Six people, one bench, no shortcuts.

Why full-grain, and nothing else

Most leather sold as "genuine leather" is split — the fibrous underside of a hide, sanded smooth and sprayed with a plastic finish. It looks acceptable for a year and then delaminates. Full-grain is the outer layer, with the grain intact. It is harder to cut, harder to stitch, and it is the only part of the hide that gets better with use.

We buy whole hides from two tanneries and cut around the flaws rather than dyeing over them. That is why a scar or a brand mark occasionally shows on a finished piece. It is the same hide, just honest about where it came from.

How a wallet gets made

1. 1

   Selecting

   We work across a whole hide, cutting the tight shoulder for wallets and the firmer bend for belts and straps.

2. 2

   Cutting

   Every panel is cut by hand against a steel rule. Clicker presses are faster, but they force you to cut the hide in a grid and waste the parts that don't fit it.

3. 3

   Skiving

   Edges that will be folded are pared down by hand so the seam sits flat instead of bulking.

4. 4

   Saddle-stitching

   Two needles, one thread, crossing through every hole. A machine lock-stitch unravels from a single broken stitch; a saddle stitch does not unravel at all.

5. 5

   Burnishing

   Edges are sanded, wet, and rubbed with a hardwood slicker until the fibres compact into a sealed, glassy edge.

6. 6

   Finishing

   A light coat of neutral cream, then it rests for a day before it's packed.

Repairs, for as long as we're here

Stitching can be replaced. Edges can be re-burnished. Soles can be re-welted. If something we made fails, send it back — we will repair it and charge only for materials. If it failed because we made it badly, we won't charge at all.