Every piece starts before the cut. The material decides what the work can become.
For leather, that choice happens at the source. We look for temper, grain, thickness, and how the hide responds under pressure.
Different hides carry different lives. Some darken and patina. Some stay tight and consistent. Some are built for daily wear.
Material selection is not decoration. It is matching the surface to the life the piece will have.
We reject hides with weak temper, uneven thickness, or flaws that fight the final form. The standard starts there.
