The production of a leather handbag, or any leather good for that matter, basically involves 7 steps. Each of them are very important, without which the final work would be incomplete.

1. Choice of leather

To start the production of leather handbags, leather is received from suppliers, which is already treated and ready for sewing. We are not going to discuss the details about leather production. You can read more about it here or here.

Tanned and varnished leather is resistant to environmental influences, so it is easy to work with. The leather of the handbag and the thickness of the varnish are selected according to the prototype of the handbag model. A patent leather handbag is easier to clean, dirt sticks to it less, but such a handbag needs to be protected from wrinkles more, so all its aspects are evaluated before choosing the type of leather.

2. Planning

After choosing the leather, drawings are created based on three main criteria: originality, comfort and style. Originality reflects and conveys the exclusivity and ideas of the brand, convenience – the practicality of the handbag for everyday use, and style always embodies the design of the handbag and the created image. At the design stage, manual development tasksare formulated and questions are raised, such as:

• What occasions will the leather handbag be for? Will it be an everyday handbag, an evening bag or a special occasion bag?
• What should be the level of practicality of the handbag? Will the bag be able to accommodate accessories, wallet, perfume, jewelry and other items, or only some of these categories of items? Will you need a separate section for cosmetics?
• What clothes will a leather handbag go with? Evening dresses? A formal suit? For casual style clothes? When designing leather handbags, brands also create an image.
• What will be the exclusive accents of the leather handbag? What will the product have that other leather handbags don’t? Certain metal elements such as zippers, brooches, decorations, chains, exclusive and eye-catching buckles or others become the most common accents of handbags.

3.Sketching

The production of any handbag is unthinkable without a sketch. It is like a project to build a house. The sketch is an essential part of the whole work, so the realization of the existing idea depends on it. Both larger and smaller manufacturers of leather handbags usually have professional designers on their team, with the help of which the design of the handbag is created. It is therefore a blueprint of every bag.

4. Creation of template

With the sketch of the leather bag, the creation of the template begins, which is a special plate for marking and checking seam edges. Using a pencil, the idea is transferred to the drawing, and later turns into cutting of the leather. When creating the template, every detail of the handbag is represented individually with the extreme accuracy.[Interesting: How to Work with Leather?]

5. Cutting

With the template, the preparation of the leather sheets starts. At this stage, the accuracy and diligence of the craftsmen is of extreme importance. The slightest mistake can cause defects in the handbag or the need of additional material, so it is important to avoid scraps and recognize irregularities and defects in the leather.

6. Sewing

Sewing is the stage when precisely cut leather scraps are stitched together to obtain the original shape of the handbag. Separate manual parts are sewn with even stitches by hand, and symmetrical parts are sewn by sewing machine. Here, too, exceptional care and attention is required. Unlike other materials, leather is unforgiving of sewing inaccuracies, so a hole punched in the wrong place can permanently damage the material and increase production costs.[Relevant: How to Stitch Leather?]

7. Finishing

Finishing is the last step in the production of a leather handbag, where accents are added to give the handbag charm and exclusive look. Accents are well thought out and matched to the overall look of the leather handbag. A lot of time and attention is given to the selection of metal parts and inner lining, because it gives the product the most distinctive features. In the last step, the leather handbag is impregnated. Special leather impregnations and lotions create a protective layer for the handbag against small scratches and environmental effects and give it a shine.

Summary

The production processes of leather handbags are quite complicated and time-consuming, since practically everything is done by hand.

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