How to Make a Leather Bag

Step 1 - The Design

The first step is the idea. This means putting pen to paper and sketching out thoughts, usually over a cup of tea. Becky’s design style is intentionally minimalist to achieve a fuss-free look that showcases the natural qualities of the vegetable tanned leather and beautifully handcrafted detailing.

Step 2 - Making a Pattern

A mock up of every bag is made to test out the dimensions and refine the design before making the paper pattern, with marks showing the location of details such as slots for straps and stitch lines for pockets. In addition to the main CARV collection Becky also offers a custom leather bag design service where you can either tweak a CARV design or bring your own idea to life.

Step 3 - The Leather

Choosing the right leather is an art - you want it to look beautiful while being right in terms function. Leather comes in many different forms, it can be stiff or soft, smooth or raised grain, different thicknesses and different colours. We often use contrasting colour with bright linings as a lovely surprise when the bag is opened. All CARV bags are made using vegetable tanned leather sourced in the UK. Vegetable tanning is a traditional chemical-free process which uses natural products such as bark to create leather.

Step 4 - Choosing the Fittings

Beautiful hardware such as buckles, studs and feet can make all the difference in the styling of a bag. We love brass and gold because it looks great against the tan and black coloured leathers.

Step 5 - Mark and Cut

Once the marks are all transferred onto the leather with a scratch awl, a sharp knife and steel ruler are used to cut out the leather pieces. Becky uses use a shoe makers knife, but you can also use a clicking knife or scalpel. Keeping tools sharp is essential for ensuring accuracy and perfection.

Step 6 - Emboss

Embossing is a way to add logos, writing, numbers or initials to leather by pressing or hammering. Here is an example of the CARV logo being embossed on the leather using a one tonne arbor press, customised for use in leatherwork.

Step 7 - Pierce Holes

People often ask how you hand stitch through a thick material like leather; this is made possible by using a tool rather than the needle to pierce the holes. Before hand stitching, holes are made in the leather, one by one, using a diamond awl tool. Holes must be made accurately to get a neat line and to achieve perfect detailing.

Step 8 - Assemble

When the pieces are all ready they are glued using leather PVA, held in place by bulldog clips. Any smooth edges are roughened up with sand paper before the glue is applied to give a firm bond.

Step 9 - Hand Stitching Leather

The quality of hand stitching is key to the finish of bespoke leather bags. A beautiful stitch is a real sign of genuine craftsmanship that you can't get using a machine. Hand stitching involves threading two needles on a waxed length of thread and then running the thread through the holes to secure the stitch. Becky uses traditional Saddle Stitch and Box Stitch techniques.

Step 10 - Finish

After stitching the final touches can be made. This could include adding holes and studs to secure straps, smoothing edges, or sealing edges using a technique called burnishing. We use a natural serum called gum tragacanth.