Southern Field Industries – Saitama Japan

Southern Field Industries is a handmade leather goods company based in the Saitama region of Japan- producing quality leather goods since 2008. The tiny operation is run by husband and wife duo Manabu & Keiko, who pride themselves on producing the very best possible hand crafted products. Prior to launching Southern Field Industries, Manabu worked at his father’s factory producing equestrian products for the racehorse industry- Needless to say he has countless years of experience working with leather. And it shows! – A high level of attention to detail is abundantly evident; from the hand sewn threads to the painted edges of the finished products- everything done with the highest level of knowledge and care.

Whilst browsing through the collection, which mainly offers bags and wallets, we decided to pick our two favourite items- a task which happened to be far from easy given the quality of every single item on offer.

Our first pick is the waxed rucksack in antique red. Made from British Millerain cotton and waxed canvas lining, the rucksack features leather straps and a drawstring cord which is in fact a Red Wing shoe lace- a nice little touch. In short, the SFI Waxed Rucksack ticks all the boxes- it is well made, functional, and more importantly looks fantastic.

Our second pick is the Flap Wallet in tan. We’ve come across quite an array of leather card wallets recently but this has to be one of the best  we’ve seen- the hand sewn leather contoured edge is an especially agreeable feature. Minimal but effective, the SFI Flap Wallet is the sort of item that would make you smile whenever you got it out; It is also one that exudes the passion and skill that has gone into its production and because of this- very quietly, without shouting about it, it would become one of your most cherished possessions. We love it.

All items within Southern Field Industries are currently Made-to-Order, an unusual format, but one that adds value and appeal to all of the products on offer. Their website homepage is a similarly uncommon approach, looking more like a blog or tumblr than an e-commerce site. Flicking through their homepage photos, it is obvious that Manabu & Keiko take great pride in seeing their customers enjoying their products- with many of the photos depicting happy customers with their recent purchases.

A small, honest manufacturer, producing brilliant products and putting their customers at the very forefront of its business- Welcome to Southern Field Industries.

To shop SFI, head over to the official online shop. You’ll also find a small offering over at Free Man.

Manabu’s Flap Wallet after a month of wear

Routine work in the studio