Cutting the leather parts of the bag

Each Tabalis bag has its beginning on the designer desk, which has the job of putting on paper the ideas we have for our bags. The designer will create the bag plan, consisting of all the pieces that will come together and give life to a bag.

It is also the competence of the designer to create the mold of each piece, on cardboard, which will be used to cut the leather or other material.

A Tabalis bag consists of several pieces, from the outside and the lining, including shoulder straps, which are cut and then sent to the seamstresses for them to sew the pieces. The bag begins to come to life.

There are several ways to cut the pieces. The simplest way is by hand, using a sharp knife suitable for the task, and using the mold of the piece we want, to cut the leather or fabric. This way of cutting is used mainly in small productions, as well as in the manufacture of samples. It is a method that does not require a large investment in tools, however it is the most time-consuming method, and this is reflected in the final cost of the bag.

If we want to produce a reasonable amount of a bag, the most used method is the use of iron moulds. We send the bag plan made by the designer to a mould factory, and we will obtain an iron mould of each piece that makes up a bag. We will use a pressing machine that will press the iron mould against the leather, cutting it to the shape of the mould. This method requires an investment in iron moulds, and only pays off if the quantity of bags to be manufactured is large enough to offset the costs. This process also pays off for the classic models they sell  for many seasons, maintaining its construction base; the cost will then be diluted over the seasons.

These are the two cutting methods most used in the manufacture of bags, but there are others, such as laser cutting, a method most used in the shoe industry: the moulds are digitized to the computer, which is connected to a cutting table . The leather will be placed on that table, and the molds are projected through a light onto the leather. The cutter will then adjust the projected moulds and the leather, in order to have the best possible performance. A laser beam will then cut the leather.