Manufacturing process
Eleven stages, from writing the requirement down to preparing the finished product for supply.
Each stage exists because skipping it shows up in the product. None of them involve claims about machinery, capacity, technology or timing — only what is actually done to the material.
01 Process board
Jump to any stage, or work through the sequence from the top.
The requirement is written down before anything is cut.
Product, material direction, colour, width, size range, hardware, branding, edge treatment, quantity and timing are established together, so that everything that follows is measured against an agreed specification rather than an assumption.
Stage 01 of 11 — 9% of sequence
Material is chosen against the product, not the other way round.
Full-grain, split, vegetable-tanned, chrome-tanned or bonded leather, webbing or elastic is selected for the intended product. Availability of a particular material, colour or finish is confirmed at this point rather than promised in advance.
Stage 02 of 11 — 18% of sequence
The hide is read before it is worked.
Hide is assessed and laid out for the run. Natural grain, marking and tone are part of the material, and how they fall across a product is considered before cutting begins.
Stage 03 of 11 — 27% of sequence
Hide is cut and strapped to width.
Material is cut and strapped to the width set by the specification. This is the stage that fixes the proportion of the finished product, so it is controlled against the agreed pattern rather than judged by eye.
Stage 04 of 11 — 36% of sequence
Material is reduced where it needs to fold or sit flat.
Skiving reduces material in the areas that have to return around a buckle bar, sit under a keeper or join cleanly. It is what stops a belt becoming bulky at the fastening.
Stage 05 of 11 — 45% of sequence
The cut edge becomes a finished edge.
Edges are prepared and finished — hand-burnished or otherwise treated according to the material and the specification agreed. The edge is one of the first things a customer notices in the hand.
Stage 06 of 11 — 55% of sequence
Holes are punched to the agreed position and count.
Hole position, spacing and count follow the size range set for the project. Buckle-end preparation is carried out at the same stage so that the fastening lines up correctly.
Stage 07 of 11 — 64% of sequence
Hardware is fitted and the product is brought together.
Buckles, keepers, rivets, brace fittings and other hardware are fitted in the selected direction and finish. Riveting and hardware attachment complete the mechanical construction of the product.
Stage 08 of 11 — 73% of sequence
The mark is applied where it was agreed to sit.
Embossing or hot-foil branding is applied in the agreed position, at the agreed size, using artwork that the customer has confirmed. What is achievable depends on the material and the method.
Stage 09 of 11 — 82% of sequence
The product is checked against the specification it was built to.
Finished work is reviewed against the agreed specification — material, colour direction, hardware, branding, edge and construction. Natural material variation is expected and is assessed as part of the material rather than as a fault.
Stage 10 of 11 — 91% of sequence
The product is prepared for the customer it was made for.
Finished product is prepared for supply in the way agreed for that project. Packaging, presentation and delivery arrangements are confirmed individually rather than offered as a standard service on this website.
Stage 11 of 11 — 100% of sequence
Manufacturing enquiry
Some briefs arrive fully specified. Most arrive as an intention and a rough quantity. Either is a fine place to start.
