Pre-introduction
Before the introduction proper, the following are examples of original bespoke luxury products I myself have crafted and turned into reality for my clients:
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Introduction
I assume you have landed on my page about leather services and craft shops because the subject matter has pigued your interest and you are reading up on it.
My list compiles a broad spectrum of leather related brands and services available in Singapore which will provide insights into what the leather industry entails. Please enjoy!
First off, what is real leather?
The following are examples of Fake leather. You can see the peeling and cracking which are clear signs of plastic, PU or PVC.
In both photos are the removed old cracking plastic belts while the new full grain leather belts are already attached to the buckles.
There are many ways to understand real leather, or full grain leather (the technical term). Leather is essentially animal skin. Can you imagine cow skin peeling or cracking as in the photos above? It has to have been terribly sun burnt! Also, we humans are in serious trouble if human skin deteriorates this easily.
Two halves of a cow hide stacked on top of each other.
How about premium leather bags that cost in excess of $20,000? If real leather easily peels and cracks, there can be no justification for these price tags. $300.00 perhaps. Maybe $500.00. But definitely not $20,000 and above. The fact of the matter is that such bags exist and there are reasons for these prices.
Maybe you don’t understand fashion goods, its price tags and nuances. How about military boots? We can’t really imagine our soldiers running around in peeling boots can we? Especially after the mental imagery of them polishing boots till they can see their teeth.
Real leather stretches without cracking and peeling
Truth is, most of us have ever come across real leather products, and at reasonable prices too. It is just that we have never really made that mental connection. In the absence of problems, we will not stop for a second thought, I guess. Well yeah, if something does last, you might like to appreciate it a little bit more.
Last but not least, just because a product bears the name and logo of a world renowned brand, it does not necessarily imply “real leather”, nor “genuine leather”, nor the actual technical name “full grain leather”.
There is no better way to explain real leather than to explain it in conjunction with beloved brands that unfortunately offer much less than their promises. Let us take a look again:
In short, there are a lot, and I mean really a lot of people who think that because something is branded, it must be real leather. It is not.
Since I opened with a series of photos of belts, let me introduce Aquila:
1. AQUILA®
1.1 Aquila full grain leather belts
No frills, no fluff is their philosophy.
Simply good ole full grain leather belts at less than one-third the price of branded belts which may not even be made of real leather!
And do check out their belt strap replacement service.
My personal belt projects
Tailoring belts to my jewel buckles
Replace leather belt straps for branded buckles
Part jesting yet partially real
Admit it. Some of you folks out there wear the priciest and the most branded belts because your colleagues pooled money to get you one for your birthday.
Perhaps, your spouse bought it for you only to have you give them a dressing down because of its price.
Then comes the time to replace the belt because of the fake leather nature of the original belt, as evidenced by the photos above. Yet you can’t bear to part with your money to buy an original branded strap, which is likely to be the same fake leather, if the boutique even offers that service in the first place.
It is understandable and thank goodness you stopped right there.
I recommend AQUILA for all belt strap replacement requirements. They are the true belt professionals. One can even call them belt tailors if you will.
Did I mention that local tailors in Singapore also carry full grain leather belts made by Aquila?
1.2 Aquila hand welted full leather shoes
Aquila shoes aren’t the cheapest in town, neither are they the most expensive. If a gentleman is looking for a balanced blend between price, quality, workmanship, aesthetics and style, Aquila shoes are for you.
I wrote in a more detail about their shoes in this post.
2. Hocks-Alcis
2.1 Bag repair and servicing
Hocks-Alcis is made up of a team of experienced leather crafters. Among their core services is the repair and restoration of luxury branded bags.
Their motto is “Putting our best work forward”. It might sound like they’re stating the obvious but it isn’t. Many commercially available services have sales & reception whom are not crafters, ie they accept bags that should not be accepted. The results are often forced “repair” at the crafter end behind, which further damages customers’ precious bags.
I wrote in a separate post outlining the type of bag conditions that can be repaired as well as those that can’t. Please read it here.
2.2 Custom hand made leather products
Looking for a personalised gift to a loved one or to yourself? Hocks-Alcis accepts customised projects such as wallets, lanyards and even bags.
I shall gloss over the small items and reference instead their best projects as a gauge of their competence and experience. The following are some of their best work:
Some of my personal projects
Full gents structured briefcase in the style of those that tourists can purchase in Takashimaya and Sogo in Japan.
Also in the photos above are bag charms I had made with them.
Personalised exotic leather cigar cases.
Exotic leather golf iron and wedge head covers.
Exotic leather belt, wallet and pen case. Perched on the blue ostrich pen case is a solid 18K gold personal logo of a customers’.
2.3 Leather crafting workshops & courses
Hocks – Alcis provides leather crafting workshops too. There is no satisfaction like wearing and carrying personalised leather products hand made by none other than yourself. Turn up alone for a serious training course or have a fun filled day with a few friends.
The most common items that beginners start off with are watch straps, cardholders and passport sleeves. Feel free to request for tote bags, laptop sleeves and the more advanced items with them.
3. BROADWAY LEATHER COMPANY
The third company I introduce to you is Broadway Leather Company. It is not the average craftsman / leather service. They have a factory populated with full scale industrial machines, not merely home use tools.
And they open these services to the public for a small fee. That’s the important point.
Get started today on your small business or personal project with them.
3.1 Custom brass makers’ marks
Customise a brass stamp bearing your business brand or even a personal logo.
The leather industry is increasingly becoming more exciting with ever more people making their own wallets and bags etc. right in their homes. Top it off with your personal brand! Heck you can even buy it for a good friend or your loved one whom you know is into the whole leathery stuff!
Do check out Broadway Leather Co.. Go straight to their leather workshop and factory right here in Singapore.
3.2 Custom small metal logos
This is an example of a personal logo DW. Designed for a client, Broadway Leather then had it made in solid brass and the studs were plated in three different colours.
3.3 Leather scraps by weight, partial leather panels and wholesale leather
Thinking of making your own watch straps? Check out below what 1 kilogram of leather can get you! 4-6 pairs of watch straps no problems with some more leather all rolled up outside the frame!
How about full sheets for your most ambitious project like a duffel bag?
3.4 Custom steel rule cutting die punches
For the super duper serious leather crafter to whom “hand made” is no longer acceptable. You need precision, you need complex templates and you need sophistication. You are perhaps a shoe maker?
Swipe left and right
Broadway Leather custom bends steel-rule knives into cutting dies for customers, the most complex of which are shoe upper and shoe sole patterns, as well as bag templates etc.
3.5 Leather splitting service
Broadway Leather Company also provides leather splitting services to carpenters and upholsterers, as well as diy hobbyists and professional leather craftsmen.
Components of a wallet split thinner for a customer.
4. Boxing bag leather stuffing
Broadway Leather Company upcycles every last fibre of leather in her factory by shredding them into small chips for filling punching bags.
Punching bags cannot be filled entirely with sand or sawdust due to the load. Therefore, customers first use the lighter but firm leather fillings to form the backbone of the punching bag before filling the remaining empty spaces with finer material.
5. Upholstery and renovation sub contractor services
5.1 Leather cabinet and drawer pulls for interior designers
Add a touch of timeless class to your wardrobe and drawers.
5.2 Furniture upholstery services
Keching 