our makers & materials

Making anything leaves a footprint. To make something in the most responsible way possible, we think it needs to last a lifetime, be made locally to where it's sold and be recyclable. 

made by amy & ray

We insist on working with great people who share our values, and our lead bag makers Amy and Ray are amazing. 

They take all our ideas, no matter how obscure, and turn them into reality. They have collectively been making bags for 30+ years and are true masters of their art. 

Amy does this, with the help of a small team, from her studio in the heart of the Suffolk countryside whilst Ray is based in Leeds. 

It’s a total coincidence that they have the same haircut. 

Together Amy and Ray can make 25 bags a week. So that’s all we will ever make and sell. We have no intention of exponential growth. 

a material obsession

This is the stuff we lose sleep over. These choices turn a great bag into a lifelong companion. We source all our materials as close to home as possible. What we can't get nearby, we source with longevity and recyclability in mind.

British made since 1880

British Millerain have been proofing and dyeing fabrics in Rochdale, England for over 140 years. Whilst heritage is important to us, the reason we chose to work with British Millerain is their commitment to making a product with minimal environmental impact.

The ultra dry-waxed canvas we use is a 14 oz organic cotton canvas, which has been impregnated with a unique wax blend and has a PFC free finish applied for increased water repellency. Unlike traditional waxed canvas, this material has a totally dry finish.

This GOTS certified organic cotton canvas was grown and milled in India and then sent by boat to British Millerain in north west England where it has been dyed and finished.

cobra buckle closure

Our buckles are made in Austria by AustriAlpin. They are known for making some of the worlds best buckles, and their Cobra buckles are absolutely incredible.

We have them sent to us by road, instead of air, to reduce our carbon footprint.

great zips = 50 hours of research

As you may already know, we don't like zips, that's why we make roll top backpacks. So when it came to finding a zip for our small bags we knew it had to be something special.

Eventually we chose a Riri AQUAzip®. These zippers are weatherproof, super hard-wearing, and made in Switzerland.

soft, strong & made in derbyshire

Our cotton webbing is made by Bowmer Bond in Sheffield. They have been making webbing for over 200 years, enough said.

we love sheep

We were so excited when we found the padding for our bags. It's a wool felt material made from 100% recycled wool in West Yorkshire.

the bits and bobs

Labels.
Our internal cotton labels are made for us by National Weaving in Wales. Each label is signed by Amy.

Embroidery.
All our embroidery is done by a lady named Bev in Suffolk, 2 miles from where our bags are made by Amy.

Fittings.
The rest of our metal fittings are sourced from UK and EU companies that buy in bulk from China. Whilst not being ideal, we simply are not able to meet the minimum order requirements to produce them locally and affordably. However, we are working hard to find viable alternatives