Shiv Leather Products

If you walk down Radhakrishnan Street, you’ll find us at number 15. The first thing you usually notice is the smell of the leather. It’s quite strong, especially when we get a fresh shipment in. We’ve got stacks of hides in different corners and tools lying around on the benches. It’s not the tidiest place, but we know exactly where everything is kept. I’ve been working here at Shiv Leather Products for quite some time. My hands are usually a bit stained from the dyes we use. The street outside is narrow, so it’s always a bit of a squeeze when the delivery vans try to come through. We know most of the people on this block. The tea guy knows exactly how much sugar I like in my cup. We don’t do much advertising; most of our work comes from people who have known us for years. There are three of us mostly working on the cutting and stitching. The machines are old but they still work better than the new ones you see these days. Sometimes the power goes out in the afternoon, so we just sit outside on the steps and wait for it to come back. It’s a simple way to earn a living. We don't have any big corporate goals or anything like that. We just want to finish the orders on time and make sure the stitching is straight. It’s good work and it keeps us busy from morning until evening.