“You’re always out of stock” (and that's not a bad problem to have).
I receive this comment often enough that it feels worth providing an explanation. The Copperdot Leather bags I create for you, are near and dear to my heart. Each one is hand made, not only with love and attention to detail and raw materials, but also with the hope that when you receive your purchase, you may have the same sense of adoration for your bag that I do. Like a fresh batch of homemade cookies, I build my products in small batches, and they sell out fast. So grab them while they’re hot!
The Process
Though it may seem hard to believe in this day and age, each bag is still made by hand here in Jackson Hole, one at a time…just like a rich piece of custom saddlery. These handbags are an elegant combination of form, function, and beauty. I use only the finest US grown and tanned leather, committed to a “nose to tail” perspective that allows us to contribute to minimizing by product waste from the meat industry. The copper rivets and solid brass hardware are the same as used in building the best tack we in the West love and depend on. Pull it all together and you have a distinctive bag built with attention to detail, and exceptional durability. From cowpoke to city slicker, a Copperdot bag will outlive any lifestyle.
The Leather
Did you know, it takes as much time to cut a bag out of leather and prepare the leather as it does to stitch it? Sewing a bag is only 20% of the time spent on each individual Coppedot bag.
When I get a new batch of leather, I know right away if it’s up to my standards. I’ve been working with it long enough to recognize the look, smell, and feel of Copperdot quality leather and I have remained committed to only moving forward with the hides that feel right to me. It is difficult to find leathers that have not been over processed. Lower quality leathers are often tanned in chromium in a 4-5 day process. The toxins in this process literally destroy the cells of the leather and start to break it down immediately. The result is a leather that lacks depth, durability, and overall luxury. Our hides are nearly naked. During the tanning process they are bathed for up to 10 weeks in natural oils and waxes that give them a supple richness and durability.
The Hardware
All of our zippers are custom made in LA just for us with custom colors, and our hardware is made of solid brass and cast in custom shapes from our supplier in Ohio. We depend on our small scale suppliers who are equally as committed to providing us with quality products to deliver them in perfect condition. These days we are experiencing unprecedented shortages in raw materials. For instance the metal ore that goes into smelting the brass we use is in short supply. So...further down the supply chain, our hardware pieces are harder to come by. And I won't compromise by substituting an inferior product for you!
So what about ordering a bag?
So, when you’re on the search for your next bag, and you find my philosophy speaks to you, perhaps consider the integrity of my process. And when you meet your perfect match on my website, but you're greeted with the “Backordered” sign, I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to provide us with your email address so that we can notify you when your desired product is back in stock! Be patient, I promise you won’t regret it.
