Project description
I am looking for an experienced leather artisan or small workshop to design and hand-craft a custom backpack that I will use every day for work and commuting. This is not a mass-produced piece — I want something built specifically around how I actually use a bag, with materials and construction that will hold up for years of daily wear.
Leather and construction: I would prefer full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather in a medium-brown or dark chestnut tone, though I am open to your recommendation if you can explain why another tanning method or leather weight suits a daily-carry backpack better. I care about visible craftsmanship — saddle stitching rather than machine zigzag, solid brass or nickel hardware, and edges that are burnished and finished properly, not just cut and left raw.
Size and layout: the backpack should be sized for daily commuting, roughly 18-22 liters, with a main compartment large enough for a change of clothes, a water bottle, and small work items, plus a padded, fully lined sleeve that safely fits a 15-16 inch laptop separated from the main compartment. I would like at least one zippered front pocket for a phone, keys, cards, and a pen, and ideally an external side pocket for the water bottle or an umbrella.
Straps and hardware: two adjustable shoulder straps with proper padding and stitched reinforcement at the stress points, a top carry handle, and a back panel that will not go limp when the bag is loaded. Buckles or magnetic snaps are both fine — your call on what wears best long-term. I would also like a small personalization: my initials discreetly hand-stamped or embossed on the front flap or an interior tag.
What I expect from you: please share photos of similar backpacks you have made before, tell me your estimated build time and whether you can send progress photos at key stages (cutting, stitching, hardware fitting), and confirm the leather source and thickness you plan to use. I am happy to discuss color and stitching-thread color once we agree on the base design. Clear communication throughout the build matters to me as much as the final result.
Leather and construction: I would prefer full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather in a medium-brown or dark chestnut tone, though I am open to your recommendation if you can explain why another tanning method or leather weight suits a daily-carry backpack better. I care about visible craftsmanship — saddle stitching rather than machine zigzag, solid brass or nickel hardware, and edges that are burnished and finished properly, not just cut and left raw.
Size and layout: the backpack should be sized for daily commuting, roughly 18-22 liters, with a main compartment large enough for a change of clothes, a water bottle, and small work items, plus a padded, fully lined sleeve that safely fits a 15-16 inch laptop separated from the main compartment. I would like at least one zippered front pocket for a phone, keys, cards, and a pen, and ideally an external side pocket for the water bottle or an umbrella.
Straps and hardware: two adjustable shoulder straps with proper padding and stitched reinforcement at the stress points, a top carry handle, and a back panel that will not go limp when the bag is loaded. Buckles or magnetic snaps are both fine — your call on what wears best long-term. I would also like a small personalization: my initials discreetly hand-stamped or embossed on the front flap or an interior tag.
What I expect from you: please share photos of similar backpacks you have made before, tell me your estimated build time and whether you can send progress photos at key stages (cutting, stitching, hardware fitting), and confirm the leather source and thickness you plan to use. I am happy to discuss color and stitching-thread color once we agree on the base design. Clear communication throughout the build matters to me as much as the final result.
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