The story behind the knot

It started with my father

I grew up surrounded by the rich, earthy aroma of Italian vegetable-tanned leather. For nearly 20 years, my father has been in the leather trade, and he is the person I have always looked up to. He travelled to Florence with barely any family support and just enough money for his first semester at a language school. Against the odds, he returned to Hong Kong speaking fluent Italian and, alongside a few partners, built a life trading in Italian leather. Now it's my turn to use what he passed down to me.

What our name means

We named the brand Sincero Nodo — Italian for sincere knot. Sincero for honest, with nothing hidden. Nodo for the bond made by hand that holds. It's the whole promise in two words: honest leather, tied to you without the marketing in between.

One of only 18

We use only full-grain, 100% vegetable-tanned leather from the Monteverdi tannery in Tuscany. Of Italy's 1,100+ tanneries, only 18 are certified by the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale — the Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium — to produce it. Monteverdi is one of them.

Straight from Tuscany

No sourcing agent. No fashion-house licensing fees. We fly directly to Tuscany, inspect the hides ourselves, and bring them straight to your doorstep. My goal is simple: help you appreciate top-tier Italian leather, tell authentic quality from mass-market shortcuts, and invest in pieces that actually last (and smell amazing while they do).

You are paying for the leather. Not the logo.

— Jonathan Lee
Founder, Sincero Nodo