Lost Art Press

(Improved) Workshop Waist Aprons Back in Stock

Posted on by Lost Art Press
My personal apron, which has been to heck and back.

One of the best things we make, our Workshop Waist Apron, is back in stock. We have 500, so I hope they will last us a while.

The aprons are $50, which might seem like a lot of money for something you can buy at the home center for $5. I assure you that our waist apron has nothing in common with the home center product.

While developing our apron, I bought a bunch of aprons to try them out. The cheap ones lasted a few days. You can literally rip them apart without much effort.

The more tactical aprons were durable. But they were designed for carpenters who carry a 50’ tape and a framing nailer.

This apron is damn near perfect for woodworking. It’s lightweight. It breathes. It is reinforced in all the right places. And it’s not too big or too small. And unlike a full apron, you can wear ours in the summer without sweating your boobs off. This apron is the first thing I put on at the beginning of the day and the last thing to come off before I head upstairs to make dinner.

Of course, we make it in the USA from quality canvas. And, as mentioned in the headline, this run of aprons has been improved. We have added additional pencil pockets on the other side of the apron for left-handed woodworkers (or those who just love pencils). I don’t have a photo that shows the additional pockets (but I will get some of the improved aprons next week). Thank you lefties for your feedback on this.

As you can see from the photo of my apron above, this thing can take heaps of abuse and will last many years. You can order one here.

— Christopher Schwarz

The “before” photo of our apron.

19 thoughts on “(Improved) Workshop Waist Aprons Back in Stock”

    2. Eric, I have some left over from when I made some replicas about 10 years ago. I sold them at WIA and on Etsy for $42, but I’d let these go for $30 each, including shipping (US only). I’m happy to send pics.

  3. I make my own but adapted for a turner, who needs an apron with pockets full of shavings?

  4. The products Lost Art Press sells are fantastic. But $50 for a simple waist apron is exorbitant.

    1. Please, please, please!

      Please make 500 of these aprons, undercut my price and put me out of the apron business.

      But if you want my respect, you won’t cheat. Everything has to be done in the USA.

      Use the heavy canvas, not the cheap toilet paper on the home center aprons. Have it cut and printed at a proud union shop that pays a living wage to every employee. The printing isn’t the cheap plastic iron-on stuff. This process uses ink that permanently stays insider the cloth (it’s expensive). You are welcome to use the same logo (send me a note and I’ll get you the file).

      Then have it sewn at a family shop that – again – pays all their employees above scale.

      Now sell it, and don’t forget that you have to make money so you can pay you and your employees.

      And then I’ll have one less thing to do.

      Please and thank you.

      C

  5. I know you have dispelled this crazy “conspiracy theory” already, however, I won’t buy a product with an “all-seeing eye” displayed front and center. symbolism is a thing whether YOU personally believe in it or this idea of symbolism and for me, I will pass on anything displaying satanic/illuminati imagery.

    1. I was weighing whether or not to buy one, but you’ve just tilted the scaled heavily towards “yes!” Thanks!

  6. I love mine. I wasn’t sure it was going to be a time/mind saver, but it works as advertised and is comfortable w/o getting in the way. An s-hook works well for a clasp for me.

  7. While I bought my LAP shop apron more on a whim than because I expected use it all that much, I think it took all of one session with it on for me to become a true convert! As it says on the box (or would do if there was a box, but you know what I mean), it is light but strong, comfortable, never too warm or in the way, but oh! so handy. I love always having a mechanical pencil, the 6″ and 150 mm rules, a tape measure and whatever other small stuff in current use with me at all times. Just the time saved not constantly having to look for the pencil … 🙂

    Although mine is as yet a long way from having the patina found on Chris’ apron, I’m working on the matter: these days, for anything but the briefest stint in my workshop, I will gird my loins before anything else, and already my apron is nowhere near as clean and neat as it was when the photo in the link was taken back in November last year.

    1. I love this. Call it a Loin Girder, Chris, instead of a waist apron and you can charge even more, with no complaints.

  8. By the way, on a related (’cause canvas) but different subject, have you considered offering your equally excellent tool roll also in a larger size, one tall enough to hold such awkward longshanks as drawbore pins, pigsticker mortise chisels and, in particular, 10″ and 12″ rasps?

    Cheers,

    Mattias

  9. Hey, a version for lefties!

    Speaking of sinister folks, how do we manage moulding planes and other tools that are right sided? Bench planes are ambidextrous, but not everything is, right? I’m new at this.

    1. Historically, lefties had to learn to use right-hand moulding and fenced planes. Now manufacturers such as Lee Valley and Lie-Nielsen make left-hand versions of the handed metal planes. And moulding plane makers such as Matt Bickford make left-handed moulders.

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