Keeping the craft alive: Meet the man making bespoke leather goods in his spare time

Radu Sighencea at his workshop at his home in Midleton where he makes leather goods - as well as having a full-time job and being a husband and dad.
Once upon a time, saddlers, cobblers, tanners, and leather artisans were a fixture of daily life across every town and village in Ireland.
Now, a few people are keeping the flame of those crafts alive in Cork, and one of them is Radu Sighencea.
Also known as The HandCraftBandit, Radu, from Romania, is reviving leather craft, one piece at a time, from his workshop at his home in Midleton.
And he does it as well as holding down a full-time job and being dad to one-year-old Fiadh with his wife Aoife.
“Craft skills are not just a craft,” says Radu. “They are a community asset, and people should have access to craft people’s skills in every Irish town and village.
“I think when you invest in local craft people; you can not only become friends, but you also help maintain a thriving community.”
Why is Radu so proud of his hand-made leather goods?
“Because they are a once-in-a-lifetime item,” he says. My hand-made belt, wallet, handbag, or card-holder will last a lifetime.”
But then he doesn’t have repeat business?
“Producing an item or a gift for someone that will last a lifetime gives me huge satisfaction,” says Radu. “It is like a way to help people.”
But he won’t get rich quick?
Radu smiles.
“You know, I am OK. Money comes and goes. Seeing a child grow only happens once. And who knows? Maybe some day my leather goods will help pay the bills. I am not in the business for high profit.”
Radu has fallen in love with Ireland, but when he told his mother he was coming here, she replied: “Are you crazy? Are you mad?”
He adds: “But my mother comes to visit often, especially now that Fiadh is here. And I go home to visit my mother as much as I can.”
When Radu, who previously lived in Germany, was invited to his cousin’s 13th birthday in Kinsale along with all the family, he was smitten.
“My cousin was asked what he wanted for his birthday, and he replied that he wanted all the family to get together because it had been a while since he saw us all sitting at the same table, and he missed us a lot.”
“After three days in Kinsale, I told my mother I was moving to Ireland. I was working as an electric engineer at the time. I was single, I had a good job and an apartment. I got rid of all my stuff except my car, my PlayStation, and some clothes.”
He was young free and single. He felt at home in the Emerald Isle.
“Being in Ireland felt like finally arriving home. Ireland felt like the perfect spot to settle for good. The people here are friendly and warm. The lifestyle appealed to me. Ireland reminded me a little of Romania where I grew up. I got a good feeling about it and the quality of life here.”
Radu got on well here and he got on well with his aunt and uncle, who were in the leather craft business.
“I stayed with them. They offered me their spare room,” says Radu. “I got a job in Cork with Airbnb.
He says getting his PPS number “was one of my nice experiences. When I went to the social welfare office in Cork, I had no idea what to do. The security guard, who knew I felt lost, brought me to the correct desk and the girl there took the time to help me fill out the paperwork. That would not happen in Germany.”
Radu saw his aunt and uncle’s leather workshop. He was impressed.
“I am business-driven and I have a good head for business,” says Radu.
“Looking at the specialised leather goods that my aunt and uncle were producing for local outlets, I urged them to open their own shop. I never saw designs like theirs.
“My aunt and uncle were reluctant at first, but then they understood”.
Dan gave Radu a task.
“My first task was to put a sole on a shoe. My uncle said, ‘Here’s a bunch of tools and a template’. I made my very own pair of shoes! That was my first project.”
Why did he like working with leather?
“I was fascinated about how a flat piece of hide can be turned into a useful item. It was this exact moment when I realised I found my vocation making stuff with my bare hands.”
Radu was in his own world, cutting, painting, stitching, shaping; seeing the leather work its magic.
“Working with leather is like meditation,” says Radu. “It relieves stress and releases energy. Soon, I was in the workshop in the evenings, at weekends, and in my spare time for my own projects.”
But it wasn’t all work and no play.
“I brought my aunt and uncle to their friends’ birthday party where I waited for the cutting of the cake,” says Radu. “That evening, thank God I stayed longer, because I met my now wife Aoife!”
Meanwhile, Radu’s aunt and uncle’s leather shop was up and running in Kinsale.
Radu used his business head.
“I set them up online. Eventually, customers were requesting smaller leather goods, and I helped make them. Knowing I could make things for someone else with my hands made me feel good.”
Moving to Midleton after looking for a house for two years, Radu and Aoife immersed themselves in the friendly town. “It is a fantastic community,” says Radu. “We met good people, and we have great neighbours. I don’t wish to be anywhere else.”
One of the local artists extended an invitation to him.

“The Wildflower Collective got in touch with me and I joined them in October last year,” says Radu.
One of his neighbours had a query.
“Angela, from Angela’s Shop, asked me if I knew anyone who mended shoes. The cobbler in Midleton has closed down.”
Radu duly obliged. He mended Angela’s too-tight shoes and revived her friend’s vintage handbag.
“I began mending shoes in my cosy workshop at home that I share with Aoife,” says Radu, who works in IT.
Good news travels fast.
“People began to ask me to make small leather items like dog-collar and card holders.”
Now, posh pooches prance around Midleton, sporting their hand-made collars with solid brass buckle. And the fanciest fishermen have been spotted at the river sporting custom-made wallets for holding flies.
Radu laughs.
“Yes, my hand-made leather goods are in demand.”
Why so?
“Most leather goods only lasting three or four years, are imported,” says Radu. “I source my leather in Italy from reputable Italian tanneries where I know workers are paid a fair wage. I use veg-tan leather which is treated with tree bark which is natural.
“I have been asked to replace wallets that have been chewed up by the family dog!”
The leather needs tender, loving care.
“It is like your skin,” says Radu. “It needs to be treated with leather cream or shoe polish so it doesn’t crack.
“I stitch everything by hand. I paint everything by hand. My hand-crafted goods are not for fashion reasons. They are not a brand.”
They are one-offs.
“Yes,” says Radu. “That is true.”
He likes his craft.
“I enjoy doing the leather work and seeing people enjoy the hand-made products. I also make time for my family. I wouldn’t sacrifice a business for family.”
Radu, immersed in his family and community, and invested in his hand-crafted leather skill is a happy camper. Life is good.
“We are very happy here,” says Radu, who believes in making friends with the local butcher, corner shop, and tailor -then you will always be looked after.”
Radu looks after his loved ones. Does his mother still miss him.
“She does,” says Radu. “I do have a sister, but I am her only son.”
Mum must be proud?
“Yes, she is very proud of me.”
You can find Radu’s products in The Wildflower Collective on Broderick Street, Midleton, or online at www.handcraftbandit.com