What to Consider When Shopping for Handmade Leather Bags
Shopping for handmade leather bags can be challenging when there are so many options but you’re not sure what to look for. At Ravensgate, we believe it’s important for leather consumers to know how to make an educated deision, so we’ve covered a few points below to consider when you’re looking for a handmade leather bag.
Three points to consider when shopping for handmade leather bags
1. Type of leather
It’s not a mistake that we placed “type of leather” at the top of the list. It should be the top concern of any discerning leather consumer. There are many different types of leather of varying qualities, but it is most easily broken down into two categories: vegetable-tanned leather and chrome-tanned leather.
Vegetable-tanned leather (veg-tan leather) is leather produced from a hide that has been treated with tannins derived from tree and vegetable oils. These hides take longer to tan, and are therefore typically more expensive. However, the end result is leather that is durbale enough to last generations. Vegetable-tanned leather produces the rich scent we often associate with leather, and it has all of the desirable qualities of durability and style that we desire.
Chrome-tanning leather is faster and more affordable. It makes use of chromium and other metallic agents to age the hide. The end result is an inexpensive leather, but with the reduced value comes reduced quality. Chrome-tanned leather does not tend to smell or feel as rich as traditional, veg-tan leather. Also, it tends to only last a few years before flaking and wearing out. Environmentally conscious consumers will also dain to discover that the waste-water produced by the chrome-tanning process can be harmful for the environment if it runs back into creeks and rivers.
If you’re looking for a higher quality handmade leather bag, we encourage you to consider veg-tan over chrome tan, especially if you want something that can get many years of use.
2. How it was made
Good materials can only be as good as the methods used to make the product. In fast fashion, most leather products are machine-stitched for quick production. Machine-stitching is an okay solution to meet high demands and short deadlines, but it comes with some flaws. The biggest flaw being that machine-stitched thread has a tendency to unravel if it’s been snagged or torn.
Products that are made with saddle-stitching—a method of hand-stitcing that uses two needles—tend to be more durable than machine-stitched products. Saddle-stitching ties and individual know at each loop. This increases tensile strength and also helps prevent unraveling if a loop is snagged or torn; the other loops are still knotted strongly and hold their place.
When looking for handmade leather bags, look for information about how it was made. Does the crafter list details about how they stitched? What about the types of materials themselves; do they use brass fasteners or nickel, etc.?
3. Style, style, style
Last, but not least is style itself. This is the most subjective category because style preferences vary from person to person. We believe style is important, which is why we developed our own style and approach with each of the leather products we make. However, we placed it last on this list because we think shoppers should consider quality over appearance. But, when you can have all three, that’s when you’ve found the right product for you!
This is what we strive for with what we make at Ravensgate.
Shop for handmade leather bags at Ravensgate
At Ravensgate, we have a collection of handmade, full-grain leather goods, including handmade leather bags. We carry a variety of handmade leather bags and are always adding more options to our product lineup. Right now, you can order one of our Perennial Heritage Tote Bags or the Larae Crossbody Bag online, or come check them out in person at our physical location on 207 Bridge Street, FL 1, Phoenixville, PA, 19460.