American-Made Leather Goods Brands That Actually Last

Matt Munoz and Christopher Briley founded Lotuff in Providence in 2010 with a straightforward brief: make leather goods that improve with age rather than degrading. Every piece is cut from vegetable-tanned full-grain leather sourced from Horween Leather in Chicago — the same tannery that supplies Red Wing Boots and Filson. The design language is minimal almost to the point of austerity, which is the right choice when the leather itself is the point.

Christian Martinez started Orox Leather in Albuquerque, New Mexico as a working studio — not a brand that coordinates production elsewhere. Every bag, belt, and wallet is cut and assembled in the workshop. Orox uses vegetable-tanned and oil-tanned leathers depending on the piece, and offers custom sizing and color options direct from the maker. The result is gear built for use rather than display.

Anne Capella launched Brynn Capella in Chicago in 2016 with a clear premise: beautifully designed women's handbags, made in the US, at prices that weren't insulting. Production happens in Milwaukee, using full-grain Italian leather alongside American-tanned hides. The designs prioritize everyday functionality — structured totes and crossbodies with interior pockets that make sense — over seasonal trend-chasing.

Gary Waterfield started making bags in San Francisco in 2000, initially designing sleeves for the original PowerBook. Twenty-five years later, WaterField still cuts and sews everything in their SF shop. Their bags combine full-grain leather with ballistic nylon — leather handles, zip pulls, and panel reinforcements on a technical nylon body. An honest approach: use leather where you want longevity and feel, and technical materials where you want weatherproofing.

Marley Hodgson started Ghurka in 1975 in Norwalk, Connecticut, after noticing that the leather goods market had drifted toward fashion at the expense of function. The brand's Vintage Leather — a combination-tanned hide that develops a rich walnut patina over years — is the defining material. Ghurka pieces are designed to be passed down: saddle-stitched, reinforced at stress points, with hardware that doesn't bend in two years.

Made in Lynchburg, Virginia, Meanwhile Back on the Farm makes totes, backpacks, and crossbody bags from Martexin Original Wax canvas — the same American-made waxed canvas used by Filson — with full-grain leather handles, straps, and reinforcements. Each bag is assembled by hand. The aesthetic is working utilitarian: not fashionable in a trend-driven way, but deeply considered for the kind of person who needs a bag to do something.

Coronado Leather works out of San Diego, California, making duffels, briefcases, and travel bags from full-grain leather sourced from US and Italian tanneries. Their CEO duffel and weekender pieces use the structured construction of traditional luggage makers — steel hardware, reinforced corners, bridle leather handles — with a West Coast directness to the design. No monogramming, no branding, no noise.