Bag and leather goods manufacturers

What to look for in a bag manufacturer

Bags are pattern, materials and hardware. Ask what the factory makes most, and look at the stitching, edge finishing and hardware on its current production.

Many of the factories here make golf bags and headcovers, which is demanding work: structured shapes, lots of hardware and embroidery, and products that live outdoors. A factory that does that well can usually handle a backpack or a travel bag.

• Materials: leathers, PU and vegan leathers, nylons and canvas they stock.
• Hardware: zips, buckles and metal parts, and whether you can use your own.
• Branding: embossing, debossing, metal plates, embroidery.
• Brands they have produced for, shown on the cards with the evidence.

MOQs and sampling

Minimums are per design and color. Leather adds its own minimums by hide and finish. Use the bag before you approve it: load it, carry it, open and close every zip.

Domestic or overseas

Most bag production in these records is in China and Taiwan. Italy and Spain are known for premium leather goods; domestic leather workshops suit small, high priced runs.

Questions to ask on the first call

Send a reference bag if you have one, with notes on what to change. Factories quote faster and sample better from a physical reference than from sketches.

• What materials and hardware do you stock, and can I use my own?
• What branding can you do in house: embossing, metal plates, embroidery?
• What is the minimum per design and per color?
• How do you check stitching and hardware before packing?

In this list

13 bags and leather factories, in China (11), India (1) and Taiwan (1). Between them, records show they have produced for POV Beauty, The Citizenry, TaylorMade, Callaway, Ghost Golf, PING, PXG, Tour Edge and 1 more. The Vault has 15 more bags and leather suppliers whose names, contacts and notes stay with the course.