In order to make the best bags, you have to have the best leather. In our experience no one in America is able to make leather of the quality we require. The two places in the world that are capable of making leather to our standards are Italy and England. Our choice for the past 25 years has been England (at least we speak the language). For 20 years we used a venerable family concern named Pearce Leather LTD of Northhampton. Unfortunately as a result of a family dispute Pearce closed it's doors over a year ago. We tried to source our leather in America and Italy but were disappointed with the results.

Fortunately Michael Pearson the managing owner of Pearce Leather has helped us to create a new source for our leather in England. With his help we were able to purchase the embossing plates used to make the texture of our leather. We think the leather our new tannery is making is the best we have ever had the pleasure to use. Our outside leather is a vegetable tanned topgrain cowhide similar to saddle leather. The color is drum dyed into the leather for full color penetration. It is embossed to our specifications at our English tannery using our own embossing plates. To accentuate the texture a pigmented topcoat is applied to the leather after the embossing. This topcoat helps to protect the leather and gives it a lustrous finish.

Our lining and binding leather is made for us in the USA. We use a soft but sturdy chrome tanned cowhide that we have treated with a protective colorfast finish. The leather we use for straps and gussets is often referred to as motorcycle leather and is similar to the lining leather but thicker and tougher. Greg's wife Sara was a fiber artist for years before she married Greg. She is responsible for the three-color combinations we use on our bags and they show her artistic touch. We use lambskin for the decorative binding because it is available in fashion colors. Since lambskin is softer leather, it is more vulnerable to abrasion. If your binding starts to show wear, use a permanent marker to touch it up. Any art supply store should have a marker that will match the color. See our section on leather care for application tips.

In 1972 Greg and Gayle went to New York looking for hardware for their new line of purses. They found an elderly Hungarian man in a little office in the empire state building.

He turned out to be an expert on purse hardware and had samples of the best Italian hardware of the past twenty years. With his contacts they were able to have small quantities of custom hardware made for them alone. We choose our hardware based on it's beauty, functionality, and durability. It's not unusual for us to see a bag that has been used over twenty years with its original hardware still working. We feel confident yours will last as long.

CLASSIC FLIP

Our first custom hardware the flip is simplicity itself. Use the flip down for ease of use or up for extra security. Available in gold/nickel or matte titanium.

GREGS FLIP

Designed for only the Greg's Bag. This clasp has a longer body than the classic flip. Available in gold/nickel or matte titanium.

ROUND FLIP

One of our beautiful pieces it functions like a classic flip. Available in gold or brushed nickel.

MILANO

This closure uses a patented mechanism that makes opening the purse a breeze for the wearer but something of a mystery for a thief. It works very much like a seatbelt mechanism: lift up the tab and take the tounge out. Available in gold/nickel or matte titanium.

SHIELD

Easy to use with one finger you just push in and push up. Available in gold/nickel or brushed nickel.

TRIANGLE

Distinctive and elegant this mechanism is the same as the shield clasp only larger.

BRIEFCASE FLIP

Greg designed this piece especially for our ladies briefcases. It is handmade for us from solid brass and is available in gold or brushed nickel finish.

KEY LOCK

By far the best locking clasp we have ever used. This one is never overwhelmed by excessive weight. Available in gold/nickel or matte titanium.

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