At Scaramanga, we take great pride in working with producers and suppliers in traditional artisan and craft-based industries that use traditional materials, methods and skills.
All of our suppliers are small-scale producers and family-run businesses, this is particularly the case for our vintage, ethical leather bags, satchels and travel bags. We aim to develop long-term relationships with our
suppliers and continuity is important to us. Scaramanga trades fairly with all our producers and suppliers and we have developed our own ethical buying and trading policy, which follows those of many British fair trade organisations.
We, as a business, are committed to being part of a growing population of ethical communities and businesses worldwide and our buying team makes regular trips to visit all our suppliers and producers to ensure the ethical standards we set ourselves are being met.
At Scaramanga we:
- Support craft-based families and communities. Buy most of our goods and materials from traditional small-scale producers, and ensure no children are employed.
- Staff are all well looked after and earn above average wages for the industry.
- That we communicate and are transparent with our overseas suppliers in order to create greater equity. By doing so we help to maximise the income generated by local producers.
- We pay our suppliers a fair price, agreed through discussion and participation, which improves their standard of living and their community. We pay at least a 75% advance for orders and pay promptly. Through this, we have developed long-term relationships with our suppliers and respect local designs and production methods.
- Undertake product development with suppliers and producers, which ensures more money goes to the local economies.
At Scaramanga, we salvage furniture that might otherwise be burned or end up in landfill and then restore it by hand. Our Hunter leather uses natural oils, dyes and less water making it more sustainable.
Promote a safe and healthy working environment for producers. We actively encourage sustainable development, which often means paying a premium.
Are committed to ensuring women’s work is properly valued and their contribution is always paid for fairly. Ensures producers will be paid equally regardless of gender, race and caste; and that income should improve their standard of living.
We respect the traditional seasonal working patterns and holidays.
Nothing to Hide - Leather Policy
Genuine leather is natural and possesses truly individual characteristics. We use buffalo leather hides, tanned using a semi-vegetable tanned (VT) method, which means more natural substances like tannins and dyes are used and fewer harmful chemicals like chromium salts are used.
The leather is finished with hot waxes and oils to give it a unique vintage finish. This allows the natural markings, scars, shade variation and other characteristics of the leather to be enjoyed. Modern leather processing often involves the removal of the surface texture and the application of a ‘finish’ layer to give a more uniform appearance.
Our makers acquire their leather hides from registered, audited and trusted tanners. The hides we use are by-products from the meat processing trade. Parts from several buffalo hides may be used to make a single Scaramanga leather bag. So there may be some variation in colour and texture to the different parts of a bag, which will all create a wonderfully unique effect.
These features go to show the genuine origin of our leather satchels and messenger bags, they form part of the bag and do not affect its durability. Like all our leather products, our leather bags are handmade and your new leather bag may be subject to natural variation in size, colour and texture. They all have an antique leather worn look and feel, which adds to their character and appeal, so now you can have a vintage-style leather bag without having to wait years.
Your bag may give off a leather odour for a week or two, which is not unusual for a natural leather product. If you are looking to order a leather bag to match a particular item of clothing or clothing accessory please contact us before ordering.
We are a small, independent, Scottish, family-run business, passionate about sustainability, traditional craft-based skills, and excellent customer service. Our team works tirelessly to design classically styled handmade bags and accessories and source antique, repurposed and vintage furniture and interiors that are as individual as you are.
We are proud to be partnered with the Akshaya Patra Foundation which provides meals for children in India.
We also support Elephant Haven which provides sanctuary for ex-zoo and circus elephants.
We work with small-scale, family-run businesses and always aim to work fairly with our suppliers so that their businesses grow, employees earn a higher wage and are well treated. Our talented artisans in India hand make all our leather bags and we value the age-old traditional skilled craftsmanship that is practised and handed down to generations in artisan communities and we work to support those traditions. We have worked with 80% of our suppliers for more than 14 years and value our long-standing relationships with them.
