FAQs
If you can't find the answer to your question, please visit our Contact page under Resources.
Before Ordering
What are Ready to Ship, Pre-Order and Custom Orders?
Here at DD Practical there are three types of products your can order:
- Ready to Ship items - are items we have already crafted that we take to festivals all round the country during the Summer
- Pre-Order items - where you choose the leather type, colour, customisations and any personalisation on specific products listed on the website
- Custom Orders - are completely bespoke products crafted to your exact requirements
Why do Pre-Order products cost more than Ready to Ship Products?
For the first time in 4 years, we've had to increase our prices to fall in line with continued increasing costs caused by inflation.
All Ready to Ship products remain at our original costs for now. Once the new festival season starts, new products made that are Ready to Ship will reflect the new prices.
Custom Orders - what can you make?
I don't think I could possibly list every possible Leather product I can make. There have been so many! I can tell you what I don't currently make; shoes, jackets and suits. I am still honing my skills and I am not there yet.
If you have an idea for a leather product and just want to see if it would be possible, please do pop us an email. I love hearing from customers and discussing what I can do for you.
Custom Orders - how much will it cost?
It's very hard to give a quote for a custom leather product without first establishing what you want and need. I charge for materials plus the time it takes to design and make.
Our online store can give you an idea of products and their costs. The general rule is, the bigger the product, the more it's going to cost to make. If it requires hours of handstitching, it's going to cost.
Due to the nature of our business, we order the materials specifically for your commission. Therefore we require full payment before starting any orders.
Custom Orders - how do I order?
First things first, we need a conversation about what you require from a custom leather product. Please visit the Custom page in our menu to start the process.
If you live locally to Preston, Lancashire, you are welcome to book an in-person appointment with me at my workshop and bring along some designs and notes on your custom order.
If you don't live locally, we can arrange a Video call or we might me able to chat over email.
I do also attend various markets and events around the country during the year. This information can be found on our Events page.
Do you do repairs?
Yes! It's always better to repair good quality products then throw them away.
Not all repairs are simple and I would need to see the product in question before confirming if I can repair it and before giving any quotes.
I will not do repairs on any items that are not made of Leather.
Leather
Are animals killed for leather?
No. Absolutely not. Hides and Skins come from animals raised for food. Leather only exists because of the meat industry. This accounts for 99% of the worlds leather.
Leather is a natural by-product.
A hide is worth only 1-2% of the value of the animal, so no one is rearing animals for their leather.
You can read more about Leather and the environment over at Leather UK - the Trade Association for UK Leather - which we are a member of.
What is full-grain leather?
Full-grain leather is what we call the very best quality of leather. The hair is removed from the hide and the tanning process begins.
Full-grain leather has oil-absorbing properties and all the natural characteristics of leather are still present. This means the leather will patina and endure over time. Full-grain leather uses the entire thickness of the hide so it's stronger and more durable.
Many fashion houses around the world use what we call top-grain leather - the second highest quality. The top layer (the strongest layer of the skin) is sanded, buffed or shaved to take away any imperfections and provide a fresh top surface for manufacturers to apply finishes (sometimes plastic) that will create a uniform look - so they can sell millions of bags worldwide and they all look the same. Booo.
There are times when we find that full-grain leather is too thick for certain applications, and that's where our leather supplier comes in. He is able to put the full thickness full-grain leather through a splitting machine which takes away layers from the bottom of the hide. Now we have thinner, more flexible leather that retains its strength and durability.
What is vegan leather?
Vegan leather does not exist. It is a contradiction.
Leather Definition:
noun
- a material made from the skin of an animal by tanning or a similar process
Leather can never be vegan.
It is a marketing ploy to sell a plastic bag as an eco-friendly alternative to a leather bag (which it is not). It is important to recognise that the term 'vegan' does not necessarily mean natural or sustainable.
Is leather sustainable?
Yes. Absolutely!
Leather converts waste from the meat industry that would be otherwise thrown away, to make practical products we use every day.
- 10 million tonnes of waste is kept out of landfill every year by using Leather
- Leather is durable and long-lasting
- Leather products can be repaired
- Leather products can be repurposed
- Leather can be recycled
- At its end-of-life phase, leather degrades through chemical and biological means
- The leather industry creates employment and skills for millions worldwide
All important factors in sustainability and the circular economy.
Do you dye the leather?
Nope. I am very lucky in that my leather supplier provides pre-dyed leather. I simply don't have the space to set up a dying station at home.
I do however craft limited runs of InkSplat - undyed leather which I have at with some leather paints and make it pretty.
Do you handstitch everything?
Yes. Everything. I don't even own a sewing machine that can sew through leather.
All stitching uses natural waxed linen thread which does not melt or swell when wet and is resistant to deformation and stretching. We use a traditional leatherworkers saddle stitch for all stitching, which unlike machine stitching, prevents unravelling of stitches if one gets nicked.
Should you have any issues with stitching or hardware, please pop us an email and we will do what we can to repair it.
Can you personalise leather?
Yes! We use debossing and foiled personalisation for the products on our online shop, but we can also personalise with embroidery and laser engraving for custom orders.
Find out more about personalisation here.
Can you personalise leather products not purchased from you?
Yes, if the products are leather and they are flat - 1 single layer of leather.
I cannot personalise leather products that don't have a flat area. Personalisation is done with heavy duty machines that require a solid flat area for the personalisation to take.
I will not personalise products that are not leather.
Shipping & Delivery
What are your processing times?
Every product is handcrafted by me (Dani).
Ready to Ship Items have already been crafted and are ready to package and ship out to you.
In order to offer such a variety of leather colours we keep a small selection of leather on hand but we don’t have the space to store entire hides; so we order the leather required to complete your pre-orders and custom orders once we have received your funds. We then have to wait to for the leather to be delivered and we need time to craft your products.
Processing Times:
- Ready to Ship items - approx 2-3 business days
- Pre-Orders items - approx 2-3 weeks
- Custom Orders - discussed with customers at the time of placing an order
During busy periods like Festival Season, there may be a delay in processing times and we will update the banner at the top of the website.
How much is shipping?
UK Delivery
Royal Mail 48 Tracked in the UK is charged at a rate of £3.75 per order for 2-3 day delivery and is free for orders over £75.
All orders over £150 will be sent via Royal Mail Special Delivery.
International Delivery
We use Royal Mail International Tracked for all orders outside the UK. The cost varies by Country and weight.
Please see our shipping policy.
Do you ship outside the UK?
Yes! We are based in the UK, but we do ship to some countries in Europe and the rest of the world. The website is set up for all countries we currently ship to.
Please refer to our International Customers page for more information and a list of countries we currently ship to.
You can also see our shipping policy for more information.
What packaging do you use?
Our shipping packaging is 100% plastic free.
All of our shipping boxes are UK made, 100% recyclable, naturally biodegradable and made from FSC Certified material containing at least 70% recycled content. Our eco paper bubble wrap and packaging tape is made from renewable kraft paper and can be reused/recycled.
Our clear display bags are made in the UK from film that has been accredited to OK biobased and DIN EN 13432. They are made from annually renewable PLA derived from vegetable starches (potato, sugar beet etc.)and are fully biodegradable and compostable.
Our shipping labels are made from BPA-free thermal paper which can be left on the cardboard packaging when it is recycled. Our business cards and leaflets are made from FSC sourced and Certified paper and card which is recyclable.
We encourage our customers to re-use and recycle the packaging their orders come in.
When will my order arrive?
Once all items in your order have been handcrafted (or picked for Ready to Ship items).
Shipping times vary by destination:
- UK delivery aim: 2-3 working days
- Europe delivery aim: 5-7 working days
- Worldwide delivery aim: 1-2 weeks
Please allow up to 3 weeks for certain locations or during peak periods.
How can I track my order?
All orders are shipped via a Royal Mail Tracked service which provides end-to-end tracking and online delivery confirmation. A Tracking Number will be provided in your Shipping Notification email.
UK customers can track orders here.
International Customers: after your item has left the UK, you may find further additional tracking information on Royal Mail's delivery partners at Royal Mail Overseas Postal Tracking.
If you use ShopPay to place an order, you can also see your tracking number and track your parcel.
I placed my order a while ago but it has not yet shipped?
When you make a purchase from us, regardless of your chosen shipping method, there is an additional processing period. While we specify this on the banner at the top of the website, the duration may vary depending on our workload. If you've placed an order for a ready to ship item alongside a Pre-Order or Custom Order everything will be shipped together once all items are ready.
Please don't hestitate to email us for an update.
I got a shipping notification but my order hasn't arrived?
Shipping times vary by destination:
- UK delivery aim: 2-3 working days
- Europe delivery aim: 5-7 working days
- Worldwide delivery aim: 1-2 weeks
UK Customers - please check the Royal Mail Service Updates to see if there are any issues causing delays in your area.
International Customers - please check the Royal Mail International Incidents Bulletin to see if there are any issues causing delays in your Country.
Please also be aware that there can be delays at Customs due to random parcel checks.
If there are no issues causing delays in your area, and the Royal Mail delivery aims are passed, please email us.
Cancellations & Returns
How do I cancel my order?
Depending on whether you place an order for a Ready to Ship Item, a Pre-Order or a Custom Order, there's a window between placing your order and us processing it.
If you reach out to us before we have processed your order, we can cancel it. If not, it will be shipped to you and you will need to start a returns request.
Please review our returns policy.
Can I return an item?
We have a 14-day return policy, which means you have 14 days after receiving your item to cancel and request a refund. You then have another 14 days to return the item.
For more information on returns, please see our Returns & Refunds policy.