Labour Day Reflections - The Artisans that Make Our Beautiful Leather Journals

In India, poverty is still extreme. When we established Scriveiner we wanted to ensure that the benefits from the making of our journals flowed into the homes of the artisans who make them. To ensure this we visited suppliers, paper factories and even some of the homes of our artisans.

In this video you can see members of the Atel family at work and play. They have been leather workers for generations. They work from their home in one of the villages outlying the city of Jaipur, which is renowned for handcrafted leather and paper goods. Spending time with the Atel family at their home was almost meditational. Leather items are passed between the members of the family who each perform one of the tasks involved in handmaking an item. Conversations start, spread and then recede in a natural and unforced rhythm. The work is punctuated by the ritual preparation and serving of Masala tea. The day passes in a gentle way that must be similar to the way in which days in this village have passed for centuries. The whole family work together. There is a strong respect and authority enjoyed by the elders, but the young adult children are mischievous in a way that is entirely familiar to western families! The Atel family are expanding their house. As they earn from their work they are building another storey on their property.

So when you buy a Scriveiner journal you can be sure that this is a genuine handcrafted item. But also, that the benefits of this production flow to those who are directly responsible for this craftsmanship.