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Handcrafted items likeHandbags by artisans are always preferred and valued as opposed to other fast-fashion handbags. You can purchase a handbag made of leather at a price of 25 dollars but you can purchase the same handbag at Sehar artisan workshop at 250 dollars. Why is it different and why is the bag worth it? The solution is all in the production process. With an automated assembly line, mass productions of bags can be made in 40 minutes. But the Handmade leather bags are made of full grain leathers by craftsmen who took a lot of time in their preparation. Those artists had spent years acquiring those skills. They take hours of skilled labour. This paper takes you through the entire process of that process, the animal hides as it is, all the way to the finished bag that you are currently holding in your hands. Step 1: The Leather Itself - Tanning the Hide. It all starts way before any cutting or stitches are made. Raw animal hides, mainly cowhide used in handbags —, come into a tannery in the form of stiff cured skins that have absolutely nothing in common with the supple leather you are familiar with. The tanner has the task of changing them into workable leather, and in the district of Santa Croce sull'Arno - a little group of towns in Tuscany which turn out about 70 percent of the high-quality leather of Italy - the process has changed little in 700 years. Vegetable Tanning (Traditional Method) The vegetable tanning is referred to as the traditional method. Hides are gradually immersed in progressive baths of increasing strength of natural plant extracts, most often oak bark, chestnut, quebracho and mimosa. It requires between 30 and 60 days at least which is far much longer than the industrial chrome tanning which can be achieved within 24 hours using chemical salts. Vegetable tanning produces a firmer and more structured leather that is warm and earthy in its hue, the so-called natural tan that you see on Tuscany leather articles. What matters more is that it is a leather that is responsive to usage. Being exposed to the sun, body oils, and touched upon give it a huge rich, deepening shade that make each of the pieces unique. Leather tanned with chrome, on the contrary, does not move at all - or just decays. Leather Grades: Used by Folkmarket's Artisans  Full-Grain Leather: It is the top of the hide, with the grain surface intact completely.The majority is durable, developing patina.Used in all Folkmarket bags. Top-Grain Leather: This is the uppermost layer, which is sanded to a slight degree to eliminate surface defects.A little weaker, yet more homogeneous in look. Split Leather / Genuine Leather: Lowermost parts of the hide. Sanded and coated.Peels at the age of 2-3 years of frequent use. Bonded Leather: Pieces of reconstituted leather that are glued to a fabric backing.Has as little as 10- 20% real leather.Not leather, in any proper sense. Step 2: Pattern Making and Cutting Leather. When the tanned leather gets to the artisan shop, the workman starts with a template - a pattern of card or thin metal which outlines all the panels, straps, linings and pockets of the bag he is to make. This could have an amount of 15-25 different pattern pieces in a medium sized, structured tote. Working with full-grain leather is not as with fabric. It takes a sharp steel clicking die or a steady hand with a leather knife - and absolute precision. One wrong cut may result in the destruction of a panel worth $20-50 of materials. Proficient leather cutters scan the hide prior to cutting and read the surface to know where it is the strongest and where the even-grain is the greatest, and lay out their pieces of pattern accordingly. The belly and neck of the animal are softer and stretchier; the back and the flanks are the best cutting place. In mass production, a machine makes this judgment call. In an artisan workshop, it is created by somebody who has years of experience and realizes that the resource they are operating with is non-renewable. Step 3: Skiving - Thinning the Edges. Skiving is among the most skillful of the operations of leatherwork - and one to which you will never hear anything spoken in the case of mass-production, since it can not be performed as well with tools as with hands. Skiving refers to smoothing the edges and fold lines of all leather panels with a curved blade in a way that allows the panels to be folded up, glued, or sewn to form a finished edge that is smooth and sleek as opposed to bulky. The worst indication of poor leatherwork is a badly skived edge--you can feel it in the form of a lumpy ridge where two parts come together, or you can see it in the form of an uneven fold that parts slightly. A well-skived edge, on the contrary, is nearly invisible, the leather flows over smoothly, even at corners and curves. Step 4: Assembly - Gluing and Preparation. The individual leather panels are fixed together with the help of a contact cement, a powerful and elastic leather paste, which keeps the panels in the correct positions throughout the stitching operation, before any sewing commences. It is no short cut and is normal and proper procedure in fine leather work. The glue does not give it any structural strength, that will be given by the stitching, but it makes sure that nothing moves around during the process of sewing. This is the point at which hardware is also assembled: D-rings and strap loops are secured to the bag body, buckles and swivel clips are tackled on straps, and any inside detail, such as a card wallet, a zippered internal pocket, or a bottom board, is made and lined. Step 5: Saddle Stitching - The Heart of Handmade. This is what makes the difference between a real handcrafted leather bag and all the others. Saddle stitching is a two needle method of traditional leatherwork that has been in use for centuries. The threading takes place on two needles attached to opposite ends of one length of waxed linen or polyester thread.The workman slips the two needles through each opening one after the other, one side at a time, and in doing so, creates a figure-eight lock each time the needle passes through each opening. The end result is structurally better as compared to that of machine stitching. In case one stitch opens in a saddle-stitched seam, the others will hold it. Both sides of the leather have thread locks. The difference in a machine-sewn seam is that one missed stitch can make the whole line unravel - that's what has happened to the cheaper bags. The stitching holes are initially pricked with a pricking iron - a tinned iron that forms even spaced holes of angle along the seam. The distance and the angle remain the same throughout the bag. The number of stitches per centimetre will differ depending on the handyman: tight (more stitches per cm) stitching is placed on bags that are to be used intensively; slightly further apart on woven decoration or light-use items. The skilled leatherworkers are able to sew up to 4-7 stitches per centimetre without losing the effect of evenness. In the case of a medium-sized tote bag, the approximate length of stitching of all seams is 3-5 meters of continuous, hand-stitched thread. The hands of an expert can sew approximately 20-25 cm an hour on heavy leather at an efficient rate. The maths explains the price. Why Saddle Stitching Is Superior? If one stitch breaks, the rest remain secure Both sides lock independently Machine stitching can unravel completely if one stitch fails Holes are first created with a pricking iron for uniform spacing. Skilled artisans sew: 4–7 stitches per cm Around 3–5 meters of stitching per medium tote Roughly 20–25 cm per hour on heavy leather This explains the labor cost behind handmade bags. Step 6: Edge Finishing and Burnishing. When a bag has been sewed, the raw sides of the leather still show--a white, coarse cross-section of hide. In mass production, these edges are painted in a coloured paste that has a lot of thickness which covers the roughness. They are polished in conventional leatherwork. Burnishing refers to the application of a beeswax compound to the raw edge and rubbing it quickly using a smooth wood or bone tool either by hand or rotary burnisher. The wax is melted by the heat of friction into the leather fibres, and fuses them together, forming a smooth, polished edge, which is both structural and beautiful. A burnished edge, which has been done correctly, will not fray, will not crack, and needs no paintwork or topcoat, the leather itself being the finish. When using edge burnishing, it may require 45-90 minutes to apply on a bag having several outer edges, gussets, and straps. It is also invisible in the sense that, when it is done well, you do not notice it at all, you just know that the bag looks and feels like it is an expensive and complete bag. Burnishing involves: Applying beeswax compound Rubbing with wood or bone tools Melting wax into fibers through friction This creates smooth, polished edges that resist cracking and fraying. Burnishing can take 45–90 minutes for a single bag. Step 7: Final Conditioning/Check of Quality. A coat of natural leather conditioner, usually a balm made of lanolin or beeswax, is rubbed by hand on the finished bag and rubbed into the grain by a soft cloth. This seals the pores created when stitching, provides the initial resistance to water and the leather is initially fed with its first layer of protective nourishment. This includes:- Seals stitching pores Adds water resistance Nourishes the leather Next there is the quality check, which in a small shop is not carried out by an inspector filling in a checklist. It is the artisan himself, inverting the bag in his hand, tugging at all corners, adjusting the hardware, testing the zip, scrutinizing each corner. This bag has been manufactured by them. They know where the risks are. In Folkmarket, every bag that is ready after this inspection is being packed with a handwritten artisan card, the name of the person that has created it, the place where it was created, and when it was finalized. This is not a marketing trick. It is accountability. The name of the maker is printed on the product, as they are proud of it, as well as they want you to know the name of the manufacturer. Why are Handmade Leather Bags More Expensive and Why are they worth it? Handmade Italian leather bags made by hands is more expensive than one made in mass-production because of the same reason why a hand-built piece of furniture is more expensive than a flat-pack: it requires more time to manufacture, it is made out of better materials and will last many times longer. Cost Comparison Example: Synthetic bag: $40 lasting 18 months → $320 over 12 years Full-grain leather bag: $180 lasting 20–30 years Look at the economics the other way round. Assuming you purchase a synthetic bag at $40 and this lasts 18 months, you will spend $40 every 18 months, which is about $320 within 12 years. When you purchase a full-grain Italian leather bag which can be used for 20-30 years, you pay a total of 180-dollars. You also waste less time changing bags, less time finding out that the zip has failed three months after you bought it, and less time with a sense of vague disappointment about what you have purchased. It is also an aspect that is inexplicable in terms of cost-per-wear: the feeling of possessing something that was created by a particular human being, with expertise built over decades, using materials that took months to be prepared. A different kind of relationship with an object. When that is important to you, and to many it is becoming so, then a hand made leather handbag is not a luxury. It is the better thought-out decision. Ready to See the Collections? We have a complete collection of Italian-made handbags made out of leather and sold at https://www.folkmarket.com/collections/buy-handmade-bags. Each bag is accompanied by a handwritten artisan card, natural kraft gift box, and a free worldwide shipping upon order of above 150 dollars. Questions? Email: info@folkmarket.com FAQs How much time is required to make a handmade bag? An authentic leather bag (depending on the level of the design) requires 6 to 20 hours of a skilled labor to be made. A plain flat crossbody could require 6-8 hours; a structured tote with several pockets, a zip top, and an elaborate work at the edges could require 16-20 hours. This does not include the weeks or months that the leather has been outside tanning before it even gets to the workshop. Is machine stitching or hand stitching more powerful on leather bags? Yes -- saddle stitching, which is the two-needle process by which fine leatherwork is stitched, is structurally better than machine stitching. In saddle stitching, the stitches secure themselves individually on the leather on both sides. When one stitch is missing the rest stand.In a machine stitched seam, only one side will lock and when one of the stitches is broken, the thread will cause a cascade of unstitches as the thread is not crossed. Which leather is best to use in a handmade handbag? A handbag is to be crafted out of a full-grain leather.It is its best grade--the uppermost layer of the hide, and is uninterrupted in its natural surface of grain. It is the strongest, forms the most beautiful patina and ages in a manner that gives the bag more character as time passes. At Folkmarket, we make bags only with full-grain and top-grain italian leather. Is it possible to identify a handmade bag? Yes, with a few checks. Real saddle stitching contains slight differences between the angle of the stitch and tension - a machine did not guide the thread, it was done by human hands. Examine the edges: smooth edges are an indication of work done by hand; painted edges or folded-over edges are more characteristic of machine work. Test hardware: handmade bags are likely to have solid brass or steel fittings, as opposed to lightweight alloy. Lastly, determine whether the leather panels are cut out of a whole hide - on handmade bags it is normal to see the natural variation of the grain, as opposed to a monotonous stamped texture. CONCLUSION Wearing an artisan bag will be to wear a product alive and breathing with you. The gradual process of vegetable tanning the bags, which takes 60 days, and the careful figure-eight lock of the saddle stitch, give these bags a special look, a patina, which only grows more attractive with age. You are not buying the raw material and you are buying the years of training it took to skive an edge to a perfect finish and the hours of concentrated effort that will mean that nothing will ever unravel. The handmade handbag is a rebellious statement to the disposable fashion industry and automated assembly lines. It fills the chasm between a crude hide in the hills of Tuscany and a practical piece of art in your hands. In every bag you bring home made by a local artisan, you bring with you a tale of patience, accuracy and soul-elements that have never been and will never be produced by a machine, and at a low price tag. Continue Your Creative Journey Explore more inspiration, tips, and insights from our craft community Where to Buy Authentic Vintage Bags Discover trusted sources for genuine vintage treasures Popular Handmade Items at Folkmarket See what's trending in our artisan collection How to Start a Jewelry Making Business Turn your passion into profit with these essential tips How to Use Crystals in Handmade Jewelry Master the art of crystal jewelry creation How People See Our Success Real stories from our creative community Easy DIY Craft Ideas Simple projects to spark your creativity today

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