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FAQ's

We are certain you understand that when buying a leather product it is essential to be well aware of what type of leather you are buying and this guide is here to teach you the basics, to help you understand the different types of leathers and the way they are produced so you can make an informed decision when choosing products made from leather. 


Humankind’s relationship with leather has been developed over a period of around 30,000 years. It is an ancient craft with lots of tradition and a fair amount of specialist terminology. The leather industry though, sometimes, misuses these terminologies and as a consumer knowing about these terminologies and the different types of leather will help you to buy the highest quality leather products and ask questions so that you know exactly what you are purchasing.

Frequently asked questions

How Long will it take to receive my order?

Crafting times

Once you have placed your order, then a request will be sent to our workshops to start crafting your item. The workshop will first check to see if they have one already made. If it’s one of our best sellers, we may have crafted a couple in anticipation of your order. 


If we do have one ready-made that matches your needs, or can be customised easily to match your needs, then we usually dispatch those items within 24-48 working hours, but it can be marginally longer if the weekend is involved in the process. 


If we need to make your item from fresh, then we’d recommend allowing 3-4 weeks depending upon the customisations you have chosen. 


You have the option to expedite your order (using our express service) if you need your item for a special event or occasion. You may want to contact our team before ordering to ensure we meet your expectations. We reserve the right to add a small admin charge to your order for using our express service, the service usually costs no more than around £15 and is often free if we feel we can achieve the schedule without disrupting our usual production schedule. If you’re expecting to have a bag made especially for you in under 5-days, then you can usually expect to pay significantly more for the service. 


If you have opted for something completely bespoke that we have never made before then, we recommend allowing around 6-8-weeks for the crafting process – sometimes even longer – depending upon how unusual your request is. Our Express Service is not available for completely bespoke orders.

Delivery times

Once it’s dispatched, then you should receive it quickly as we use express couriers.

  • UK orders can expect your delivery for the next working day.
  • For Central Europe or the United States then it’s usual for deliveries to arrive in just 3-5 days.
  • For standard shipping, and if you’re based in Eastern Europe or Asia then you can expect to wait around 2-weeks, or 3-5 days for express shipping but this can also depend heavily on your countries customs department.
  • For far-off lands, like Russia, South America and Australasia then expect to wait up-to 28-days using our standard shipping, but if you opt to pay extra for express, then shipments then only usually take around 5-7 days for delivery.Everything is handled very efficiently with your ease in mind.

Everything is handled very efficiently with your ease in mind.

Do all products qualify for the 5-year craftsmanship guarantee?

That's Correct. All our beautiful handcrafted leather bags come with a 5-year extended craftsmanship guarantee. Learn more about the craftsmanship guarantee in our guide.

Can you send me leather samples?

Sure, we can!


Sometimes a detailed photo is just not enough. We got you covered!


If what you need is to get your hands on some leather, to see, touch and smell. No problem! We know you are not just searching for a colour, but for "The one!" That process cannot be rushed, and it needs to be done right. 

My bag is too big/small, would it be possible to exchange it?

Sure! 

We understand that from time to time, you may wish to return a product to us. This may be due to a dislike of the colour, needing a different size, or it could simply be an unwanted gift. You will be happy to know that we have a standard 28-day returns policy to enable you to return products to us in appropriate circumstances. 


By law, if goods are customised we don’t have to accept returns, but you’re our customer, and we care, so we treat each issue with individual attention, so please contact us if your bag is a “custom or bespoke made” and we’ll see what we can do for you…. sometimes we simply apply a charge for returning a bag that has been customised with your own name or monogram, to enable us to make the alterations to the bag so that it can be sold as a reduced price item in our physical store.

Does the colour of the leather transfer onto clothes?

All our chrome-tanned (Classics, Spickles, Moderns, Neons), patent and metallic leathers are rub-tested for colour transfer to a very high standard for colour-fastness and have a 99.98% colour fastness rating. 


Our premiums, cordovans and bridals are tanned differently and are rated separately. With natural materials (as opposed to plastics and polymers) it’s impossible to get a 100% colour-fastness rating, so within the leather industry, it’s generally consider anything above 99% has an excellent colour fastness. 


The problem is that the pigment can’t be added directly when the material is produced, the dyes are added afterwards. 


Our premium leathers are part vegetable and aniline tan, so if the material gets very wet and is rubbed continuously onto a high friction material (like heavy-weight denim, coarse cotton or canvas), then you may see a little colour transfer. This occurs because the water is helping the dye to move about – but the flip side to this is that any dye that may transfer to your clothes (in unusual circumstances) will also wash out. 


If colour fastness is a big issue, then we’d recommend choosing leathers that are from our Classic, Modern, Neon, Patent or Metallic ranges.

Where do you source your raw materials from?

We strongly believe in local. It’s friendlier for our planet if we endeavour to source all our raw materials as locally as possible and put the items together centrally. 


So, most of our raw materials are locally-made; For example, the majority of our hardware is made by a saddlery company in Knutsford, England; Our buckles come from a specialist make in South Yorkshire, the rivets from just outside Manchester. 


Our specialist leathers are produced by either British Tanneries, Italian or Dutch tanneries. We do source some ‘bespoke’ leathers from outside the EU (such as Horween Cordovan) but only if the tannery has a proven track record for its care of the environment and the welfare of the stock animals used for the supply of rawhides. 


For packaging; we design our own in the most eco-friendly manner we can that ensures your items arrive in perfect condition and we get local Liverpool based business to manufacture for us. Nearly all our packing is 100% recycled and 100% recyclable – the only reason we can’t say ALL our packaging is 100% recyclable, is because a small number of clients use a different supply chain that requires goods to be packed differently to our standards. 


Even the fabrics we use on our dustbags are “Made in the UK”; woven by Sam Weller in Huddersfield, and the ropes used for the tie-string is made by the UK’s very last rope maker; James Lever of Bolton.

What countries do you ship to?

More than you can imagine! 


After more than 50-years doing what we have uniquely done, we have created a lot of trust and confidence from customers in over 100 countries. We are always looking at the best ways to get products to our customers. All our larger consignments are either tracked or signed for, to ensure they don’t get lost in transit. Below you will see how shipping around the world works.

Are the bags lined?

Leather manufacturers usually use lining on their products to cover up low-quality leather used to manufacture their products. All our products are crafted using high quality, heavy leather that we are proud to show off. Hence, we do not use any lining in our products. The underside of the leather is treated and buffed to give it a smooth surface. 

Is it important to clean and look after the leather?

Yes! It is very important to clean and look after your leather as it is a natural material and it will age and deteriorate slightly over time. So to ensure your leather products longevity you should look after it. 

How often should I look after my leather bag and what products should I use?

Regular care of your leather product is essential and the regularity depends on how often you use your leather product. For instance, if you use your leather bag every day then clean and care for it every couple of weeks, if you use it couple of times a week, then every three months and if you use it occasionally then at least every year.Never leave your leather bag without any care for more than a year.


There are few very good products out there in the market. If you cleaning the outside of patent leather, you can use Dr. Martens patent leather cleaner. Gold Label saddle soap and dubbing are also great products. 


We have also created some leather care products specifically designed for our leather, Hanshaw's Spit and Polish and Hanshaw's Elbow Grease. Hanshaw's Spit and Polish is a mild cleaner. It will help to get rid of some tough to remove stains from your leather bag. Use only on the places which you want to treat as it could damage the finish of the leather.


The Hanshaw's Elbow Grease is a 5 in 1 product. It is a very mild cleaner, moisturiser, UV guard, pen guard and a mild water proofer. 


Is it essential to use leather lotion?

Yes, it is! Leather lotion is going to help keep the moisture in the leather. It is best apply to the underside of the leather so that it gets properly absorbed into the leather. 


What to do if my leather bag gets drenched in the rain?

Oh o! Don't panic as it can happen to the best of us. Empty the bag first. Then fill it will tissue or newspaper so that it helps to retain the shape of the leather and absorb excess moisture. Don't close the bag, leave it open and let it dry naturally. 


Don't force dry your bag by putting it on a radiator or using a hair dryer. Let it dry naturally. It might take days but do it. 


Once that it is dry, use some lotion on the underside of the leather to add moisture back. 

Why do leather bags get mouldy and how to prevent it?

First you need to understand that leather is a natural material and so mould will grow on natural material. However, there are things we can do to prevent this:

  1. Look after your bag regularly and use care products on it.
  2. Don't store your bag in damp places.
  3. When you store your bag, use a dust bag, made from breathable material.

Should I use a dust bag?

All our leather satchel bags come with a lovely dust bag that you can use to store your bag safely. It not only helps to store your bag when you are not using it but also protects it from unwanted scratches that you can get on the leather accidentally. Our dust bags are made from cotton which is a breathable material. Always use a dust bag for short term storage. 

How should I correctly store my leather bag for long term?

Whatever you do, don't store your leather bag in a damp place. Store it in a place that is not too warm nor cold to keep it safe. Always use the dust bag that you get with your bag. And put your bag in the dust the dust bag and then put it in a plastic zip-lock bag together with some packets of silica gel - to help keep unwanted moisture out. Try to push out the air as much as possible before you close it so that it gives an airtight closure. 

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