BLEU DE CHAUFFE: ARTISANAL BAGS
Bleu de Chauffe leather bags and accessories are exceptional in several respects. They are not massed produced. Every one of our bags is made entirely by hand by a single artisan who is responsible for its creation, in his or her own way, from start to finish. The artisan’s signature, found inside each bag, is the guarantee that it’s a one-of-a-kind object: a high-end, handcrafted leather bag with a soul.
MADE ENTIRELY BY HAND IN OUR WORKSHOP IN MILLAU
With the exception of leather tanning, the entire production process of our bags, from their conception to the final product, takes place in our workshop. This allows us to have perfect mastery over every step of their creation as well as quality control.
The hands of our artisans are the soul of Bleu de Chauffe. Each artisan carries out every step of the bag’s creation from the cutting of the leather to the stitching. The leatherworking industry conjures up an image of a very masculine world. However, at Bleu de Chauffe, the vast majority of our artisans are women who possess an exceptional savoir-faire. Each and every handcrafted leather (and canvas) bag, that comes out of our workshop is a one-of-a-kind object in many respects.
A RIGOROUS CREATION PROCESS
Everything begins with the technical plan of the design from which the patterns for the leather punch are made. The cutter is the artisan who positions the punch on the leather in order to make the pieces necessary to construct the bag. It requires precision and meticulous work since one must choose the best parts of the leather, not only with respect to its esthetic quality but also its thickness (as each part of the bag requires leather of varying thicknesses) all while trying to avoid waste. All of our leather is vegetable-tanned in order to avoid using polluting and toxic chemicals such as chromium and heavy metals which are too often used in leatherwork.
The cutter then regroups all of the necessary parts to make the bag and gives them to the artisan who constructs the bag entirely by hand. The latter starts by reworking most of the leather pieces, refining them with a skiving machine. Then, he continues the process of glueing (using a water-based glue), stitching the pieces together, and dyeing the edges. The stitching is done using several machines depending on the thickness of the leather. The bags are stitched inside out in order to make sure they are exceptionally durable. Finally, the artisan proudly dates and signs his or her bag.
A UNIQUE AND LONG-LASTING HANDMADE LEATHER BAG
Ever since the beginning, we have endeavored to put the spotlight on the 20th century workman’s leather bag, reinterpreting in such a way that it is adapted for a modern lifestyle. We have also created new versions of former leather postman’s, plummer’s, physician’s, reporter’s and writer’s leather bags, preserving their unique esthetique, but also integrating, in most of them, a felt storage pouch for portable laptops.
The handmade leather messenger bag is our iconic bag. A reinterpretation of the postman’s and plumber’s bags of the 20th century, it was originally a men’s leather bag; however, most of our bags are available in a wide variety of sizes and compliment even a more feminine figure. Examples are the Eclair (in 3 sizes), the Irving (a large men’s bag), the Lucien and the Louis. The Musette line, fisherman’s suede bag (also exists in organic cotton), is a unisex line available in all sizes.
Our collection of leather bags also includes a line of business bags (the Zeppo, the leather Report, the Folder), as well as travel bags, (the Hobo, the Zoom, the Bivouac), backpacks (the Zepplin, the Arlo, the Puncho, the Eclair L and the Camp in suede), photographer’s bags (the Bologne, the Arles).
We also offer a line of specifically women’s leather handbags: the popular gibecière bags Diane, the Java, the Pastis, the Pastel, the Origami (3 sizes), the June and the Coline.
Buying a handmade Bleu de Chauffe leather bag means you’ve made the choice of a one-of-a-kind bag. It means you’ve chosen the work of an artisan, a bag of exceptional quality, handmade in France; a bag that is durable, and respectful of the environment.