Steps in Leather Bag Creation: Materials and Cutting

At LifeTime Leather Co, one of our several specialties lies in the realm of various leather bags and totes. From classic and zipper totes to toiletry bags, duffle bags and numerous others in between, we provide the very best in leather bag products to all our clients. 

In addition to top-notch leather bag products, we're also happy to give clients a little peek inside our processes from time to time. Many of our clients are interested in exactly how their products came to be, and the manufacturing process for a leather bag features a few interesting crux points. For those interested, whether for simple curiosity reasons or for any others, this two-part blog series will lay out the basic steps of the leather bag creation process. 

Step 1: Procuring Proper Materials

The first important step we or any other leather maker will take while creating a new leather bag: Sourcing the proper materials. There are many factors that go into this step of the process, each of which must be completed before we can even begin.

Firstly, leather: We generally make use of full-grain leather cowhides for our bags. Full grain simply means that it comes from the top layer of the animal's hide, with all the natural marks and quality features intact. Full grain leather is considered the highest-quality option for creating a leather bag or any kind of product out of cowhide, as it's thick and strong enough to hold up well over time.

Next, thread: Our threads are highly durable and make stitching together panels of leather for a bag quick work.

Zippers: Any faulty breakage or malfunctioning zipper issues involve the metal teeth on the inside of the zipper that grip onto other fabric in order to close or open it. Our zippers are designed to resist corrosion over time, plus to manage these metal teeth issues as needed.

Step 2: Carving Tools and Carving Process

Next up, it's time to carve your leather bag into the required shapes, plus to carve images or other designs onto them. First and foremost, this requires quality leather carving tools, including chisels, knives and rasps. 

Next, the process of carving itself must be performed with great care. Careful carving allows for cleaner designs to be carved into the leather bag's surfaces, which will not only look better but also allow us to get a better idea of where we can put our stitching holes if necessary. The cutting process is one where true leather professionals separate themselves from amateurs -- tooling is easy to learn, but takes a lifetime to master.

For more on the process of creating our handmade leather bags, or to learn about any of our other leather products or services, speak to the staff at LifeTime Leather Co. today.