THE FUN OF CARRYING
THE FUN OF CARRYING
「運ぶを楽しむ」
In the mind of every conscientious leather bag craftsman is an imaginary drawer filled with imaginative ideas for bags that can be used to carry different things.By honing their skills and drawing from the knowledge they learn day in and day out, our craftsmen can realize design ideas in their minds. Through this series of articles, we will present to you some of the uniquely playful designs created by the craftsmen of Tsuchiya Kaban.
SNOWMAN CARRIER
Warmed by the steam rising off a bowl of hot soup in a cold morning,
a quick glance outside the window catches a drifting snowflake, white like cotton,
the welcoming sight of the first snow is always a pleasant surprise.
If only I could share with someone dear,
the moment the first snow falls through the air…
With this thought in mind,
our craftsperson Ms. Matsuzawa began to craft this special leather carrier for a snowman.
CRAFTMANSHIP
Demonstrating the Craftsperson's Skill in Gluing and Stitching Leather
Like the Black-nume Square Bag, this bag's smooth surface and the perfect curves on its edges are a testament to the craftsperson's exceptional stitching skill and extreme attention to detail. Since the sewing machine does not have a tabletop to provide support, the craftsperson was required to hold the bag in the air and stitch along the snowman-shaped curve, adjusting the direction and speed of the stitching while ensuring that the stitches are evenly spaced. If the stitching is off by even one or two millimeters, the bag would be ruined. One stitch after another, the craftsperson gave her utmost attention and carefully used the sewing machine to trace the profile of the Snowman Carrier without a single mistake.
Edge finishing
To give the exposed edges of the cut leather a neater and more visually pleasing look, the craftsperson glued together the individual pieces and used a skiving knife to remove the excess leather before proceeding with the edge finishing process. The leather edges were wiped dry and carefully burnished, after which edge paint was applied and the bag was set aside to fully dry. During the edge finishing process, all it takes is one misstep to ruin the bag, which is why it requires the utmost attention from our craftsperson. To craft this Snowman Carrier, the craftsperson applied the edge paint twice.
LEATHER
Choosing a Waterproof Leather
The Snowman Carrier is mainly crafted from Waterproof Smooth Leather, the same waterproof, oil-resistant leather that is used to craft the Waterproof OTONA RANDSEL 003. A strong waterproofing agent has been applied to this leather which not only covers the surface but also penetrates deep into the fibers, giving the leather excellent water resistance yet retaining the character and texture of the natural leather.
The Snowman Carrier is lined with polyester fiber fabric like that found in insulated bags. The craftsperson took potential leakage into account and installed a waterproof zipper to prevent water from seeping out. With the bag's interior crafted with materials that effectively prevent leakage, the user can bring a snowman home without worry.
THE CRAFTSMAN WHO CREATED THIS BAG
Matsuzawa Yuko
After entering Tsuchiya Kaban in 2012, Ms. Matsuzawa spent six years focusing on crafting Randoserus, and is currently tasked with manufacturing products in the Otona Randsel series and handling other crafting processes. Her favorite crafting process is gluing together the individual pieces of leather goods, as she really likes "the state of near completion when the rudimentary three-dimensional form of the final product takes shape as I glue together the individual flat pieces."
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