About our Hand Stitched Leather goods
Hand stitching is rare, and makes a far more superior product.
No sewing machines are used.
All of our leather products are lovingly stitched by hand, not by machine, one at a time and in small batches.
We use the same style tools and techniques leathersmiths have used for centuries. This, along with the leather we use makes our products heirloom quality.
We use only vegetable-tanned leather hides responsibly produced and sourced from Acadia Leather Company, Maine.
Woman hand stitching a leather tote bag
Why hand stitching vs. machine stitching construction lasts far longer
The ‘saddle stitch’ by hand stitching vs. the ‘lock stitch’ by sewing machine.
Sewing machines certainly have their place. They're fast, efficient, and can produce massive volumes of leather goods in a fraction of the time it takes to hand stitch. So what makes hand stitching so much better? With machine stitching, the speed and efficiency gained is at the expense of the durability of the leather good itself- simply because of the kind of stitch a machine creates.
Sewing machines produce a lock stitch by passing two needles through a hole (one from the top and one from the bottom). The needles meet in the middle, hook the thread together, and move back out the same side they came in, onto the next hole. This makes the stitch prone to unraveling if a portion of the thread breaks. Once unraveling starts, seams can come apart quickly and completely.
Saddle stitching, the technique used in hand-stitching, passes both needles and thread completely through each hole and out the opposite side. As a result, the thread is effectively woven together so that if the thread should break it is much more difficult for the stitching to unravel, thus keeping seams together.
When you buy hand-stitched leather goods, the initial cost will certainly be higher than a machine-stitched item simply because hand-stitching takes far more time and attention from an actual human being (learn more about ethical production and ‘Slow Fashion’ here). With hand stitching, each and every stitch has been counted and considered for design precision and maximum durability. The results: your item will be far more durable, last a long, long time, thus be heirloom quality.
We guarantee the hand stitching on our leather goods will last the life of the product.
Woman hand stitching a leather tote bag
We only use superior U.s.A. made genuine leather
We buy our leather from Acadia Leather Company, in Heartland, Maine.
The leathers we use are ultra-rich in texture, varies in color depth and texture from hide to hide, and develops a rich patina with use. It will just get better with age. These leathers are all natural, and ethically produced in U.S. from no-waste facilities (We do NOT use or support ‘vegan leather’, which is fundamentally produced from plastics, and causes significant environmental stress to produce). We use both vegetable tanned and chrome tanned top-grain leathers depending on the product.
‘Vegetable tanned’ leather is known for its extreme durability, finish, and legendary ‘pull-up’ feature– it lightens around stitched, pressed, stretched, and folded areas. It is ultra-rich and waxy in finish and feel because of this type of tanning process; the leather holds it’s natural oils far longer, thus being heirloom quality.
‘Chrome tanned’ top-grain leather has the same extreme durability features as vegetable tanned leather, but is usually not as waxy with less pull-up. The tanning process defines the leather feel and style, and both have their varying optimal purposes.
Leather is a natural animal hide, and therefore color depth, texture, and thickness varies from hide to hide. We strive for maximum consistency in our selection process, while embracing the natural variations of each unique hide, which only adds to the uniqueness of each individual piece, therefor no two products are the same. Variations in the texture and color of this leather enhance its natural beauty; every piece of leather is different and may accept color dyes differently during the tanning process, which can affect the depth of the pigment. Genuine Leather is an ‘imperfect’ material and natural markings such as dents, scars, scratches, wrinkles and blemishes are common. These natural markings or ‘irregularities’ should not be considered defects, but rather an indication of genuine leather and its true organic beauty.
Love and care for your leather.
We use leather balm. A natural sheen and ‘self-healing’ occurs the more leather is handled, and like most natural leather, it simply becomes better with age and use and develops a rich patina.
★★★★★
“This is the best wallet ever made, and the last one I’ll ver buy. It inspired me to simplify and get rid of things I don’t need, Plus, it get’s softer and richer everyday.”
Cam D., Storrs, CT
★★★★★
“I’ve been looking for something like this for a long, long time, and was lucky enough to get the second one ever made. It’s the perfect tote bag for my lifestyle. The wide strap is very comfortable on my shoulder.”
Jen R., Portland, ME
★★★★★
“This bag is indestructible and gets even more beautiful by the day.”
Alicia D., Falmouth, ME