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Brand Scorecard:
★★★★☆
Leather: 4.5
Hardware: 4
Design: 4
Engineering: 4
Craftmanship: 4.5
TOTAL: 4.21
Brand Website:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRIEF HISTORY
In 2015, Andar began a mission to create distinctive, minimalist products designed for longevity. Inspired by the Spanish word "andar," meaning "to carry," the brand aims to streamline and organize essentials. Over the years, Andar has remained committed to innovating unique designs for everyday items. The company's philosophy centers on producing handcrafted goods from premium materials, emphasizing the importance of carrying only what truly matters. Andar's products invite users to declutter and elevate the essentials, promoting a lifestyle focused on carrying what truly matters.
FIVE PILLARS OF A GOOD LEATHERCRAFT
CRITERIA | 5 (Very Strong) | 4 (Strong) | 3 (Mixed) | 2 (Limited) | 1 (Not Present) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leather | A perfect balance of art and fashion of leather tanning. Rare and artisanal hides from exceptional tanneries | Good leathers for the application in hand. Coming from environmentally conscious tanneries | Average corrected leathers that do NOT require high-quality raw hides. Less info on the source of the leather | Low-quality leather choice with significantly less information about the sourcing practice. | Inferior sketchy leather derivates or non-leather materials. |
Hardware | Top of the line Stainless Steel or Brass Hardware with Highest Caliber Coatings | Common alloy or brass hardware with high-quality plating and thin protection that will last a good while. | Alloy hardware with acceptable coating. Lifetime may be impacted due to the coating of the hardware. | Serious flaws in the making and coating of the low-grade alloy hardware that is harmful to humans and the planet. | Non-metal, plastic, and non-durable hardware that is harmful to humans and the planet. |
Design | A professional design language that is unique and consistent with the brand | A creative take on a classical design concept | Minimal changes to common styles | Almost copy of common/famous designs. Dysfunctional elements. | Problematic design elements affect the functionality, durability, and aesthetics of the product. |
Engineering | Highly organized, sophisticated shape and form engineering with high-quality materials inside the craft. | Clean and quality inner support materials and structure | Acceptable cleanliness of inner work with medium-quality support materials | Messy inside with low-grade support elements | Complete lack of inner structure and craftsmanship. |
Craftsmanship | Expert craftsmanship with flawless, hand or machine stitching, demonstrating advanced skills. No visible errors; edge paint is avoided using superior techniques. | Perfect machine stitching with excellent edge finishing. Immaculate inside and out, with no visible flaws, showing a commitment to quality. | Good overall stitching and alignment with minor flaws. Acceptable edge finishing, with fairly clean interior and exterior. | Noticeable misalignment and sloppy workmanship. Multiple errors affect visual appeal, with untidy interior work. | Poor craftsmanship with missed stitches, visible errors, and uncleaned residues. Major issues that may affect durability. |
Overall Score | An incredible value for money that I have no problem recommending to anyone | Very good example of great quality for a great price without any risk to try | A considerable offer with a relatively high price. Make your choice at your own discretion | Consider it well within your own criterion as the quality/price is not a decision point I can recommend here | Stay away! |
READING MY ASSESSMENT SCORES
SCORE | NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
5 | Strong Yes | ⭐ This grade is given to brands that present great value for the price they charge you for their product. I have no problem confidently recommending you check their products. These are the brands I reach out to ask if they can give me an affiliate link so your purchases using my link can support my content efforts. |
4 | Yes | 👍 This indicates that the brand meets all my expectations from the perspective of price and information they have about their products. I would happily buy their products at this level of quality/value score. This is the only other category of brands I request an affiliate link to support this channel to improve my Leathertainment content. |
3 | Mixed | ➖ There are areas that I found less than desirable for the quality/price performance I appreciate personally. Some high-end luxury brands may fall under this category given I am looking for tangible value in the products, ignoring the intangible brand prestige they may offer as a value to their customers. I am not a customer of these brands and I wouldn’t recommend them to my audience if they do NOT value brand logos. |
2 | No | 👎 This indicates that the product and the brand failed my expectations in significant ways and I won’t recommend them to anyone. |
1 | Strong No | ❌ This is the lowest assessment and indicates fundamental issues in the product and/or the brand. I would say look somewhere else. |
LEATHERVERSE MATRIX
The Leatherverse Brand Matrix visually compares leather brands based on sophistication and pricing, helping consumers understand their market positioning.
Legend
Vertical Axis: Ranges from simple artisan crafts to exclusive, master-crafted items.
Horizontal Axis: Covers pricing from low (no brand premium) to high (perceived luxury), with 2x multipliers for basic products and up to 15x for heavily marketed luxury items.
Diagonal Line: Represents the balance between price and performance. Brands on the line offer good value, those below suggest poor value, and those above offer exceptional value.
AUDIENCE & CUSTOMER'S PERSPECTIVE
Based on these criteria, how would you rate Andar as a brand?
How would you rate Andar as a brand?
5
4
3
2
PRODUCTS REVIEWED
Rip My Bag Challenge: Unveiling the Andar Manhattan Backpack
Andar's Manhattan Backpack
Watch the videos here:
Welcome to the new series called the “Rip My Bag Challenge”, where I put emerging leather brands to the ultimate test. Today, we’re diving into a bag from Andar, a brand that boldly challenged me to dissect one of their products.
After browsing their website, I selected the Manhattan Backpack, a sleek and stylish choice that caught my eye. Priced at $344, it seemed like a good candidate for this in-depth review.
How the Rip My Bag Challenge Works
Let me provide a detailed explanation of the Rip My Bag Challenge. This concept emerged from my desire to explore and review new and lesser-known brands, bringing transparency and honesty to the leather goods market. Here’s how it all began and how it works:
The Inspiration Behind the Challenge
There are numerous bold brands out there challenging me to take their bags apart and put them to the test. While large, established fashion houses may not show much interest, many newcomers are eager to have their products scrutinized. These emerging brands are keen to prove their quality and price performance. Additionally, I have received countless review requests from you, my audience, for these new labels that most of us have never heard of. This overwhelming interest inspired me to create the Rip My Bag Challenge.
The Concept
The Rip My Bag Challenge is designed to increase our reach and coverage, exploring both the gems and potential scams entering the Leatherverse. Here’s how it works in detail:
1. Brands Reach Out: The process begins with brands reaching out to me, expressing their willingness to participate in the challenge. These brands must accept the conditions of the challenge to proceed.
2. Anonymous Purchase: I purchase the product I choose from their main market using a personal shopper. This step ensures the brand doesn’t know the bag is coming to me for review. By doing this, I guarantee that I receive the same product any other consumer would, maintaining the integrity of the review.
3. Detailed Dissection: Once the bag arrives, I take it apart, scrutinizing every aspect from the materials to the craftsmanship. This involves examining every stitch, material, and design element in detail.
4. Independent Publishing: The review is then published on my schedule. The brand does not see the review beforehand or know the day of publishing. This ensures that my findings are unbiased and free from external influence.
5. Production Costs: The brand pays a flat fee of $1000 to cover the cost of producing the video. Trust me, this fee doesn’t even cover the time and effort my team and I invest in these videos.
6. Reimbursement for Purchase: After the video is published, the brand agrees to reimburse me for the product purchase expenses.
The goal of the Rip My Bag Challenge is to look into more new brands than I could before, providing you with honest, detailed reviews of their products. This challenge is about bringing transparency to the leather goods market, helping consumers make informed decisions, and supporting brands that truly offer quality and value.
First Impressions of the Manhattan Backpack
Upon first glance, the Manhattan Backpack impressed me with its overall look and feel. The leather is claimed to be full grain, but I noticed a slight buff, indicating it might be closer to top-grain leather. Despite this, the leather's texture is pleasing, and it has a semi-aniline finish, adding to its appeal.
The craftsmanship of the backpack is commendable. All the stitches are neat and aligned, and the zippers appear to be YKK, known for their reliability. One standout feature is the double-turn English seam edges, which significantly enhances durability. There’s minimal edge paint, which means fewer chances of cracking over time—a big plus for long-term use.
Dissecting the Details
As I delved deeper into the bag, I noticed a few areas needing improvement. A pinhole in the right front center of the bag indicates a quality control oversight. Small details like this can affect the overall value perception of the product. However, the edges covered with fabric are neatly done, adding to the bag's clean and polished look.
Inside, the workmanship remains impressive. The interior is well-crafted, reflecting a meticulous attention to detail. The materials used for inner support, such as foam and sponges, are on the budget end but still functional.
Testing the Leather
To verify the leather quality, I applied acetone to remove the finish. This revealed a thin layer of finish on the leather, confirming my suspicion of buffing. While the leather is still of high quality, it’s more accurately classified as top grain rather than full grain. This distinction is minor but important for transparency.
Cost Analysis and Value
Estimating the leather used, about 12 square feet of cowhide is needed for this bag, costing around $36. Additional materials and labor bring the production cost to approximately $95. I’m assuming this is manufactured in India because I couldn't find a label or reference on the website. Based on these estimates, the total cost to produce this backpack is around $131.
The retail price of $344 represents a 2.6x markup, which is relatively low in the industry. This suggests that consumers are getting a good deal for the quality offered. Despite the minor issues with the leather classification and quality control, the bag presents excellent value.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Andar Manhattan Backpack exceeded my expectations in many areas. The craftsmanship is solid, and the materials used, despite being on the budget end for some components, are adequate for the price point. The bag's design and functionality make it a worthwhile purchase, especially given the reasonable markup.
The only significant area for improvement is the leather classification. Transparency in marketing is crucial, and accurately labeling the leather as top grain would better align with the actual product. Additionally, addressing minor quality control issues would enhance the overall consumer experience.
In conclusion, the Manhattan Backpack from Andar offers great value for its price. It’s a durable, stylish, and functional option for those in need of a leather backpack.
Scorecard
TANNER APPROVED!
★★★★☆ - 4.21
Criteria | Score | Results |
|---|---|---|
Leather | 4.5 | Good leathers for the application in hand. Coming from environmentally conscious tanneries |
Hardware | 4 | Common alloy or brass hardware with high-quality plating and thin protection that will last a good while. |
Design | 4 | A creative take on a classical design concept |
Engineering | 4 | Clean and quality inner support materials and structure |
Craftsmanship | 4.5 | Fair Value for quality with a brand premium: 5 to 6 x multiplier pricing. |
OVERALL SCORE | 4.21 | Very good example of great quality for a great price without any risk to try |
PRICE / COST MULTIPLIER | 5x | Fair Value for quality with a brand premium. |
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