The compagnon craft live

The aspect of responsible manufacturing and our aspiration to incorporate the best possible craftsmanship into our products is an essential part of what makes a true compagnon. Our open approach to the background of our work & products is another. Today we take you into our production, as honest, direct and live as possible.

Welcome to the compagnon workshop & manufactory

Vitalis regularly spends several days here in direct dialog with the talented seamstresses and craftspeople to constantly improve the production of compagnon products, not only for the benefit of the final result, but also to incorporate the experience and knowledge of the workshop staff. The countless decades of know-how in leather processing and the art of sewing enrich every compagnon development. To show you which hands have created your compagnon and are developing our ideas and prototypes with us into the series, Valentin was once again with us in Krakow. Especially for you with his film camera in his hands:

Krakow offers us a mixture of all the things that were important to us personally as well as for our products. The geographical proximity to Germany and a Central European past ensure that our understanding of quality is not demonized here, but understood comprehensively. The dialog with every employee within these walls is based on know-how, a sense of tradition, a harmonious working atmosphere and a great openness towards the wishes of others. This alone is an excellent match for compagnon.

The demanding processing of natural materials can always involve difficult aspects and complex work steps that need to be discussed and carefully considered. In such situations, Vitalis has the ability to decide within minutes whether to set off. And shortly afterwards, he is available as a contact person for our seamstresses.

A product that deserves respect is always the result of work that is also worth looking at. That's why we make sure that seamstresses are appreciated, valued and paid fairly. The production leaves room for personal needs and makes conscious use of individual talents. Here, master craftswomen over the age of 50 are not considered old hands, but are valued for their experience and unparalleled care and are integrated accordingly.

We must not refuse to embrace progress, but tradition also deserves its place. Of course, our workshop also employs advanced production assistants, but the actual production is carried out by skilled hands and sewing machines that have been providing faithful service for many decades. A team that consistently proves its success should not be changed lightly. We firmly believe in this.

compagnons offer a long service life and will accompany you through many years. Due to the use of natural materials, repairs may be necessary in individual cases during this time or there may be an individual change request. Whenever we cannot carry out this work directly in Birkenfeld, these talented hands will take care of your wishes.

We work every day to create a bag that impresses with its design and is a pleasure to use. As soon as we have combined the compagnon factor with an exciting idea, our seamstresses bring these visions and designs to life. Our tests ultimately show which prototype is worthy of our name. Now you can see that a compagnon requires the knowledge, skills and passion of many people. That gives us great pleasure. And hopefully you too...

About the compagnon leather:
The basis for our creations

The leather for our products is a local, natural and unique material from the ground up. The raw hides for our leather come from fields close to home. We are able to visit the animals and see for ourselves how they can spend their lives on vast, natural pastures. Our rawhides may have small scars and peculiarities, as the animals move freely as is their nature. Insect bites are also not prevented by chemicals or stabling. We do not strive for an artificial, unnaturally perfect rawhide, but rather a unique, particularly pure basis for a wonderful product.

With rawhides like these, it goes without saying that we also want to use the most natural and traditional method of tanning. We work with a small, family-run tannery in the Lake Constance region, not far from our home in the Black Forest. There, our leather is carefully tanned according to our wishes using a natural process, without the use of chemicals or harmful ingredients. The fabulous result is a bull leather that gains more and more patina and character with every year of use. By tanning with craftsmanship, natural waxes, oils and fermented leaves, not only a beautiful but also very robust, water-repellent leather is achieved. The natural oils and waxes penetrate the pores of the hide, making it weatherproof for a long time and ideal for use on a camera bag.

To maintain the weather resistance and robustness of our leather for many years, we recommend our homemade, also completely natural leather care product 'the beewax'. Depending on use and the climate of your environment, we recommend a care unit every 6-9 months. Shorter intervals are of course also possible if you want a particularly strong coloration and the highest possible water resistance.
Since we do not use any chemicals that would be necessary to achieve absolute color stability, there are occasionally certain color variations between the hides of our light brown and dark brown leathers. We keep these variations to a minimum and the resulting patina means that even if there is a variation, the color generally evens out with use.
compagnon bags and rucksacks are made with the aim of being your best friend and accompanying you for many years to come. The compagnon bull leather is absolutely ideal for this and, in addition to its supple feel, exclusive look and professional function, it also offers the necessary robustness.

Because this material has been made from the start for being outside and being on the go. By nature.