Journal

Why We Use Vegetable-Tanned Leather

By the time we start stitching a bag, the leather has already made a number of decisions for us. Its firmness affects the shape. Its thickness changes the weight. Its surface determines how wear wi...

Why Brass Hardware Matters

Hardware is easy to ignore when it works. Then a snap stops closing or a buckle begins to fail, and suddenly the smallest part of the bag has your full attention. Rings, buckles, rivets, and closur...

How to Spot a High-Quality Leather Bag

A logo can tell you who made a bag. It cannot tell you how well the bag was made. For that, you have to look a little closer. Turn it over. Open the pockets. Adjust the strap. The useful clues are ...

What is Vegetable Tanned Leather?

A new leather bag looks great. With a clean surface and crisp edges, it hasn't experienced life yet. We are more interested in what comes next. But first..... What is vegetable tanned leather? Vege...

Full-Grain Leather vs. Genuine Leather

Leather terminology can be confusing. “Genuine leather” sounds reassuring. “Full-grain” sounds technical. Yet the difference between them can tell you a lot about the quality of a bag and how it'l...