I made a handmade genuine leather school bag for my son who will be starting elementary school this spring.
As a leather craftsman, I really wanted to make my son's school bag with my own hands. This was a dream I had had since he was born, and I began this challenge to put it into practice as he was about to start school. I worked on it little by little in between my daily work.
I have made various bags to order up until now, but this is my first time making a school bag. I started by disassembling a commercially available school bag.
Although I could imagine the design to a certain extent, I didn't have any know-how about how to insert the fine core material or how to make it strong, but as you'd expect from a school bag manufacturer, the care they have gained over the years is very helpful in showing how they care for even the smallest details.
The concept behind making randoseru is, "We want you to experience the real thing as much as possible."
We hope that by experiencing the feel and atmosphere of high-quality leather, and the way it changes tastefully over time, this will be an opportunity for you to become aware of the true essence of various things.
Using luxurious Italian Vachetta leather, which is rich in oil, the original school bag was completed entirely by hand, from design to engineering to production.
The process from design to production is the same as our full-order production process.
The design theme is "military"
The lid of a school bag is usually a full flap, but to make it as light as possible, this one is a half-flap, and the front, which is the face of the bag, has a design reminiscent of the epaulettes on military uniforms.
Regular buttons would overshadow the leather, so we used antique French buttons. They are about 100 years old and are probably made of Bakelite (the precursor to plastic).
The body is black. The "black" of the Vachetta leather we use regularly in our atelier is a deeper, more captivating black than other leathers. To make the most of this depth, we plan to unify the stitching and metal fittings in black for a chic finish.
Once the design is more or less solidified, the next step is to design the pattern.
We create the design in three dimensions using a type of leather called split leather, which is used for making samples (a material similar to sheeting in clothing making), and we simultaneously create the drawings.
Making it three-dimensional makes it easier to balance the size and position the small parts.
Through repeated corrections and adjustments, we draw the pattern that is the key to making a bag. Since randoseru bags have many intricate details, they also have a large number of parts.
Once you have drawn the pattern, it's time for the real thing.
There are some parts that require a lot of preparation, so we create each section separately and then assemble them at the end.
The interior is also entirely leather, with pigskin suede for a warm and luxurious feel.
I also do simple tasks like engraving names on the items with my son, hoping that they will develop a sense of caring for things.
We had fun making these with the hope that the children would learn something not just from the "object" of a school bag, but also from the "experience" of making it with their own hands.
Finally, attach small metal fittings to complete the product.
I hope that over the next six years, your child will have a lot of laughs, tears, anger, sadness, joy, and other experiences with this school bag.
This is a one-of-a-kind gift that embodies the father's feelings and the bond between him and his son.
<Material> Minerva box, Liscio * Italian full vegetable tanned leather (Vacchetta manufacturing method)
<size>
Approximately W260 x H340 x D160
<weight>
Approximately 1.4-1.5kg
Photo: Tana Camera (some Has file photos)
*This studio is located on the 6th floor of the same building as Has Atelier & Gallery. This photographer has a wonderful way of capturing everyday scenes and lighting. Thank you for taking the photos.
https://www.tanacamerarara.com/
