Our Workshop

Every DÖTCH is handmade to order in our family run workshop in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India, also known as the leather capital of India. 

The skills used to make our products have been mastered and passed over generations keeping the local economy thriving. 

We are fully engaged and oversee every stage of the manufacturing of leather prodcuts. 

Phase1: Purchasing Ethically Sourced Hides 

DÖTCH hides are a by-product of local meat and dairy farming.

Rural Indian families depend on agriculture and livestock. One key livestock is the Indian buffalo as it provides multiple commecrial options, milk is sold to dairy farms, buffalo grazing keeps the agriculture fields fertile and leather from domisticated buffaloes keeps the leather industry alive.

 

Phase 2: Enivornment Friendly Leather Tanning

The tanning process, carried out in house, is entirely chrome-free and conforms to strict pollution regulations.

It is a 4-5 weeks turn around, converting hides to ‘wet blue’ form into multi-coating with our unique oil-based dye to give the leather its premium and luxurious finish.

 

Phase 3: Methodical Cutting

Sticking to the trraditions we use the tried and teseted method for cutting tanned hides. All our vegetable tanned hides are cut by hand using a  leather knife.

The offcuts frome the hides are used in the making of leather zip pullers, tags, and small leather accessories. The offcuts that cannot be further utlised is recycled. This appraoach not only ensures efficient use of materials but most improtantly reduces reduces waste.

 

Stage 4: Personalisation

 

All our bags can be personalised so that you can make the bags truly yours. Embossing is the art of producing raised patterns on the natural grain of an animal skin.The design is created by pressing rolling, or stamping. 

Types of embossing

• Blind Embossing, blind printing, blind finishing: Embossing of leather without colour.
• Gold embossing: The transfer of gold leaf into the embossing

Enter up to 6 characters per bag, (e.g. JR, TOM, HUDSON, T.D.) All Upper Case & No Numbers. If you'd prefer not to personalise, simply leave blank.

 

Phase 5: Gluing, Stitching & Hardware

 

This is where your DÖTCH begins to take shape. Our craftsmen & women put in practise what has been passed on for generation, the art of hand stiching and along with glue leather cuts are put together.

Fabric linings and hardware are added - YKK zips and solid antique brass buckles – along with our hand-pressed DÖTCH labels and branded brass pins.

 

Phase 6: Finishing & Packaging

 

Each DÖTCH is individually polished, thoroughly checked and packaged into a branded dust cover which is then put into strong corrugated boxes.

 

Phase 7: Shipping

 

Orders are collected every evening and transferred overnight to Delhi International Airport. From here on, they’re flown to your international hub and expedited for signed-for delivery.

From ordering, you’ll receive your DÖTCH within 5 business days.