shops are. And the racks aren't overflowing and hard to sift through... we love to see it. So many jackets and sweaters, shoes, hats, shirts, dresses, etc. for solidly decent prices. I got a vintage patterned LL Bean sweater for $25. PLUS, incredibly sweet employees. The woman who checked me out was so nice and excited for my find. Great for validation if you need it lol. Will for sure recommend to any friends living in or visiting Rockland, Maine.

There are usually 2 types of department stores. Sprawling big box stores like Wal-Mart or Target…read morethat are rubberstamps of each other and rather impersonal. Then there are quaint and cute stores in small towns that simply does not have the selection or are much pricier. Somehow, Reny's combines the feel of a small town store with a much wider selection and great prices! Do come by often as much of the selection is seasonal and rotates. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the aisles are marked to facilitate safe passage through the store.

Renys Underground in Damariscotta, once a bowling alley, is a quirky shop packed with bargains,…read moreMaine-made goods, and unexpected finds, offering a fun twist on the classic Renys shopping adventure.

I've been purchasing from RT for some time now. I love the quality of the leather they use, the…read morebags they make, down to working with the company on customs. Customs you say?!! Yes!! A purse/bag company that lets you make CUSTOM BAGS!!! It's a blast and I don't know any company out there that makes such nice bags AND gives you the option to customize your bag. Louise is fabulous to work with on brainstorming custom designs. These are not cookie cutter bags. People new to the brand need to know since they are not mass produced, they are hand made one at a time. So a bag "in production" on the website can take a few weeks to be completed and shipped. Bonus: all bags are made in the USA, female owned company.

I am not at all impressed with this company. After purchasing a bag in April, I noticed in…read moreSeptember that little white spots were appearing all over the bag. When I stopped by the store to discuss this I was told that I needed to contact customer service which I did. After several emails and calls I was told that they would take a look at my bag if I sent it back which I did. They told me that I had splattered something on it- I did not- and they would work on it to try and fix it. I then received a notice that it was ready and I had to pay once again to have it sent back to me. I received it today and it still does not look the way it should. Clearly the leather is defective but they are blaming it on me. They do not stand behind their products and their lack of respect for a customer is appalling. They do not want to make this situation right and they don't care. I wish I had read some of the previous reviews because I would have thought twice before purchasing one of these bags. If they were not able to fix the bag they should have issued me a new one. Other companies around here do just that. Unfortunately these people do not feel this is necessary to running a business. Shame on them!

I highly recommend Tom Finn Shoe repair. The guy is friendly, knowledgeable, and does great work. I…read morebought a new but damaged pair of shoes elsewhere for $15 and was able to have the rip in the seam repaired here for $15. $30 total for a brand new pair of leather shoes, yes please! The repair is not noticeable, thread matched perfectly, and the shoes will now last for a long time. Definitely worth having them fixed professionally!

Outstanding, friendly service with wide range of repairs available on different leather productsread more