Our buffalo leather wallets are ethically made by talented artisans at Handicraft Villa in India.

Known as “The House of Artisans”, they were established in 2009 in Jaipur, Rajasthan & are a manufacturer, supplier & exporter of high quality leather goods.

The organisation conforms to Fair Trade principles and they are members of Sedex – one of the world’s leading ethical trade service providers working to improve working conditions in global supply chains.

Handicraft Village are currently working towards being a member of the Fair Trade Forum India and are visited and audited twice a year to make sure they are following Fair Trade principles & practices.

The processing of raw skins to the finishing of the product is done without the use of machinery, as the use of new techniques considerably reduces the odour of the leather while it is prepared.

Raw buffalo skins are sourced from the nearby towns of Nasirabad and Raipur. They are first soaked in a solution of lime (choona) and sodium sulphate for about 15 to 20 days. This removes hair from the raw skin and prepares it for further processing.

The hides are stitched at the edges with a local grass, known as moonj and filled with salt water and babool bark powder for the process of veg-tanning. This solution is changed around 10 to 15 times, until the hide becomes stable and watertight. The hides are then sun dried and polished with oil. After some scraping of the underside and dyeing, the hide is ready to be turned into the finished article, which lasts years and ages beautifully.

Each leather item is handmade following a complex process which involves both male & female workers.

By purchasing one of these products you are helping continue the work of these traditional producers.

Below you’ll see products made by Fair Trade artisans and producers at Handicraft Villa. Click on the images to discover more about each product.