Frank Clegg Leatherworks ⭐ Top pick

One family, one Fall River mill, 55 years of leather. Frank Clegg survived America's textile decline through 20 years of private label, then his sons relaunched when the internet made direct-to-consumer possible. American leather handmade in America, no ostentatious logo.

1970. Frank Clegg is still a student when his girlfriend (who will become his wife) gives him a leathercraft tool kit. An artist and maker by nature, he takes to leather with the same passion he brings to any other medium. The results are exceptional, by the mid-70s, he had his own line of original creations and a reputation as an impeccable craftsman.

We are in the post-Woodstock era. The market is ripe for the authentic and handmade, in reaction to the mass consumerism of the previous generation. Independent boutiques throughout the United States sell Frank Clegg bags ordered through catalogs and sales representatives. Frank controls everything: design, manufacturing, quality. His name is on every piece.

Then the 80s and 90s arrive. The fashion industry is shifting towards big brands and offshore production. Costs are falling, mom-and-pop stores are closing, orders are plummeting. Frank watches his friends and fellow craftsmen go out of business, one by one. Rather than compromising quality or outsourcing, he found a third way: for twenty years, Frank Clegg Leatherworks produced leather articles for luxury brands under private label. His products are found in major brands under other names, but they are always made by hand, in the United States, in his workshop.

It was these twenty years of private label that saved the workshop. Luxury brands knew that Frank Clegg quality was impeccable, they entrusted him with their high-end production with complete confidence. The workshop survives, grows, and waits for its moment.

The moment is coming with the Internet. Frank's two sons, Andrew and Ian, built the family business's first website while studying. Andrew has his father's passion for leather and craftsmanship; Ian that of business and operations. Together, they are relaunching the direct-to-consumer brand. The online world is hungry for traceable brands, ethical manufacturing, products whose maker is known. Frank Clegg ticks all the boxes.

Today, the workshop is housed in a restored mill in Fall River, Massachusetts, a historic industrial town that experienced and survived America's textile decline. The team of specialized craftsmen makes everything on site: leather cutting, sewing, assembly, finishing. The leather is selected from the best tanneries, Horween (Chicago), Wickett & Craig (Pennsylvania), vat-dyed full-grain leathers which develop a patina over time.

Briefcases are the historical specialty. The Commuter Briefcase, the Captain's Briefcase, classic American models, no frills, built to last for decades. Customer reviews are unanimous: “the quality and craftsmanship are excellent, excellent is an understatement”. Another: “the quality of the leather and daily use are impeccable”.

The prices, $400 to $1,200 depending on the model, are positioned well below European luxury (Hermès, Valextra) for comparable manufacturing quality. It's American leather, handmade in America, by a family who has been doing this for 55 years. No ostentatious logos, no aspirational marketing, just leather and know-how.

Frank Clegg is one of the last luxury leather goods workshops manufacturing entirely in the United States. In a country that has largely abandoned artisanal manufacturing in favor of China and Italy, the Fall River workshop is a magnificent anachronism.