Chapman has been handcrafting practical luxury bags and accessories at its workshop in Carlisle since 1984. Here CEO Cedric Stonex explains the philosophy of luxury leather and how Chapman preserves essential traditional skills
What is the importance of traditional skills in the manufacture of leather goods?
Traditional skills are essential in the manufacture of leather goods for several reasons:
- Craftsmanship: Traditional techniques ensure meticulous attention to detail, resulting in high-quality and durable products.
- Artistry and uniqueness: Traditional skills allow artisans to incorporate intricate designs and personalised touches, making each bag a work of art.
- Timeless appeal: Traditional craftsmanship creates bags that transcend trends, maintaining their appeal and quality over time. Time is a real focus for us. We say it takes time to create something timeless. This is the time that our craftspeople have put into learning and honing their craft as well as the time it takes to make our bags
- Heritage preservation: By passing down traditional skills through generations, we preserve cultural heritage and craftsmanship traditions.
What are some of the key skills involved and the traditions behind them?
Key skills involved in traditional bag manufacturing include:
- Pattern making: Creating precise patterns for each bag design.
- Cutting and skiving: Skilfully cutting leather and thinning edges for precise assembly.
- Hand-stitching: Using techniques like saddle stitching for strong and durable seams.
- Hardware setting: Attaching buckles, zippers, and other hardware with precision.
- Edge finishing: Smoothing and burnishing edges for a polished finish.
- Leather selection: Expertise in choosing the right leather hides for different bag styles.
- Design and prototyping: Translating ideas into functional and aesthetically pleasing bag designs.
These skills are passed down through apprenticeships and mentorship, carrying the traditions and techniques forward.
What is the history of leather manufacture in Carlisle?
Carlisle has always been famous for leather tanning as far back as the Middle Ages. With its many rivers, it is perfectly situated for tanners. Our own workshop sits on Tannery Lane which is evidence of the rich history of leather work in the area.
What materials are commonly used in bag manufacturing?
Commonly used materials in bag manufacturing include:
- Leather: We use full grain vegetable tanned leather. Leather is versatile and one of the toughest materials out there. Indeed, ancient roman artefacts have been unearthed and just about the only parts still intact are the leather sandals.
- Fabrics: We use 100% cotton canvas for our bags. The fabric is dyed in the UK to our specs and then bonded with natural rubber. This makes the cloth waterproof and extremely hard wearing.
- Hardware: We only use 100% British brass cast for us in the UK. Brass is extremely hardwearing and does not rust.
Are Chapman products sustainably manufactured?
At Chapman we believe that sustainability lies in better buying. Much better to buy once than to buy so-called eco-friendly products over and over again. If you buy a Xhapman, you can make it last a lifetime, so we believe it is far better to use good quality materials that will last. With regards to the materials, we ensure that our suppliers use only eco-friendly products and procedures.
Choose Well, Choose once, Choose Chapman.
What are the main Chapman product ranges?
Our approach to creating the perfect range is not to decide what we would like to make and try and sell it to our customers. We start with you, what might you need every day, for your business trip, for you weekend or your holiday, and then we try and create the ideal bag, piece of luggage or gift. Of course, our range never quite attains perfection. How could it, because your needs change as your world does. Yet that’s the joy of our craft, to keep creating and perfecting our offer to ensure whatever you need to carry in your life, we have a Chapman that’s a perfect fit.
Can customers save by buying a matching set of bags?
We never do sales. If you charge a fair price from the start then there are no benefits to discounting, it only serves to annoy customers who paid full price. We do however offer the full Cargo range at a discount to buying the set individually.
How can customers have bags personalised?
Bag personalisation can be achieved through various methods. Because we make every bag we can easily add personalised touches such as initials and names – we have even done family crests and company logos. Depending on the design we can either embroider onto cloth or emboss onto leather.
How can customers get their bags repaired?
We offer a lifetime promise on all our bags. This means that we will guarantee our bags against any manufacturing defects. If your bag has lived a full life however and it is in need of some TLC, we will repair it for a small fee. This is always reasonable, and we always give the benefit of the doubt when assessing repairs and their cost.
Where can customers find more information about the Chapman story?
Customers can find more information about the bag manufacturer’s story through various sources:
www.chapmanmade.uk
www.facebook.com/chapmanbags
www.instagram.com/chapmanbags
Or call us on: 01228514514
