4/6 The details
Some small details give a special touch to the pieces. Most of the time, these are things you don't even see. But I see them and I know they are there! My perfectionism and obsession with these details sometimes makes me rack my brains for weeks to sort out certain details that annoy me. Like the time I couldn't find a good enough slider in the shape I wanted. I searched all of my hardware suppliers with no luck so I used a double belt buckle that I removed the barb (the hinged tip that is used to buckle the belt) instead to get exactly what I wanted. I don't compromise.
A very personal task that I particularly enjoy doing is making my labels. They are cut and hot embossed one by one, by hand. It's like signing every bag, every wallet. The machine used for embossing is very simple. My brass die is ultra precise. It is inserted on a tray which holds it in place and heated to the desired temperature. I then come to press the die on the leather and the combination of the right temperature and the right pressure comes to make a perfect embossing.
There are also details in the execution. Sometimes I prefer to go back to a more traditional technique to ensure accuracy. Some tools may seem very practical, such as the spindle press. I use this tool to crush rivets and snap fasteners, among other things, and it is also possible to use it to make holes with different punches. It is certain, it is less difficult for the arms to manipulate the spindle press but I found that to make the holes, it was not practical, it lacked precision and it took me as long as hammering them with a mallet and a manual punch. So I went back to my mallet and my punches.
It is in these details that we realize that everything is in the hands of the person who execute te task. Agility, thoroughness, perfectionism. A millimeter aside and the series of holes on a belt are no longer aligned. And it shows. Of course, when everything is done by hand, the error rate is higher. That doesn't mean it necessarily compromises the quality of a product, but it's definitely my goal to minimize these little mistakes!
Next text, sewing! This is a crucial step, since it is during the assembly that we usually know if everything that has been done before has been done well!