The Workshop
All of our products are designed, prototyped and produced at our Atelier in Kildare. Interested in all areas of craft, the timber buildings that house the Atelier were also designed and made by Garvan de Bruir.
The Workshop
The DE BRUIR collection of bags and accessories in bridle leather are made in this building. Full to the brim with hand tools, templates, cutting benches and sewing machines.
Upstairs are more sewing and skiving machines allowing flexibility under times of high demand. This upper section also houses the components waiting for assembly.
This workshop is the main hive of the DE BRUIR complex – here you will find a treasure trove of tools, designs and leather innovations that have been gathered and refined by Garvan over the years. Other buildings hold the leather store rooms, patterns, templates, dies and more machinery.
Storing Tools
A series of punches are in the leather holsters on the wall. Some cut holes of different diameter, some make slots of different lengths for a selection of buckle sizes.
End Punches
There are varying widths of end-punches which will cut an even round or a point in the end of a strap.
Wooden Cutting Blocks
The wooden cutting blocks below the counter have thick leather tops to ensure the punches stay sharp.
Shoemakers Clamp
The shoemakers last is clamped in the vice for hammering brass rivets closed.
Standard Sewing Machines
The standard sewing machines are on a flat table. These are ideal for the early stages of the bag making. However as the bags begin to take shape and the stitch area becomes less accessible, there are machines that are more specific to bag-making. Some machines have the stitch mechanism at the end of a long arm or the top a high pedestal for increased manoeuvrability.
Pearson No. 6
A Pearson No.6 is a stallworth in the saddle-making industry. Although it is propelled by hand the engineering is so precise that the needle glides through 15mm of firm leather and gives a beautiful finish stitch.
At an easy 100 years old, it is the finest piece of craftsmanship in the workshop.
Singer 45
This old Singer 45 is on a flat table with a wheel feed. It uses a chunky n8 polyester cotton thread. It was salvaged and restored for use as it gives a really handsome stitch.
Upstairs Machines
The upstairs part of the workshop has machines for thinner leathers and sheepskins.
