Our Material

Sustainability needs transparency.
The desire for sustainability is profitable. It created a whole new market for sustainable products. However, not every product marketed as sustainable truly is, and not every company's motivation is to create better products for a better world. The chance for larger financial profitability created the phenomena of greenwashing - products and companies appearing fair or green that really aren't.
I'm not interested to participate in that practice. I want my customers to get exactly what they expect, in regard to quality, design, and sustainability.
So here is the complete list of material that I use, and who I get it from.
Some are compromises while I keep looking for better alternatives. 

Our leather
Comes from a Swiss business that sources their leather from hides sourced from local organic and regenerative farms. Learn more by visiting their website here: corii.ch
And hear more of my thought about our leather here. 

Our zippers
Coincidentally also come from Switzerland and are sometimes called the best zippers out there. The brand is riri. The material of the ones we use is recycled polyester and brass.
You can visit their webpage here, even though I'm not sure how entertaining it is if you're not in the zipper business. 

Our hardware
Is the hardest thing to get sustainably, or at all. Good hardware that looks decent is pretty hard to find. If you have ever sewn something and wanted a nice buckle with it, you know what I'm talking about. We get most of our hardware, and also some tools, from buckleguy. They are a family owned business who co-own a brass factory in Asia, where the hardware is produced. Learn more about their production standards here.

Our dyes and paints
We get from Natural Earth Paint. I mix their plant-based acrylic medium with natural pigments. The process is so much fun, and it is nice to work with paint that smells good. If you are artsy, I can only recommend them. You can find their online shop here. 

Our everything else 
I purchase locally from Springfield Leather Company. That means most of my tools I got from Springfield Leather, basting tape and one type of buckle. Springfield Leather Company is a family owned business. They are not focused on sustainability more than any other average local company, however, they do have a program for correctional facilities, which I appreciate. And really, it's also sustainable to our society if we support the members of society who struggle more than others. You can visit their website here. 

Our packaging