Working with Saffiano Leather

[BettyJ]

Hi clever leather workers!

I'd like to ask a question on how to make a stiff leather corner neatly. It's a turned construction so I really doubt I'll have much success, to be honest.

I've been asked by my client to work with saffiano leather. Essentially, it's a chrome tan with a coating on it. Feels kinda plasticy and stiff, it's really not my first choice for this style of bag. Personally, I don't like saffiano leather, it doesn't feel like real leather to me. It feels cheap and nasty and plastic. No smell of leather either, which is what I love most about leather working.

I have tried skiving it really thin, I've cut into the curves to make it fit into the corners better, pretty much anything I can think of and it still looks rubbish. Even my stitching just won't cooperate and look nice and even. 

Essentially, I want the corners to look like the brown pouch pictures. This is a gorgeous chrome tanned German leather that I picked up from the trade expo as a sample hide. I had a few small bits left from a bag I made so I though I'd use them to experiment with. 

I also have a hide of it in a beautiful wine colour and I'm trying to talk them around to letting me use that instead of their leather, as I doubt I'm going to get a nice finished product and I'm way too fussy to do a half measure.

Does anyone have any tips on how I could make the Saffiano work? I've attached some pics of my sample pieces for your info. 

Thanks so much!

[BettyJ]

Update: I've tried a different construction i.e. an inset gusset after a bit of googling saffiano leather bags. It's ok but I'll need to paint away the horrid white edges that my skiving exposed. *sigh* Seriously, this stuff doesn't even smell like leather or feel like it. My husband wouldn't even touch it, said it looked awful and he couldn't understand why they wanted me to use it instead of the brown or burgundy I have at home.

[YinTx]

I'm a bit baffled by the Saffiano leather craze as well.  I've seen it in high end stuff, and I've seen the leather for sale, if you can call it that. Perhaps there is some inherent quality that I am unaware of....

YinTx

[Stetson912]

Have you considered piping? My knowledge on bag making is next to nill but it's a thought that crossed my mind. It would hide the stitching fairly well I think. 

[Stetson912]

Oh and a brief search turned up this somewhat depressing bit of info. Apparently saffiano leather is any tannages that is coated with opaque resin and finished with the cross hatch texture. So that's why it's plasticy feeling. But apparently it's more durable and easier to clean. But, even those attributes just dont make it worth it to me. https://www.google.com/amp/s/minkudesign.com/2015/03/24/saffiano-leather-yay-or-nay/amp/

[BettyJ]

40 minutes ago, YinTx said:

I'm a bit baffled by the Saffiano leather craze as well.  I've seen it in high end stuff, and I've seen the leather for sale, if you can call it that. Perhaps there is some inherent quality that I am unaware of....

YinTx

Tell me about it YinTx. It's just so bleh. I'm trying to talk them out of it but not having much luck. I may refuse to make it. 

22 minutes ago, Stetson912 said:

Have you considered piping? My knowledge on bag making is next to nill but it's a thought that crossed my mind. It would hide the stitching fairly well I think. 

Hi Stetson912

I have but I'm waiting on my foot. I get the feeling that it won't make much difference, to be honest. All of the piped versions I've seen are straight piped, not curved. 

[BettyJ]

18 minutes ago, Stetson912 said:

Oh and a brief search turned up this somewhat depressing bit of info. Apparently saffiano leather is any tannages that is coated with opaque resin and finished with the cross hatch texture. So that's why it's plasticy feeling. But apparently it's more durable and easier to clean. But, even those attributes just dont make it worth it to me. https://www.google.com/amp/s/minkudesign.com/2015/03/24/saffiano-leather-yay-or-nay/amp/

Oh I read this too. Explained why it was a different colour underneath when skived. 

[YinTx]

Huh.  Yeah.  I think I'll not buy any - any time soon.  and hope no one asks for it!

YinTx

[BettyJ]

2 hours ago, YinTx said:

Huh.  Yeah.  I think I'll not buy any - any time soon.  and hope no one asks for it!

YinTx

Yeah me too. I don't understand the fascination of it. 

[RockyAussie]

It looks like a difficult leather to work with. The brown one to me shows signs of overskiving and I would say if you can try the saffiano without any skive and as well change to a point neddle and not a leatherpoint as that will stop the plasticy finish from opening out as much. Also you would need to tighten your top tension maybe 2 or 3 turns and your bobbin tension maybe a 1/2 turn as well. Once stitched....warm up with a heat gun up and down the seam until the leather is quite warm and towards hot then press around to get the shaping sitting as you want. I suggest to practice with some scrap first and try and work out how far you can cut back on your seam allowance and tap down. The back seam in a court shoe has only 2mm or less and is then pressed flat after stitching. A good shoe does still show next to no stitching at this seam. Experiment and have fun learning. Brian