I am Nicolas Huysmans, born and bred in Mechelen, better known as ‘tschooverken’. In the Old-Mechels dialect this means ‘bad boy’. Tschooverken can therefore be seen as a tribute to my roots.

It all started four years ago, when I started making customised flags, equipment, uniforms, and did some minor repairs. Two years later, I also specialised in leatherwork. This is where I found my passion.

How come I make so many tailor-made things now?

To answer this question, I have to go back to the old days. I got the microbe of militaria at an early age. This interest mainly came from my great-grandfather. I never knew him personally, but I knew he had fought in World War I. He had obtained numerous medals and certificates and they were just lying around in a drawer. It only really started when I bought a Belgian helmet at a flea market. Then the search and the hobby really started. My big dream as a little boy; to assemble all of his uniforms. During this search, however, I was confronted numerous times with not finding certain pieces. Sometimes the pieces were simply unaffordable for a student. So a reproduction was a good alternative! This led to the interest in reproducing items in as historically correct a way as possible.

So I know how difficult it can be to find something you like. Sometimes the items are mass-produced and contain hardly any quality. So I can help you in your search. You can also contact me for other services such as repairing leather seats, making belts and handbags from high quality leather, repairing shoes, or even advice, you name it… You can contact me for (almost) everything