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Brand Scorecard:
★★★★☆
Leather: 4.5
Hardware: 4
Design: 4
Engineering: 4
Craftmanship: 4.5
TOTAL: 4.21
Brand Website: ilbisonte.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRIEF HISTORY
Il Bisonte, an Italian leather accessories brand, was founded in 1970 by Wanny Di Filippo in Florence. After a series of personal experiences, including stints as an electrician’s apprentice, artist, and mounted Carabinieri, Di Filippo settled into leather crafting with his wife. The brand's iconic round leather crossbody bag features a bison and star logo, symbolizing tradition, stability, and high-quality production. Di Filippo named the brand after his personal totem, the bison, representing strength, calm, bravery, and resistance—qualities reflected in the brand's unwavering commitment to its founding principles despite growth and changes in the market. The first Il Bisonte store opened in 1973 in Palazzo Corsini, and the brand experienced commercial and creative success throughout the 1970s and 1980s, expanding its product range and exploring various materials.
Today, Il Bisonte is renowned for its naturally-tanned, full-grain cowhide leather handbags and accessories, maintaining a relatively low profile compared to other Italian brands. The brand prides itself on a sustainable production process, with all sourcing and manufacturing occurring within a 30 km radius of Pontassieve in Tuscany, minimizing its carbon footprint. Il Bisonte uses only natural dyes, resulting in earth-toned and neutral handbags, ideal for the fall season. The brand's pieces are celebrated for their timeless and elegant Italian style, including simple and sweet designs, metallic leather treatments, and durable jacquard canvas bags. The collection can be explored on italist, highlighting the brand's dedication to quality and craftsmanship.
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 Il Bisonte as a brand?
How would you rate Il Bisonte as a brand?
5
4
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2
PRODUCTS REVIEWED
Il Bisonte: An Italian Leather in the Land of the Rising Sun – Japan
Il Bisonte's Classic Clutch
Watch the videos here:
In the world of luxury fashion, discovering hidden gems often involves stumbling upon lesser-known brands that have a unique story to tell. One such brand that caught my attention recently is Il Bisonte, an Italian label that seems to have captured the hearts of fashion enthusiasts in Japan more than it has in its home country.
DISCLAIMER: This is an UNSPONSORED review. I purchased all of these products myself and am not affiliated with the brand mentioned in any way. All statements and expressions made about the products are solely the opinion of Tanner Leatherstein and are not meant to be conclusive or definitive. The purpose of this video is for informational and educational purposes only. We recommend that as a consumer, you exercise your due diligence and research on the products before adopting the opinion of Tanner Leatherstein.
Unveiling the Japanese Connection
My introduction to the enchanting world of Il Bisonte took an unexpected turn while perusing the Neiman Marcus website in search of Christian Louboutin shoes and a coveted $250 discount. It was during this quest that I stumbled upon Il Bisonte's classic clutch in a striking hot pink hue, triggering a deep curiosity about the brand's roots and the intriguing phenomenon of its greater popularity in Japan than in its Italian homeland.
The allure of Il Bisonte in Japan is nothing short of remarkable, boasting an impressive 38 stores in the Land of the Rising Sun compared to a mere three in Italy. This anomaly captivated my interest, prompting a deep dive into the brand's history. In 1999, Il Bisonte made its bold entry into the Japanese market, swiftly becoming an embodiment of "Made in Italy" style. The brand's resonance with Japanese leather enthusiasts, who share a profound appreciation for the specific style of leather offered by Il Bisonte, serves as a driving force behind its triumph in the Japanese fashion landscape.
Wanny Di Filippo: A Visionary Founder with Eccentricity
At the core of Il Bisonte's story resides its unconventional founder, Wanny Di Filippo. Radiating with a lively and free-spirited demeanor, Wanny embarked on a leathercraft journey in the 1970s, transforming his dreams into tangible creations. Confronted with rejection for his designs that were considered overly original, Wanny's persistence triumphed, birthing a brand that serves as a living testament to his unyielding dedication to the realms of leather and design.
Wanny's affinity for bison, showcased in his personal museum in Florence, not only serves as the inspiration for the brand's name but also reveals the distinctive and captivating character of Il Bisonte's visionary founder. His journey, marked by resilience and creativity, has left an indelible mark on the brand, shaping it into an emblem of authentic Italian craftsmanship and style that transcends borders and resonates deeply in the hearts of global fashion enthusiasts.
Dissecting the Clutch: Uncovering the Details
As we transition into the dissection of the Il Bisonte bag, the spotlight turns to the hardware and construction details, revealing insights into the brand's commitment to quality and craftsmanship.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that the hardware of the Il Bisonte bag is crafted from a relatively soft metal. As I manipulated and tested it, the ease with which it could be cut and opened raised concerns about its durability. This observation hints at a potential limitation within their supply chain, suggesting that sourcing high-quality metal hardware within the 30 km radius of Florence might be a challenge. While not inherently bad, it falls short of being considered top-tier hardware.
Another detail that caught my attention during the bag's dissection was the method used to attach the fabric lining to the leather. Instead of employing a more durable stitching technique, Il Bisonte opted for stapling. While this is a cost-saving measure, it may compromise the longevity and robustness of the bag. Additionally, the presence of uncleaned stitch lines on the interior, which will remain unseen, signals potential time or quantity pressures within the workshop.
Moving on to the material itself, the ash test is conducted to verify the leather's composition. The result is encouraging, as the residue resembles wood charcoal, indicating that the leather is indeed vegetable-tanned. No chrome residue is observed, confirming that the leather is 100% vegetable-tanned, aligning with the brand's claims.
Acetone Test and Finish Quality
The application of acetone to remove the finish on top of the leather provides further insights. A minimal amount of plastic finish comes off, revealing a semi-aniline finish atop a full-grain cowhide vegetable-tanned base. This combination results in a visually stunning tumbled leather with a variant grain pattern featuring pebbles. The clever and simple design showcases the brand's ability to make the most of the natural characteristics of the leather.
Cost Breakdown and Fair Pricing
As the dissection concludes, attention shifts to the overall cost breakdown of the bag. With a maximum leather estimate of $14, coupled with other materials and assembly costs in Italy amounting to approximately $25, the total production cost is estimated at $39 - $40. This analysis supports the argument that the $200 price tag for the bag is reasonable and fair, especially considering the use of quality materials and Italian craftsmanship. Moreover, potential discounts available for this product make it even more accessible, challenging the notion that great leather products must come with exorbitant price tags.
Conclusion
Il Bisonte's pricing strategy aligns with the quality of materials and craftsmanship invested in its products. While some shortcuts may be evident, the overall value proposition remains compelling. The brand's dedication to ethical practices and local sourcing adds a layer of authenticity that resonates with consumers seeking genuine, sustainable luxury.
For those intrigued by Il Bisonte, exploring discounts on platforms like Neiman Marcus can be a savvy move. The journey into this Italian brand not only revealed a unique story but also reinforced the idea that true luxury doesn't always come with a hefty price tag. As we immerse ourselves in the world of leather, Il Bisonte serves as a reminder to appreciate the beauty of natural materials and craftsmanship, transcending the allure of luxury store brands and glamorous advertising.
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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