The Atelier
Made with care, and patience,
by hand
Himo is a small studio. We make drawstring pouches from full-grain Italian leather and close them with a cord knotted entirely by hand.
- 100%Handmade in small batches
- 100%Hand-knotted cord
- 100%Italian leather
A single piece passes through the same pair of hands from cut to final knot.
We work in small batches because the finishing cannot be rushed. That means fewer pieces and longer waits — but it also means the person who cut your pouch is the person who closed it.
Leather is a living material. It will darken where it is held and soften where it folds. That is the point.
Process
Four stages
01
The hide
Full-grain Italian leather, chosen by the tannery lot rather than the swatch. We take what the hide gives — no correction, no embossing.
02
The cut
Each panel is cut by hand against a paper pattern. Grain direction is matched across pieces so a finished pouch reads as one surface.
03
The knot
The cord is knotted by hand, one at a time. It is the slowest part of the process and the only part we refuse to change.
04
The finish
Edges are burnished and sealed in several passes. Nothing leaves the bench until the knot sits true and the edge runs clean.
紐 — himo
The word the studio is named for. It means cord — the part of the object most people overlook, and the part we spend the longest on.