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Pierpont Leather is an SF affiliate whose official thread can be found here.
Known for custom projects and individual clients, Pierpont is expanding with some ready-made bags; I had a chance to give the "Graham," a soft leather briefcase, a test drive before they are sent into full production.
Executive Summary: Superlative materials, handmade construction, and excellent customer service hint at a pretty bright future for the brand. A welcome addition to the growing Made-in-USA wave of artisan products giving Europe a run for its money.
Intro: Pierpont Leather is a custom maker out of Dallas, using traditional French construction and materials to produce bags, cases, wallets, and belts from a range of standard and exotic leathers. Given the raw costs and labor involved (an average bag takes 20-30 hours to produce), pricing is at the ultra-premium level.
"Graham" Soft Leather Briefcase in Taupe
Dimensions: 15.6X 11.5 X 4.5"
Handle Drop (of the prototype): 4"
Adjustable Strap Drop: 10-19 inches
Weight: 1.5 kg
Colors: Taupe (with dark brown lining); Black with black lining.
What I like:
Leather: The bag has an excellent weight and feel. Size and shape are functional (I especially like that it is wide enough to get a notebook, Ipad, and even water bottle and still get it closed). It uses Taurillon (French tanned bull calf... similar to Hermes Clemence), a leather known for its softness, durability, and resistance to scratches/stains. Luckily, though, the bag isn’t too heavy (often many full leather bags are so heavy that they become unwieldy as soon as you’ve put in a notebook, water bottle, etc. )
Hardware, Edging, Stitching: Swiss-made RIRI zippers are very high quality. Also the metal hardware (strap loops, fastener, etc) is very nice. The zippers/ pulls are functional and neither too large nor too short, or obnixious (eg. Tom Ford's gigantor zippers). I really like the size, shape, and “feel” of the strap: sturdy and comfortable and just the right width/length.
Wear/Hold up: Used it pretty thoroughly for about two weeks, including a short trip and daily carry to the office. As expected from such high-quality materials, there should be (and were) no issues. The Taurillon doesn't scratch or stain, and the zips/straps and all are fine. I could probably continue banging away at this time for a few more months before I'd really notice much wear.
Some Critiques (With Responses):
At this price point, I'm extremely picky and critical of nearly every detail. For $500, you can live with some things; for four times that... no way. As such, here are my (1) musings (meaning just things I wonder) and (2) critiques (actual things I want to see changed) with responses from Parker Pierpont, founder and head of the company.
*Musing- Use of Taurillon:
Hermes Clemence bags, which use a similar leather, tend to get very "slouchy" as they age. With a soft tote, that's fine and adds character. With a briefcase, however, I want it to retain its shape. I'm glad they chose such a stain/scratch resistant hide that is still supple, but I wonder years down the road about the shape.
Response: They've attempted to compensate for this by using a rigid piece of box calf as an interface on most structural panels.
Am I Satisfied? Yes. Adding a more rigid interior helps keep the soft exterior in shape.
*Critique- Stitching Imperfection:
You don't want "perfect" stitching on a handmade bag; I get that. Only a machine is perfect. HOWEVER, I did notice a few spots that, well, I didn't like, especially around the strap and the strap loop.
Response: The one I test drove is a prototype bag; the final production bag will have several small tweaks, including touching up/removing any stitching issues. It's hard to get an economy of scale from a handmade bag, but production units will resolve these.
Satisfied? Yes. Prototypes are just that.
*Critique- Strap Drop:
I don't want a purse that I sling over my shoulder, but the 4" strap drop is too small for me. My hands brush up against the top of the bag, especially since often the top panel will come up when the bag isn't full. I'd like another inch or so strap drop.
Response: They'd already considered this and will probably be adding some to the strap drop.
Am I satisfied? I would be if that aspect goes into full production.
*Critique- Visibility of the metal feet on the interior bottom:
I could see impressions where the metal feet attach to the bottom of the bag through the leather lining. Yes, I'm picky, but I don't want to see that.
Response: the Production model will add a light layer of leather under the bottom lining to hide all impressions from the feet. They already anticipated this in between prototype and production models.
Critique- Lining Material:
My model had an untreated calf; spilling something/sticky something will make it tough to clean.
Response: Already anticipated/changed- the Production model will have an interior leather with a wax coating to prevent discoloration/stains.
*Nitpicky Subjective Critique- Shape of Metal Feet:
I think they are too tall/pointy. Metal feet on a bag, I feel, should just be there for functionality, and the less noticeable the better. I tend to like shorter, flatter ones… rather than tapered or pointed ones like on this bag.
This is just my personal preference... maybe nobody else cares/notices their metal feet.
*Musing- Design/Originality:
My biggest musing is about design and influence: to my eye, the bag looks like it comes from Hermes. While this is a compliment to the quality of construction and materials, it also does the bag a disservice given its MSRP and the amount of time/labor put into producing it. But, the bag's white contrast saddle stitching, the Taurillon leather, palladium RIRI zippers… even the lozenge-shaped zipper pulls… are like Hermes. I just wonder, as the brand continues to build, if it can find a way to inject/create its own design DNA into the beauty of its materials/construction.
Response: Moving forward, of course the brand plans to work on this, but for initial products the influence of traditional French/European construction is definitely there.
Me: A brand has to start somewhere and this kind of aesthetic/design/marketing stuff takes time. As such, I'm satisfied and excited to see how this brand develops.
Overall Assessment:
The bag is beautiful and given the quality materials, it’s MSRP of $2000 is not excessive. You'd pay 3x's this much for a bag from any of the famous handmade ones (Hermes, Moynat, et al). I paid considerably more for my April in Paris bag some years back (though that was fully custom), though construction/quality are similar.
The "Graham" is a handmade bag and has the feel of a handmade bag and, no doubt, will last forever and get better with age. As such, you can't call it a bargain, but you also would be hard pressed to find something exactly like this at this price point (just see what you get for $2000 from Prada these days).
Would I buy the bag or encourage others to support the brand? I would: the quality is there, the service is there, and the commitment to recreating a vanishing tradition of workmanship is there. This is the most important thing for a luxury maker... and Pierpont has it.
Price: MSRP is $2080 USD.
Known for custom projects and individual clients, Pierpont is expanding with some ready-made bags; I had a chance to give the "Graham," a soft leather briefcase, a test drive before they are sent into full production.
Executive Summary: Superlative materials, handmade construction, and excellent customer service hint at a pretty bright future for the brand. A welcome addition to the growing Made-in-USA wave of artisan products giving Europe a run for its money.
Intro: Pierpont Leather is a custom maker out of Dallas, using traditional French construction and materials to produce bags, cases, wallets, and belts from a range of standard and exotic leathers. Given the raw costs and labor involved (an average bag takes 20-30 hours to produce), pricing is at the ultra-premium level.
"Graham" Soft Leather Briefcase in Taupe
Dimensions: 15.6X 11.5 X 4.5"
Handle Drop (of the prototype): 4"
Adjustable Strap Drop: 10-19 inches
Weight: 1.5 kg
Colors: Taupe (with dark brown lining); Black with black lining.
What I like:
Leather: The bag has an excellent weight and feel. Size and shape are functional (I especially like that it is wide enough to get a notebook, Ipad, and even water bottle and still get it closed). It uses Taurillon (French tanned bull calf... similar to Hermes Clemence), a leather known for its softness, durability, and resistance to scratches/stains. Luckily, though, the bag isn’t too heavy (often many full leather bags are so heavy that they become unwieldy as soon as you’ve put in a notebook, water bottle, etc. )
Hardware, Edging, Stitching: Swiss-made RIRI zippers are very high quality. Also the metal hardware (strap loops, fastener, etc) is very nice. The zippers/ pulls are functional and neither too large nor too short, or obnixious (eg. Tom Ford's gigantor zippers). I really like the size, shape, and “feel” of the strap: sturdy and comfortable and just the right width/length.
Wear/Hold up: Used it pretty thoroughly for about two weeks, including a short trip and daily carry to the office. As expected from such high-quality materials, there should be (and were) no issues. The Taurillon doesn't scratch or stain, and the zips/straps and all are fine. I could probably continue banging away at this time for a few more months before I'd really notice much wear.
Some Critiques (With Responses):
At this price point, I'm extremely picky and critical of nearly every detail. For $500, you can live with some things; for four times that... no way. As such, here are my (1) musings (meaning just things I wonder) and (2) critiques (actual things I want to see changed) with responses from Parker Pierpont, founder and head of the company.
*Musing- Use of Taurillon:
Hermes Clemence bags, which use a similar leather, tend to get very "slouchy" as they age. With a soft tote, that's fine and adds character. With a briefcase, however, I want it to retain its shape. I'm glad they chose such a stain/scratch resistant hide that is still supple, but I wonder years down the road about the shape.
Response: They've attempted to compensate for this by using a rigid piece of box calf as an interface on most structural panels.
Am I Satisfied? Yes. Adding a more rigid interior helps keep the soft exterior in shape.
*Critique- Stitching Imperfection:
You don't want "perfect" stitching on a handmade bag; I get that. Only a machine is perfect. HOWEVER, I did notice a few spots that, well, I didn't like, especially around the strap and the strap loop.
Response: The one I test drove is a prototype bag; the final production bag will have several small tweaks, including touching up/removing any stitching issues. It's hard to get an economy of scale from a handmade bag, but production units will resolve these.
Satisfied? Yes. Prototypes are just that.
*Critique- Strap Drop:
I don't want a purse that I sling over my shoulder, but the 4" strap drop is too small for me. My hands brush up against the top of the bag, especially since often the top panel will come up when the bag isn't full. I'd like another inch or so strap drop.
Response: They'd already considered this and will probably be adding some to the strap drop.
Am I satisfied? I would be if that aspect goes into full production.
*Critique- Visibility of the metal feet on the interior bottom:
I could see impressions where the metal feet attach to the bottom of the bag through the leather lining. Yes, I'm picky, but I don't want to see that.
Response: the Production model will add a light layer of leather under the bottom lining to hide all impressions from the feet. They already anticipated this in between prototype and production models.
Critique- Lining Material:
My model had an untreated calf; spilling something/sticky something will make it tough to clean.
Response: Already anticipated/changed- the Production model will have an interior leather with a wax coating to prevent discoloration/stains.
*Nitpicky Subjective Critique- Shape of Metal Feet:
I think they are too tall/pointy. Metal feet on a bag, I feel, should just be there for functionality, and the less noticeable the better. I tend to like shorter, flatter ones… rather than tapered or pointed ones like on this bag.
This is just my personal preference... maybe nobody else cares/notices their metal feet.
*Musing- Design/Originality:
My biggest musing is about design and influence: to my eye, the bag looks like it comes from Hermes. While this is a compliment to the quality of construction and materials, it also does the bag a disservice given its MSRP and the amount of time/labor put into producing it. But, the bag's white contrast saddle stitching, the Taurillon leather, palladium RIRI zippers… even the lozenge-shaped zipper pulls… are like Hermes. I just wonder, as the brand continues to build, if it can find a way to inject/create its own design DNA into the beauty of its materials/construction.
Response: Moving forward, of course the brand plans to work on this, but for initial products the influence of traditional French/European construction is definitely there.
Me: A brand has to start somewhere and this kind of aesthetic/design/marketing stuff takes time. As such, I'm satisfied and excited to see how this brand develops.
Overall Assessment:
The bag is beautiful and given the quality materials, it’s MSRP of $2000 is not excessive. You'd pay 3x's this much for a bag from any of the famous handmade ones (Hermes, Moynat, et al). I paid considerably more for my April in Paris bag some years back (though that was fully custom), though construction/quality are similar.
The "Graham" is a handmade bag and has the feel of a handmade bag and, no doubt, will last forever and get better with age. As such, you can't call it a bargain, but you also would be hard pressed to find something exactly like this at this price point (just see what you get for $2000 from Prada these days).
Would I buy the bag or encourage others to support the brand? I would: the quality is there, the service is there, and the commitment to recreating a vanishing tradition of workmanship is there. This is the most important thing for a luxury maker... and Pierpont has it.
Price: MSRP is $2080 USD.
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