Our Materials
We have gone a long way to ensure that our products are cut from the right materials. We love old bags that still function well despite being used extensively, bags that look and feel better as they age. We seek this quality in our bags so therefore we choose materials that last and age well.
Leather
The leather we use is produced by one of Italy’s prime tanneries. The tannery is located in Tuscany, where the art of vegetable tanning is a centuries old tradition.
The tanning process is environmentally friendly. It uses only natural tannins, extracted from the trunks, leaves fruits and roots of plants and trees such as Chestnut and Mimosa.
The tanning process takes as long as forty days, but it is worth the wait. This slow process transforms the rawhides, with their imperfections and irregularities, into long lasting leather that shows its natural characteristics and ages beautifully. No two skins are exactly the same; this gives an expression of individuality and character to each of our bags.
Canvas
Our canvas of choice is made in Japan from Egyptian cotton. This type of cotton has extra long fibers that can be spun into yarns that are finer and yet stronger than other cotton yarns. The finer yarn results in higher thread counts, which makes a canvas that is extremely strong and durable. Egyptian cotton also absorbs dyes better than other types of cotton; therefore its colors are vibrant and stable.
The whole canvas manufacturing process - spinning, weaving and dying - is done in an eighty-year-old mill in Japan. The mill maintains a traditional manufacturing process that does not lend itself to mass-production; this process results in a canvas with unsurpassed density, durability, texture and hand-feel. An additional wax finish ensures water repellency and protection from the urban elements. Both our high quality leather and canvas stretch organically and age well. As a bag owner, you will see this process take place.
