It starts on the cutting table. Patterns are laid to follow the grain and to work around a hide's natural marks — no two hides yield panels in the same place.
Edges that will meet are skived thin so seams don't turn bulky. Straps are glued, folded, and set under weight before they're stitched, usually at eight to nine stitches per inch for the load-bearing runs.
Linings, pockets and zips go in as a sub-assembly, then the body is closed, turned, and the top edge is bound or folded. The base gets its feet or reinforcement.
Finishing is the slow part: burnishing cut edges, dressing the thread, conditioning the leather, and a final inspection against a checklist before the bag is boxed. Around forty steps, most of them by hand.