Max’s beginner leather workshop was one of the most enjoyable learning experiences I’ve had all year. Max is a great teacher and clearly talented leatherworker who’s very passionate about his craft. He confidently guides you through your project whilst leaving plenty of space for customization and personal choice. I absolutely love the brush roll we made together and will be using very long time. I’m very happy with both my experience and end product.

Olivia H. - Durban, South Africa 

I have completed a week long bag making course with Max and see that as my best investment in the skill to date. The correct methods and tools are shared. Complements I've received after attending the course include things like ' your work is really next level' & 'wow! I love the detail in you work'. Thank you Max for sharing your love of the art with others. Really would recommend a course with him if you want to learn how to perfect the art and skill of leatherwork.

Zanet L - Cape Town

The wonderful world of Savior. A week of training, making a bag and learning new skills in magical kingdom of Savior turned into a life experience. Max, the bag guru is a gifted instructor that shares his knowledge and skills with enthusiasm. 

And there's no better supervisor, than Charlie. Big thank to you and your whole team at Savior

Michelle S. - Walvisbay, Namibia

A 5 star rating. I have learned a lot from Max in a very short period of time key skills in making leather goods.

His attention to details, patience and mentoring skills are his key tenets that have contributed to my skills in working with leather. He is one of the few people in South Africa that I’ll recommend to anyone who wants to make handmade leather items!

Gilbert T. - Centurion, South Africa

Max at Savior is an absolutely MUST for everyone starting with their new hobby or career path!

 I have learned so much from Max and got wisdom that would probably have taken me years to master.  Not only does he teach you the basics, he also guides you in how to do it right the first time. From using edgepaint,  stitching,  where to buy equipment and how to present your art and craft to people buying your products..what a learning curve!! 

How to use the machines.. What to buy without wasting money and time, I can highly recommend a trip to Max and the Savior studio, you will not be disappointed.

Elmari. VdM - Pretoria 

Working with Max for those 3 days was simply not enough. I wanted to just continue in that creative studio space with so many possibilities, nonetheless learned  to approach artisan leatherwork differently, focus and attention to detail, always produce a good product that satisfies both artist and the fortunate recipient of the article .

Time spent with Max's oversight , insights regarding; techniques, tools and materials and his delightful sense of humour enabled me to search and fathom my own desire to produce a worthwhile and beautiful piece.(my wife loves her bag)

Max I came away enthused to continue this  journey of leather craft, you helped develop my patience and appreciation for the skills you so easily practice and share with others .Much respect for your work and honest reflections

Derek W. - Somerset West, South Africa

Although I already had some experience as a leather craftsman I decided that I should be focusing more on fine European leathercraft so I booked Max for a week-long course to make a double gusseted formal briefcase.

 Max spared no expense on the materials, providing imported Italian vegetable tanned leather and Italian hardware. The value for money was excellent and Max devoted himself to teaching and sharing his knowledge with me every step of the way. He was encouraging, extremely knowledgeable and deeply passionate about his craft. I managed to produce the most beautiful briefcase and learned a tremendous amount about the finer art of leathercraft. I highly recommend the experience, irrespective of your skill level, since Max provides workshops for beginners through to advanced artisans and you will learn a great deal.

Thomas G. - Hillcrest, South Africa 

Don't try and reinvent the wheel!!

I have two hobbies. I play a bit of guitar and I do leatherwork. 

Now, my guitar playing is basic, very basic. And the reason is , I have never been to an expert to show me the ropes. 

Now my leatherwork, the youngest of the two hobbies, is going much,  much better. And the reason is that I went for a beginners class wit Max from Saviour Artisanat. 

The amount of info that I got, and can use in practice, was astounding! Max is an absolute master at what he does, and he does not mind showing you, and sharing his experience and knowledge that he gathered over the years. 

If you are serious about your hobby, art or craft, taking a class with Max will eliminate heaps of frustration and save you a buck load of money. 

Do yourself a favour. Go for the class. Get the experience and enjoy seeing a master at work. Take notes, learn, enjoy and go home and apply what you learned. It is a "blow your mind experience". You can thank me later for this advice. 

While you are there, you will be pleasantly surprised to know that Max and his wife are accomplished culinary experts as well. So enjoy, most probably, the best cup of Coffee and curry in Durban.   

Enjoy the leather journey, stitch by stitch! 

Thanks Max, you've changed my life!

Johan M. - Thabazimbi, South Africa

"My 5 day handbag making course with Max was far beyond my expectations. Not only is Max an incredible teacher but he is just as passionate about his craft. While some knowledge in this craft is important, Max will take you right down to basics which I found invaluable. He taught me more skills and tricks in 5 days than I have learnt in 4 years of working this craft. I left Savior Brand Co with a new wealth of knowledge, many important contacts, and what I hope will be a lifelong friendship. If this is your art, don't even think twice about learning from Max you won't regret it."

Marie T. - Lusaka, Zambia

"When I signed up to spend time learning from Max, I was very excited to be able to invest in myself and learning from a master artisan in the process was a huge bonus.  

I was not disappointed at all.  Having been a recent new comer to the art of leather crafting, I was hesitant that my skill level wasn’t up to the task.  Day 1 started with basic skills and Max was very encouraging, gave great advice and was 100% supportive.  From there on, the learning journey continued as the bag started to take shape.  I was totally stoked with the outcome and very proud of my own achievement, none of which would have been possible without the careful guidance and keen eye of Max.  At the end of the week, we had a professional photo shoot, which was such a nice way to round off the whole process.  For me, I can’t think of one thing that could’ve been better.  I would do it all again in a heartbeat."

Carla H. Cape Town, South Africa