PATTERN MAKING & CUTTING

Each unique pattern is carefully drawn and cut from a premium U.S. full grain hide. We never use a single die cutter, so you can rest assured that your piece is 100% handmade with true dedication and care.

THE LEATHER

The leather for your exclusive piece is sourced from full grain, natural and eco-friendly leather that has been tanned in the USA. For 150 years, Wickett & Craig Tannery have honed the perfect method for tanning your leather, using a traditional and labor- intensive vegetable tanning technique. This produces leather of exceptional quality which is full of character and recognized for its durability and richness.

THE HARDWARE

Hardware is added to your bag depending on the design and can include solid brass or copper rivets, matte nickel or antique brass d-rings, swivel clips, snaps and buckles. Each is attached carefully by hand

STITCHING AND ASSEMBLY

Every single item we produce has been hand-stitched with the greatest care and attention, right down to the leather inserts in our bags. We use the Maine Thread Company’s waxed thread (exclusively produced in the USA) to meticulously stitch each item. Saddle stitching is used to provide your piece with more durability and strength than machine-lock stitched items. Saddle stitching uses two harness needles at the same time, with both needles placed through the same hole to double its strength and provide support.

BURNISH & BEVELING EDGES

Once we have cut the premium leather that will be used to create your item, it is vitally important that its edges are finished to protect and seal the piece. To do this, we bevel the edges to give the leather a smooth, rounded edge. We then hand-burnish by moistening the edges with water and laurel-leaf soap, then using a rounded burnishing wheel to fuse the leather fibers together with friction and heat. The edges are then finished with wax to provide a final protection against the elements.

LOGO BRANDING

We then mark each piece with a hand-drawn logo on the leather, as a sign of the craftsmanship that has gone into making it.