No. A01G | Compact Mirror (Goatskin Lined Interior)

Our FAQ page will be updated as needed. Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing us at info@atelieremi.com or by visiting our contact page here.

Please see below for:

1. Production Questions
2. Materials Questions
3. General Questions

Production Questions

• "Why hand-stitched? Does it make that much of a difference?"

In regards to durability, yes, hand-stitched leather goods are generally far superior in strength than machine-sewn leather goods.

On hand-sewn items, if the thread happens to break, the saddle stitch loosens on one side of the material, but the other side's thread will continue to hold the piece together. Machine-sewn leather goods are produced much faster, and therefore reduces labor costs and overall price. However, sewing machines use a lock stitch technique which requires interlocking threads that depend on each other to hold the piece in tact. In machine-sewn products, if the thread breaks, the lock stitch will unravel for several stitches and both sides will loosen.

We use a traditional method called saddle stitching which requires two independent threads that intertwine with each other, but do not depend on each other to hold the piece in tact. Because we aim to provide our loyal customers with products that embodies quality, luxury and durability, we are proud to hand-stitch all of our products for longevity.

• "Can you explain the making process?"

Of course, our process of production is listed on our 'Production Process' or 'How Its Made' page here.

Materials Questions

• "What's the difference between goatskin lining and cowhide lining? Why is goatskin more costly than the other?"

Compared to cowhide leather, goatskin leather is generally softer, and more luxurious in feel. Although goatskin feels much softer to the touch, it also has more durability than cowhide while being much thinner than cow hide. Thus, feeling very light weight. It is suppler and softer because of the presence of lanolin in the leather. This also makes goatskin slightly more durable than cowhide because it is generally more water resistant.

• "What's the 'edge color' choice?"

Applying edge paint is one method (Emi's preferred method) of finishing the leather's edges. The edge color refers to the color of the paint used. Edge painting is a very tedious process that takes hours or even days to complete, due to the drying time between coats. However, applying edge paint protects the raw/exposed edges from damage, and allows you to customize every detail, down to the trim.

•  "What's the 'edge finish' choice?"

Because we want you to customize your Emi leather goods exactly to your liking, we provide numerous customization options, including the finish choice. The edge finish refers to the final protective coat that seals in the edge paint color, and adds some protection from normal wear. It dries translucent and adds an effect to the edge paint, making the edges either matte or glossy. (Please note that Gloss finish tends to have more grip than Matte Finish.)

• "What kind of thread do you use?"

• Will be updated as needed.

General Questions

• "Do you do custom work?"

Please contact us directly via email (info@atelieremi.com) or through our 'Contact' page here. The majority of our leather goods were actually created through requests from friends, family, and our loyal customers. So yes, we would love the chance to create a custom item for you. Pricing varies depending on the intricacy of the item requested.

Please refer to our 'Custom Work' page here for how to request custom designs.

• "Where can I find you in stores?"

You may find us at one of our pop-ups listed on our events page here.

If you would like to be notified of which stores you may find us at in the future, we welcome you to sign up for our mailing list, and/or stay tuned with our Instagram and Facebook pages.

• “Wow, [international] shipping is really expensive is there any way we can get cheaper shipping?”

It is possible to ship out packages cheaper via First Class mail. However, that method has an estimated shipping speed of 7-21 business days. This shipping method is not guaranteed and could potentially take longer. Generally, the longer a package is in transit, the higher chance there is for it to get lost during transit.

Our packages are sent out via USPS priority international. This method comes with tracking information, and has estimated international shipping speed of 6-10 business days (which significantly cuts the chances of it getting lost during transit). The shipping rate also covers the costs to insure the package for the item’s full value.

• “What's the cost breakdown? I like to know what I'm paying for, as with anything else in life as I'm sure you are too. Please don't take offense to this as I mean no harm by it and I'm sure you're using high quality material and the caliber of your work isn't to be questioned."

We completely understand and take no offense. Pricing for Emi leather goods are calculated from the sum of hourly labor, raw materials, packaging, overhead, and the purchase venue’s fees (art/craft fair/website's transaction fees, state and county sales taxes, etc).

As regular online shoppers, we understand that people are always looking for deals. We also accept the fact that there will be other vendors who offer lower price points than we do. However, in order to match the price point of those vendors, we would have to forego much of the handcrafting process (such as hand stitching, hand skiving, hand cutting, etc.) and/or detailing steps (edge creasing, edge paint, full lining, etc). We strive to be as transparent as possible with our supporters, and ensure you that our pricing has been thoroughly planned out and objectively calculated to meet the requirements of running this business as a purely hand-crafted and detail-oriented workshop.

• "I'm looking to re-design some stuff like size of name plate, thread pattern, stitching, etc. What are the design options that you have in mind that I can pick and brainstorm on with you?"

It's hard to say as our preferred styles may be completely different than yours. There's an endless amount of design options out there, and we want you to freely design or let us replicate what you want. If you're looking for custom designs, but are currently stuck on where to begin, please let us know what appeals to you, what doesn't appeal to you, and why. Knowing both what you like and don’t like will help greatly in customizing the final design. Please feel free to contact us, and we will work with you to come up with prototypes and your final product.