Happy Friday Amigos,

Welcome to the next edition of JM’s Weekly Roundup. A quick hit of what’s new at La Matera and a few things that’ve popped up on my radar lately.

TL;DR:

• La Matera Highlight: The Quetzal and our newest woven belt, the Azul Chambray.

• On the Radar: Luck Reunion next week.
  

• Worth a Listen: Sturgill Simpson’s new album, Mutiny After Midnight.

• Gear I’m Carrying: My go-to pocket knives.

• Worth the Read: The Wager by David Grann.

1. La Matera Highlight: Quetzal and Azul Chambray

This one is a Guatemala double hitter. The Quetzal from our sister company, Yaxa, has a bold woven pattern that carries a lot of personality without feeling over the top. It’s the kind of belt that does a lot of the work for the rest of the outfit.

Not only does the Quetzal look great, but it has some cool history behind it, too. The fabric is handwoven in Guatemala on a traditional backstrap loom and then fastened onto vegetable tanned leather with a hand-tied lace border. It’s the definition of craftsmanship and the kind of belt that only gets better as the leather breaks in over time.

And we just launched the new Azul Chambray woven belt this past week. Light chambray blue with subtle red, white, and blue woven accents that give it a relaxed, easygoing feel. The fabric is handwoven in Guatemala and paired with Italian leather up at our factory in Maine. It’s the kind of belt that feels right at home from a summer cookout to a night on the town.

Y’all know the Guat Belts are some of my personal favorites. No two are alike, and these are great examples of that. If you’re looking to add something with a little story and personality to your belt collection, these are tough to beat.

2. On the Radar: Luck Reunion

We’re heading out to Luck Reunion next Thursday. If you’re not familiar, it’s the music festival Willie Nelson hosts out at his ranch just outside Austin and 4-5 minutes up the road from us here in the Texas Hill Country.

Good music, good people, and a setting that feels about as Texas as it gets. It’s one of those events where you inevitably stumble into a set from an artist you weren’t expecting and end up talking about it for the next week.

Really looking forward to this one. If you make it out there be sure to track me down.

3. Worth a Listen: Mutiny After Midnight

Sturgill Simpson’s new album Mutiny After Midnight drops today, but he posted the whole thing on YouTube last week.

Gave it a quick spin the other day and enjoyed it. The guy has a way of doing exactly what he wants musically and making it work every time.

Worth throwing on if you’re looking for something new heading into the weekend.

4. Gear I’m Carrying: My Go-To Pocket Knives

A good pocket knife is one of those things I rarely leave the house without. The exact one in my pocket usually depends on the day.

For everyday carry, I tend to grab either the Benchmade Bugout in Ranger Green or the Chapter 2 from The James Brand. Both are clean, minimal designs that are lightweight and easy to carry. Hard to beat the quality either of those companies puts out.

If I’m in full construction mode or working around the house, it’s usually the Leatherman. I’ve beat the hell out of that thing over the years and it just keeps going. And when something eventually does break, Leatherman’s warranty is about as good as it gets.

5. Worth a Read: The Wager by David Grann

I’m about to finish up The Wager by David Grann and it was a fun one. The story follows a British warship that wrecked off the coast of South America in the 1700s and the absolute chaos that followed. Mutiny, survival, brutal conditions, and more than a few bad decisions along the way.

It’s one of those historical stories that feels almost too crazy to be true.

Nice change of pace from the business and entrepreneurship books I usually live in. If you like wild historical adventures, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

Alright, that’s it from me. Have some fun this weekend.

Appreciate y’all being here.

Cheers,
JM

Jon-Mark Craddock
CEO

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Originally sent through JM's Substack on 2026-03-13.