The Leather Guide
How to choose a bag, tell the grades apart and keep one alive for a decade.
We answer the same questions every week, so we wrote them down properly. This is the index. Nothing here is trying to sell you a specific bag, and where the honest answer is that you do not need what we make, it says so.
Understanding the material
- Types of leather — the four grades, the two tannages, and how to tell them apart with your hands.
- What full grain actually means — why the top layer matters and how to spot a fake.
- Comparing our finishes — which of our hides suits which kind of use.
Looking after it
- How to care for a leather bag — cleaning, conditioning, water marks, storage and what not to use.
Choosing a bag
- Totes — base, strap drop and closure, and why those three decide everything.
- Crossbody bags — the strap is the bag.
- Backpacks — why strap anchors fail first.
- Size guide — what fits which laptop, measured properly.
How ours are made
- Inside the workshop — hide selection, cutting, saddle stitching and edge burnishing.
- Why we started — and what we got wrong first.
The short version
Buy full grain. Buy the shape that matches how you already carry rather than the one you admire. Check the base measurement, not the widest point. Condition it two or three times a year and otherwise leave it alone. A good leather bag should outlast the decade, and almost all of the things that stop one doing that are storage mistakes rather than use.