Our run of Leather Day Totes is being painted and polished today in the studio, two steps that necessarily occur in tandem. Every piece of every tote moves back and forth between the painting and buffing stations, and the whole process starts with painting over each exposed edge. Doing this causes rough, unrefined leather fibers to rise up out of the hide in a manner not unlike raising the grain on a piece of wood. After the paint has dried, those fibers are buffed off and the process begins again. 

With each round of painting and buffing, less and less fibers will surface until there are none left at all. We know a piece is done when the edge’s texture is flat to the touch and richly colored. At this point the paint has been totally burnished right into the leather itself, which prevents the oft-seen peeling and cracking that can occur when coats of paint are simply layered on top of each other.

Like all of our bags, the Day Tote is defined by its sleek structure and clean lines, so all pieces must be examined to be sure each one is consistent with the next. This ensures the visual shape of the piece will be correct upon assembly. Following the confirmation that these Day Totes are on their way to perfection, they’ll continue on to their next step and be out the door to their new owners shortly. 

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