Our Story
Journey
Our journey started when one of the founders, Yoki P. Baskara went on a backpacking trip to Italy and saw an old leather goods shop. That sparked his interest in leather and he started making leather photo albums for his photography business. Not long after that, Rama Luhur came on board to handle the business side. Our goal from the start has always been to create well designed, well made, reasonably priced and long lasting leather goods.
We are based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Now, we realize that Indonesia is not exactly top of mind when one thinks of quality leather goods. We knew we had a lot to prove and we also knew we can do it. We just needed a platform to show the world what we can deliver. That's why we decided to debut our first collection in a Kickstarter project in 2013 and it was very well received.
We set out to prove that not only we make quality products, but to also show that we are very serious when it comes to customer service. You can read our interactions with our backers and some testimonials here. Our first Kickstarter success not only provided us with a proving ground on our goods but also on how we run things. A rarity for a Kickstarter project, we delivered on time.
In 2014, we found ourselves in need of another round of funding to expand our collection. We went back to Kickstarter and were very happy for the repeat success on the second project.
Not long after we fulfilled that project, we launched this website. The platform may be different but our core values remain the same: quality products, excellent customer service and communication & pleasant shopping experience. That little trip in the beginning has now resulted in satisfied customers in 50+ countries and a team that includes craftsmen with decades of leather crafting experience between them.
Yoki and Rama with older version of the Alpha 15 & F.C. 15.
Core values
We believe the care we took in every step, from designing, sourcing the materials to production is reflected in the final product. Our goods are designed and built to serve you well for years to come. We work with our suppliers very closely to make sure they deliver quality materials and we make all our leather goods in-house so we can be certain of the quality we deliver.
We understand that shopping on-line means you are buying products you've never seen before sold by a person you've never met before. We'll be there for you to help out before and after you make your purchase & continuously improve our website to make the experience better. It may sounds like something that should've been a given, give it a shot, you can direct any question you have here and see for yourself what we mean.
Design principle
A balance of classic elegance and modern functionality. We want to create pieces that are durable, look great, functional and distinctly Cravar.
Attention to details is a must. Some examples from the practical side : we use as few leather pieces as possible, this means higher cost and lower leather yield for us, but we gladly do it because it means a stronger and better build goods for you; and we also covered the brass rivets that may be visible on the inside of our bags as much as we can to avoid them scratching the contents.
Materials
Leather :
The thing we love about our tannery partner is that they are as curious about leather as we are. They are always open to ideas to improve our leather and nothing is too much of a hassle. They are based in Jogjakarta, a city in Indonesia known for its leather industry. Together, we developed the full grain, vegetable tanned leather we use in all our products.
The tanning process takes place in a series of pits that contain the tanning liquor. The leather is moved from one pit to another depending on what tanning stage it is in. It is an age old technique that results in strong, long lasting leather with a great finish.
A more detailed explanation about our leather is available in the FAQ below.
Brass Accessories :
Getting the solid brass accessories from a direct source is a must for us, so we can be sure of the quality. They are handmade by a family owned company that is also based in Jogjakarta like our tannery partner. They are handmade and finished with a slight antique look. The exception is the zipper (from YKK) and rivets (from Buckle Guy).
Acrylic fabric Lining :
In contrast to our traditional method to process our leather, the acrylic fabric we use in some of our bags is very modern. It is extremely durable with great water repellent properties. The fabric is actually made for marine activities, lining bags with it is overkill, but that’s just the way we like it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have a retail store?
Yes we do! The address is Jalan Metro Duta Niaga No.11, Pondok Indah, Jakarta Selatan, you can check out the directions here and our second store is at Senopati area, Jalan Birah 1 No. 8, directions here.
How do I add to cart?
Easy, just look for the orange ADD or Preorder button at the top of a product’s page. Click that and a small window will pop up. From there, you can choose to add initials and font (or skip that if you don't want to add initials). After that, just click the Add to cart button and you can proceed to checkout.
If you decide to cancel your initials after you have filled in your initials and/or chosen the font, you will need to refresh the page to clear your choice.
What's your payment options ?
Online payments can be made through Midtrans at checkout, or if you prefer, we can also do manual wire transfer. Need any help with payment? Please send us a message to hello@cravar.com.
Can you help me with the checkout process?
Sure, here's the step by step :
1. Follow the checkout process after the cart page.
2. At the last checkout page, you can choose "Manual Transfer" or payment through "Midtrans", and then "Place my order"
3. Please proceed with your payment within 12 hours of your order.
4. You will receive an email with information to confirm your payment.
5. Need help? Please open the whatsapp chat. Thank you.
If you are still having trouble, please contact us at hello@cravar.com and we'll get it sorted out.
What are the personalization options?
You can have your initials stamped and choose between 2 fonts. Your initials & font selection can be entered on a pop up on the product page after you clicked the ADD or Preorder button. The personalization cost is displayed, so you won’t be receiving any hidden charges.
If you prefer not to have your initials on your goods, please leave the initials & font options empty and click Add to cart.
We can only personalize your goods with upper case Roman alphabet letters, no numbers, characters or punctuations. Initials are limited to three letters.
Please keep in mind that personalized items are not eligible for returns.
What is the currency of your prices?
All prices are stated in Rupiah.
How will you ship my order?
First up, we like to keep things simple, that's why shipping is free across Indonesia! How cool is that!
For Jakarta area, you can choose between same day gojek/grab or regular service by JNE/JNT. For shipment outside Jakarta, we'll use regular JNE/JNT
If you have trouble tracking your order, please contact us at hello@cravar.com.
Orders will be shipped to your stated shipping address. We are not responsible for items delivered to incorrect shipping addresses. If you entered a wrong address, contact us immediately we will be able to update your address as long as the order has not been shipped.
If the goods are returned to us because customer input the wrong address or nobody was around to receive them, we can send it back to you at your cost.
How will my order be processed?
If the goods are in stock, they will be sent out within 1-2 working days. We do not ship on Saturdays and Sundays.
If the goods are in a production run, the lead time will be stated in the product description.
Preorders will be shipped according to the stated schedule.
What’s your warranty?
We stand by our products and offer lifetime warranty for all our goods. We’re sorry if there’s anything wrong with your Cravar goods as they go through your regular use. Send us an email with photos to hello@cravar.com and we’ll get you sorted out.
If there are any defects in materials and workmanship, you can send it back to us and we’ll get it fixed, plus, we’ll pay for shipping both ways. Please note that tonal variations, marks or scars are natural features of our leather and the techniques we used in processing it, they should not be considered faults. In fact the nonuniform nature of our leather will give each piece its distinct look. Additionally, while we have took efforts to be able to accurately display the colors of products, the actual colors you see will depend on your monitor and may not be accurate.
Please confirm the details first with us before you proceed.
The warranty does not cover misuse or mistreatment of the goods, nor does it cover the natural aging process of the leather.
How about your return policy?
We realize that buying online means you can’t see the goods first before you buy. If you are unhappy with your purchase, you have 10 days after the item’s delivery date to return it to us. The item must be unused and in its original condition.
Once we receive the item, we will first check that it is indeed in unused and original condition before we process your refund.
We are not responsible for shipping cost nor any lost or stolen item incurred upon return shipping
Please contact us first at hello@cravar.com before you send the item back to us.
After we confirmed your returns request, you may send the goods to :
Cravar – Yoki P. Baskara
Gedung Pesona, Jalan Ciputat Raya No. 20,
Kebayoran Lama, Jakarta Selatan, 12440
Indonesia.
Please keep in mind that personalized items with initials are not eligible for returns or exchange. Purchases made with a discount or by using a discount code is also final and not eligible for returns or exchange.
What is full grain vegetable tanned leather?
First, to clear up any confusion vegetable tanned leather does not mean that we use imitation/synthetic/vegan leather, rather it refers to how we process/tan the leather we use. In all our goods, we use real full grain vegetable tanned leather.
Basically, there are two main techniques often used in today’s leather production; chrome tanning and vegetable tanning. The majority of leather goods today are made using chrome tanned leather. Chrome tanning is much faster and it can result in a much wider range of possible leather characteristics. The process uses chromium and other chemicals to tan the leather.
Vegetable tanning on the other hand uses natural tannins found in some plant species to tan the leather. There are some downsides to vegetable tanned leather; it takes a much longer time (about two months in our case); harder to find tanneries with workers skilled in it; and thus higher cost in general.
Vegetable tanned leather have a more organic look with beautiful natural grains. It’s not uniformed, the irregularity gives the leather a unique aesthetic. It’s strong and durable and will change over time as you break it in. The leather will be softer and slightly darker, acquiring a nice patina as it ages.
Full grain leather means that our leather comes from the strongest and most durable layer of the hide that has all of the grain. Our leather is not sanded down to take away its surface imperfections. Rather, we prefer its particular look and feel, with its natural markings and grain characteristics
The traditional way our tannery partner process the leather means there will be slight tonal variations, possibly some marks or scars, they are basically the consequence of using vegetable tanned full grain leather and it should be considered natural features of the leather.
Where and how are Cravar’s goods made?
All our goods are crafted in-house at our own workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia. We do not source production to a third party. By producing in-house, we have control on quality and also over the workers’ welfare. Our workers are all paid well above minimum wage and we also help them out when they have particular needs like their children's education and such, plus we have a pretty awesome football team.
As for our quality, we have shipped to satisfied customers from 50+ countries. Some of them kindly gave their reviews which you can see here. Reviews are linked to their source for credibility.
Can you provide some leather care instructions?
Certainly, clean your Cravar goods with a damp cloth, you can also use good leather cleaning products such as Obenauf's leather cleaner. If it gets wet, dab with soft cloth to absorb moisture. Don't dry the leather in direct strong sunlight, just let it air-dry naturally.
Cleaning can remove some of the natural oil in the leather, if that's the case or if the leather gets too dry, we recommend that you follow up with some oiling/conditioning, you can use Obenauf's leather oil, spread it on the leather or on a soft cloth, don't rub it in hard, the leather will soak it in pretty fast if it’s really dry, then wipe excess oil. Remember, don’t wipe immediately after applying, give some time for the leather to really soak in the oils. You can reapply if after one application it looks like the leather still needs it.
Leather care products may darken the leather, more if used excessively, so if you don’t want that effect, please apply with care. Before using any products, always test a small, non-visible area first. You also need to be aware that ink stains are almost impossible to remove.
