In this article we will know together the phases of the processing of leather bags and their relative creation by our skilled Florentine master craftsmen.

CREATION OF LEATHER BAGS: first step

Of course, before we talk in more detail about the production process, we need to start from the beginning. 

What do we need before we create any project? An idea.

And it is precisely the idea that represents the first fundamental step for every single project, in our case for the processing of a leather bag.

Every brand has its own story, an idea, a concept to communicate.

Florence Leather Market wants to offer the precious Florentine leather Made in Italy, at a low price so as to make these artisanal creations accessible to more people.

With a well developed idea it is also important to join a trusted manufacturer who can help you to perfect the project and then the finished product, thanks to the exchange of knowledge and thoughts that takes place between professionals in the sector. 

It will be this exchange of knowledge that will make the idea a real product.

DESIGN : second step

The first thing to start from, to implement our idea, is the design of the products and the relative design of the individual models that we intend to create.

To be able to make the best product and therefore every single sample, the craftsman must be aware of all the particularities and details that characterize the leather bag.

A design is then made that corresponds to the base of the bag, and then continues with the sampling, which will lead to the realization of the prototypes.

CUTTING : third step

At this point, after having realized our prototype, we move on to the next step which is the cutting of the leather in the laboratories. This is one of the most difficult and important processing steps. The craftsman must have experience to be able to guarantee a product of excellence such as those offered by Florence Leather Market.

MODELLING : fourth step

At this point we move on to two other stages of the production process of leather bags: deburring and scarring. 

All models are composed of different parts, prepared in advance, which must then be assembled to get the bag. 

The pieces of leather that have been cut proceed to the “deburring”, thanks to which they are brought to the right thickness to be processed. Not all leathers have the same thickness, therefore, this step, must be carried out with great care and care in order to guarantee an excellent success of the product.

At this stage of processing, all the corners and edges of the bag are also blunted (a process called “scarning”). Afterwards, all the pieces will be glued and sewn together to give life to our bag.

GLUING AND FINISHING : last step

Finally our project begins to take shape.

All the pieces that make up the bag are glued and then sewn, the edges are finished making them fit perfectly.

At this point our simple idea has really come true, thanks to the hands of our skilled craftsmen, our product is treated with attention to detail : the bags of Florence Leather Market exude creativity and Florentine quality.

Who at least once in his life did not happen to think “but what is the difference between leather and skin?”. Florence Leather Market decided to dedicate a publication on our blog to address this question and dispel this myth once and for all.

You won’t believe it, but…there’s really no difference between leather and skin!

In the past, with the term leather, it was referred to a very rigid and vegetable tanned leather (mainly used for the creation of soles for shoes), nowadays, however, it is used to indicate any type of vegetable tanned leather.

As for the term “skin”, this is used to indicate all those materials that derive from the treatment of the dermis of an animal. 

Some generally argue that the use of leather leads to the creation of products with a thin and soft leather, while with the use of leather you get a stiffer and thicker leather. 

These two processes tend to stand out thanks to the tanning treatment to which they are subjected: chrome or vegetable.

To make a little ‘clarity we will know together the original definition of leather and skin and the relative processing of tanning, so that you can clarify any doubt about it.

DEFINITION OF TANNING

Defined as a chemical/physical process that can make the leather durable and suitable for processing. It represents one of the various steps that, starting from the raw skin (dermis of the animal flesh) lead to the finished work.

There are two main types of tanning:

• VEGETABLE : is the most traditional processing and is able to attribute to leather versatility and uniqueness of the product, it involves the use of materials abundantly present in nature such as vegetable tannins, made from birch trees , quebracho , oak and chestnut (but also Mimosa , Noce di Galla , Sumac, etc.).
•  CHROME : this process involves a preventive treatment of the leather that is called pickling that consists in working the skin with a solution of common salt and acid. This preventive treatment is carried out to facilitate the penetration of the tanning agent into the skin.
• At the end of tanning the tanned leather is green-blue, with different shades depending on the products used in picalggio and basification. In this sense, in fact, tanned leather is called “wet-blue” with reference to the fact that it is wet and has a color in the field of blue.

SKIN AND LEATHER

To conclude, we will give a concrete definition of the terms “skin” and “leather” in order to be able to distinguish them definitively.

The term “leather” is used to refer to all types of leather processed with any type of tanning (chrome, vegetable, alum or synthetic tanning)

The term “skin” means a leather worked by the process of vegetable tanning, wanting to specify it is a very rigid leather, which is often used to create the sole of shoes.

Nowadays, however, the term leather is generally used to indicate any type of vegetable tanned leather.

ELEMENTS IN COMMON

Despite these small differences that distinguish the two materials, both have elements in common, especially with regard to some steps of the production phase:

•  Chemical tanning preparation operations (called riviera works)
•  Tanning, to give the dermis of the animal its stable characteristics
•  Retanning and dyeing, according to the intended use of the finished product and market requirements
•  Finishing, all the final touches made according to the product you want to get.

First of all we have to understand what a bag really is…it might just look like a simple accessory, but it is not for a woman.

Whether it’s a clutch or a maxi bag, this accessory represents a real lifestyle. 

Each model that we have scrupulously chosen is able to communicate our personality and our style expressing the best who we are!

Inside the bag hides all our world, all the items and accessories essential for every woman.

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL ITEMS?

Let’s find out together what are the essential things inside a woman’s bag.

How many times have you received the fateful question “But do you have Mary Poppins‘ bag?” I bet a lot of times, and that’s it.

We always carry everything with us, enclosed in our bags, for any need and eventuality. 

There are those who can keep it meticulously in order or those who throw everything in bulk…but will never miss anything!

At Florence Leather Market we decided to write down a small handbook of all the essentials to have, also to give small tips to those people who are always in a hurry and risk forgetting something at home.

ESSENTIAL OBJECTS NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN

There are some items that no one can do without and taking them with you in your bag is essential! We’ve made a list, let’s see her together…

• Wallet : an essential accessory and also an icon of style, especially if in real leather like those signed Florence Leather Market, but that can often happen to be forgotten in another bag or directly on the table at home.
• Keys : of home, office or car, we recommend storing them in a separate pocket because it is often a challenge to find them if you throw them at random inside 
• Clutch bag for makeup : it is a timeless must, having a small cosmetic bag where to insert a lipstick, a gloss, a blush and a mascara can save us from an invitation to the last minute post work or from a meeting to which we must present ourselves tidy; have a clutch bag always ready to be moved in each bag if needed.
• First aid kit : this is also indispensable, it is always good to bring with you some of the basic drugs that can always be useful for a headache and other pain or, for some subjects, specific life-saving medicines.
• Handkerchiefs and sanitizing gel : are the objects of the “you never know…could serve”
• Mask : to always be added in the bag in recent months, it is always better to keep a spare one in case we face trips on public transport or visits in very crowded places.
• Chewingum and candies : for some people even indispensable, they can serve you to refresh your breath or take off a greedy whim.

These are some of the fundamental things in a woman’s bag. What are the things about leather you just can’t do without?