ROWDY FAQs

Here are our ROWDY care tips:

• Moisturise: To extend the life of your leather, treat it with a leather conditioner and avoid extreme temperatures. Always do spot testing before you apply any product on the leather. ROWDY offers our own leather food for our aniline (‘shiny’ leather) bags. If you have a ROWDY nubuck leather bag, please use a Nubuck spray, as the suede-like texture will absorb a normal leather food and this will darken the leather. Sometimes, a clean pink eraser can remove small spots from leather bags as well.
• Water Damage: If you’ve accidentally spilt water on your leather, do not dry the leather with a hairdryer! Instead, absorb as much water as possible with a thick microfiber hand towel and allow the bag to air dry.
• Oily Stains: Use a damp cloth and wipe lightly. If the stain persists, rub some baby powder onto the stain gently using an old toothbrush to disperse. Leave it on overnight and wipe off in the morning. This should help lift the stain. Oily marks are almost impossible to completely remove, so handle your bag with clean hands. Do not use cleaning products that contain alcohol, as these will dry out and possibly discolour your leather item.
• Scratches: The best way to treat scratches is to avoid it in the first place. Keep your satchel away from sharp objects and pay careful attention when putting your bag down. To treat scratches, if the scratches are small, rub it gently with your fingers as the natural oils on your finger will work into the leather. For larger scratches and marks apply a tiny amount of oil to the mark, let it soak in for a few minutes and then wipe the excess away with a clean soft cloth.
• Protect: Keep cosmetics inside a pouch. Cap all pens and anything that leaks. Get a small pencil case to protect the leather and keep small items from spilling or damaging the fabric.
• Check out our blog titled ‘How To Care for Your Leather’ for more information.

Please email info@rowdy.co.za and explain what you would like to exchange. If there is a price difference between the bags, then we will either send you to invoice for the missing balance or require you to send us your banking details for a refund. You will then need to send your bag to the ROWDY factory store: 20 Brickfield Road, Salt River, Cape Town. Once we receive it, we will send you your new bag.

Yes! We repair any manufacturing defaults for free for the lifetime of your ROWDY bag.. Please email us to let us know what the issue is with your ROWDY bag, pictures also help. Then send your bag to the ROWDY factory store: 20 Brickfield Road, Salt River, Cape Town. We will let you know when your bag has been repaired and ready for collection. Depending on how bad the damage is, it may take up to two weeks to be ready for collection.

If you are having problems with processing payment online, please email info@rowdy.co.za with your purchase details and we will send you an invoice for payment via EFT. Please attach your Proof of Payment to the same email thread. Once we receive proof of payment, we can dispatch your order.

We do not customize any of our bags at this point. Please read our blog titled ‘Why We Don’t Make Custom Designs’ for more information.

There is one exception: If you can bring in your ROWDY bag to our factory in Cape Town, we can shorten your Tote Crossbody / Sling strap on the day as it will only take a couple of minutes.

Please contact info@rowdy.co.za for more information.

Personal: Yes! However, it will take up to two weeks as the bag needs to be in deconstructed panel form in order to send it to the embossers. An additional fee applies per bag for custom embossing and a quote will be provided.

Corporate: We can emboss your logo or company name on your corporate order ROWDY bags. Please contact info@rowdy.co.za for any enquiries and Quotes.

The great thing about our leather is that for the most part, it takes care of itself! There is nothing you need to do when you first get your ROWDY Bag. Over time, all of our leather develops a rich patina that gives it character and lets your life story show. While we don't believe in keeping leather "forever new", our tips focus on how to keep your leather in good shape, while letting your history of use bring it to life.

The one thing you can do going forward, perhaps once a year, is use a leather food. To extend the life of your leather, treat it with a leather conditioner and avoid extreme temperatures. Always do spot testing before you apply any product on the leather. If you have a ROWDY nubuck leather bag such as Root, please use a Nubuck spray, as the suede-like texture will absorb a normal leather food and this will darken the leather. Sometimes, a clean pink eraser can remove small spots from leather bags as well.

Here are our tips on how to care for your new ROWDY leather bag

Do you know the difference between aniline and nubuck leather? At the ROWDY work station, we use these two premium-grade and free-range leathers to craft our bags and accessories. So, what is the difference between the two leathers and why does it matter which one is used to make each ROWDY piece?

Aniline leather is made from the most durable part of the animal hide, presenting an incredibly strong material that is especially good at resisting moisture. Aniline is also the most natural-looking leather since it is coloured using only dye instead of surface coating and pigment solutions. The unique surface characteristics of the hide remains visible on its exterior, resulting in authentic pieces that will last you many seasons you come.

Nubuck leather, on the other hand, is a soft and similarly durable material with a texture that resembles that of suede. The velvet-like surface of Nubuck leather is a result of the sanding and buffing of the grain side to create a surface of short protein fibres. This leather is ultra-resistant to wear, which makes it a great option for crafting adventure bags and travel accessories.

Occasionally dyes from leather bags rub off and discolour other materials, but so far this has not been an issue for our choice of specialized leather.

PLEASE NOTE: NO returns or exchanges on International Orders. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer returns or exchanges on international orders at this time. This refers to any country outside of South Africa.

We do however offer a Lifetime Guarantee on all ROWDY Bags, meaning even if your bag was an international order and there is a manufacturing defect, we will be able to assist you. Kindly read more information on our Our Promise Page.