FAQ’s

 

How should I care for my Chapman bag?

 

With reasonable care and attention, your Chapman bag should serve you well for many years. To clean, simply use soap and water and allow to dry naturally. Do not machine wash.

All brass fittings tarnish over time. Clean occasionally with a quality brass cleaner if you want to keep them shiny.

The leather straps and bindings will stay supple and retain their patina if occasionally rubbed with leather cream.

 

What is my Chapman bag made of?

 

We believe in using natural materials to make our bags wherever possible. The principal materials used to make your bag are cotton and leather. The cotton canvas fabric which is used in virtually all our bags is a strong, waterpoof material which is created by bonding two layers of cotton drill with a central core of natural rubber. We spare no expense in the creation of this fabric which, as a result, has a luxurious and soft feel unlike synthetic materials.

Unlike many other manufacturers, we do not use Polyurethane (PU) in our bonding process. Although PU bonding is cheaper, research has shown that it may contain carcinogenic traces and, in any event, it becomes brittle after relatively little use.

In addition, we use brass and occasionally nickel for our hardware, as well as wood and aluminium alloy for braces and supports when required. Our Car-Go range of car luggage is made from Samtex, a high quality synthetic fabric which is the only such material we use for our bag material.

You can view a fuller description and pictures of our materials and manufacturing process here.

 

What is canvas?

 

Originally canvas was made from hemp or flax and used for sailcloth and other applications. Similar materials are still used to make bags today. In this form, canvas comprises a single layer of fairly coarse fabric, usually with a broad weave, and with limited waterproofing. The material we use is made from cotton and we therefore describe our bags as being made from cotton canvas. As explained above, we take two layers of fine cotton drill and bond them with a natural rubber core. This produces a luxurious and soft material which is also strong and waterproof, quite unlike the original sailcloth canvas. The generic term Canvas Bag is now applied to bags made of various different materials including sailcloth type canvas, synthetic lookalikes, multi-layered cotton canvas like ours and blends of natural and synthetic materials (such as polyurethane) used by other manufacturers of similar bags.

 

Is my Chapman bag waterproof?

 

As explained above, our cotton canvas drill fabric comprises two layers of cotton bonded with a natural rubber core. Although it is therefore waterproof, we suggest wrapping contents in an additional waterproof barrier to protect against seepage if the bag is to be exposed to heavy rainfall for many hours.

 

Where can I see a Chapman bag in a shop?

 

Chapman bags are stocked, either under the Chapman label or, in certain cases, the retailer's label, in a number of shops around the world, including Japan, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the U.K. We will post information on these outlets on our website shortly. Pending publication of this information, please call us on (0)1228 514514 for further details.

 

Do we manufacture bags for Trade, Corporate and other clients?

 

Yes. John Chapman has a long history of making bags for many distinguished clients, including House of Hardy, Holland & Holland and a host of well known designers. We also often manufacture bags for the Corporate Gift market and can tailor a highly individual product for your company at a surprisingly reasonable price. Please visit our Trade site at www.john-chapman.co.uk if you would like to learn more about our services. Alternatively you can email us at trade@chapmanbags.com if you have an enquiry about manufacturing services or would like to sell our bags.

 

Can I visit John Chapman?

 

Yes. We are based in Carlisle, near the beautiful Borders and Lake District area. We welcome visitors to our workshop and offices, where you can see how we make the bags and view and buy bags. Please call us beforehand on (0)1228 514514 if you would like to visit.

 

Do you guarantee your products?

 

We guarantee our products against any manufacturing defect over the lifetime of the product. If your product should suffer any such defect, you should return it to us for repair or replacement. The cost of returning the product to us will be for your account, while we will pay for returning it to you. This product guarantee excludes fair wear and tear. The lifetime of the product will vary depending on usage and other factors.

 

How do you make deliveries for website orders?

 

We deliver by overnight courier throughout most of the UK and to certain UK islands. We deliver by Royal Mail Special Delivery to certain other UK islands and to Northern Ireland. Orders to other destinations are made by Royal Mail International Signed For Delivery. You can view a full description of the Delivery process here.

 

What terms and conditions apply to my order (e.g. returns)?

 

You can view our full online Terms and Conditions here.

 

Is VAT payable by all online customers?

 

No. VAT is a UK sales tax common to EU countries which is not charged to customers resident outside the EU. The rate of VAT is currently 17.5% so, for example, a US resident customer with a US delivery address would have VAT deducted from the total cost of his goods. This would be shown during the checkout process.

 

Can you make me a special bag or set of bags unique to my personal specification?

 

Yes. We have a bespoke bag service. Please contact us at bespoke@chapmanbags.com or call (0)1228 514514 to discuss your requirements.

 

Can I order a bag in a different colour to that shown in the swatch options?

 

Yes. We stock a wide range of colours, which are shown here. If you would like a bag in one of these colours, and it is not already shown as a swatch option, please contact us and we will make it for you. Depending on the bag and the colour you have chosen, we may need to make an additional charge to cover the cost of this service. We will inform you of this, and the likely despatch date of your goods, on receipt of your order.

 

Who owns John Chapman?

 

John Chapman is owned by its British management team, who are all involved in the daily business of the company.