Our core capability
OEM & ODM Bag Manufacturer — One-Stop Custom Bag Manufacturing
Eighteen Craft develops and produces custom bags from concept to finished product. Send a design, a sample or just an idea — one factory handles development, materials, sampling, production and quality control.
- ~500 employees
- ~500,000 pcs monthly
- MOQ from 500 pcs
- Sampling 7–12 days
- Employees
- ~500
- Pcs per month
- ~500,000
- MOQ from
- 500 pcs
- Material families
- 6
OEM vs ODM
Two ways to develop a bag with Eighteen Craft
OEM means Eighteen Craft manufactures a product you have already designed. ODM means Eighteen Craft designs and develops the product with you. Both run through the same in-house chain, so the difference is only how much development work sits at the front of the project.
OEM — you bring the design
You supply the tech pack, drawings or a physical sample. We review feasibility, propose materials, quote, sample and produce to your specification without altering your design intent.
Best for
Established brands and buyers with an in-house design function or a finished product they want built consistently.
ODM — we develop with you
You supply the concept, the target customer and the price point. We design the construction, propose materials and hardware, and build a sample your brand can launch without a design team.
Best for
Emerging labels, cross-border e-commerce sellers and retailers who need speed to market more than bespoke pattern work.
Three ways to start
Development entry points
A bag project can begin from a drawing, a physical sample or nothing more than an idea. Each route has a different first step, but all three converge on the same sampling and production workflow.
You have finished designs (OEM)
Send a tech pack, CAD files or detailed drawings. Our development team reviews the construction against production reality, flags anything that will not sew cleanly at volume, and quotes against the specification you supplied.
- You supply
- Tech pack, dimensions, material list, hardware spec, logo artwork
- We deliver
- Feasibility review, material proposal, costed quotation, proto sample
You have a physical sample (OEM/ODM)
Send a bag you want replicated or improved. We pattern it, propose an equivalent or upgraded material plan, and quote the build. This is the fastest route when you already know the product works.
- You supply
- Physical reference sample, target price, any changes you want
- We deliver
- Pattern, material plan, costed quotation, counter sample
You have a concept (ODM)
Bring a product idea, a use case and a target retail price. Our development team designs toward both, proposes a construction and materials, and builds a sample under your brand.
- You supply
- Product concept, target customer, target price point, brand direction
- We deliver
- Design proposal, construction plan, material options, proto sample
Stage by stage
The custom bag manufacturing process
Every Eighteen Craft order moves through seven stages. This table shows what you supply, what we deliver and how long each stage typically takes, so you can plan a launch date backwards rather than hoping for the best.
| Stage | You supply | We deliver | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Inquiry & requirement review | Bag category, quantity, material direction, target price, timeline | Feasibility confirmation and an indicative price band | 1–2 business days |
| 02 Style development | Tech pack, sample or concept brief | Pattern making, construction planning and design proposal (ODM) | 2–5 days |
| 03 Material selection | Price point, use scenario, durability target | Outer fabric, lining, foam and reinforcement proposal with swatches | 2–4 days |
| 04 Colour & hardware customization | Pantone references, logo artwork, packaging requirements | Colour matching, hardware selection, logo method and packaging plan | 2–4 days |
| 05 Sampling | Review and written feedback on the proto sample | Proto sample, revisions, then a pre-production sample for sign-off | 7–12 days |
| 06 Mass production | Signed pre-production sample and confirmed order | Cutting, sewing, assembly with in-line inspection at each stage | 25–40 days |
| 07 Quality control & export packing | Packing instructions, labels, forwarder details | AQL 2.5 final random inspection, carton packing and export documents | 3–5 days |
Timings assume materials are available in stock colours. Custom-dyed fabric and custom-tooled hardware add time at stages 03 and 04. Get an indicative budget first with the bag cost calculator.
Sampling policy
How sampling and revisions work
Eighteen Craft treats the approved pre-production sample as the contract. The production line copies that physical object, not the email thread, which is why we insist on a written sign-off before scheduling bulk.
- 1. Specification and materials confirmed in writing.
- 2. Proto sample produced in 7–12 days and shipped to you.
- 3. You review against the specification point by point and send written feedback.
- 4. Revised sample produced — most new developments need one round.
- 5. Pre-production sample approved and counter-sampled; both sides keep one.
Sample charges and courier costs are quoted upfront with your specification, and we confirm any charge before starting work — no surprise invoices.
MOQ policy
Low, flexible MOQ for market testing
Orders start from approximately 500 pieces per style. That threshold exists because pattern preparation, material purchasing minimums and line balancing happen once per style regardless of run length — below it, fixed costs distort the unit price rather than the factory being unwilling.
Making a test order go further
- Test one style in two colourways rather than two separate styles — the pattern and setup are reused.
- Use stock materials and hardware for the validation run; save custom tooling for the scale order.
- Design the test version so it can scale without a redesign that invalidates your customer feedback.
Capacity of roughly 500,000 pieces a month means the same factory carries the reorder when the style sells. See the numbers behind that claim inside our factory.
Quality control
Inspection checkpoints across the whole build
Eighteen Craft holds no third-party audit certificates. Instead of implying accreditation we publish the routine: seven inspection points from incoming material through to packing, applied on every order.
Incoming material
Fabric weight and denier verification, colour against approved swatch, hardware function, defect scan on rolls
Cutting
Panel dimensions against pattern, grain direction, cut-edge quality, batch colour consistency
Skiving & gluing
Edge thickness, adhesion strength, clean glue lines on leather and PU components
Sewing lines
Stitch density, seam straightness, backstitch at stress points, thread colour match
Assembly
Zipper operation, hardware attachment, lining fit, symmetry and squareness
Final inspection
AQL 2.5 random sampling against the approved pre-production sample: dimensions, finish, logo placement, function
Packing
Polybag and hang-tag accuracy, carton count, labelling, export documentation
Buyers are welcome to book their own third-party pre-shipment inspection. Book it while the order is still on the line rather than the day the container closes.
Product range
Categories we develop and produce
OEM and ODM development is available across all eight categories, so a brand can build a full carry range with a single manufacturing partner. Browse the custom bag categories for category-specific specifications.
Honest positioning
Good fit / not a fit
A good fit
- SME and emerging bag brands validating a style before scaling
- Cross-border e-commerce sellers iterating on customer feedback
- Wholesalers and retailers wanting a private-label programme
- Buyers who need design support, not just a sewing line
Not the best fit
- One-off orders below a few hundred pieces
- Programmes that require specific third-party audits or certificates
- Licensed, branded or replica product
- Timelines that cannot accommodate sampling plus production
Common questions
OEM & ODM FAQ
Have a question about your own specification? Send it with the project details and we will answer against your actual product rather than in general terms.
What is the difference between OEM and ODM bag manufacturing?
OEM means Eighteen Craft manufactures a bag you have already designed, using your tech pack, drawings or a physical sample. ODM means we develop the design with you, starting from a concept or an existing style we can modify under your brand. OEM suits brands with finished specifications; ODM suits emerging labels and e-commerce sellers without an in-house design function.
What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ) for custom bags?
Eighteen Craft accepts orders from approximately 500 pieces per style. The exact figure depends on material availability, the number of colourways and construction complexity — a single-colour polyester bag reaches its minimum sooner than a multi-colour genuine leather style.
How long does the bag sampling process take?
A proto sample typically takes 7–12 days once the specification and materials are confirmed. New developments usually need one revision round before the pre-production sample is approved. The approved sample — not the email thread — is what the production line copies.
What materials can you use for custom bags?
Six material families are processed in-house: PU, synthetic leather, genuine leather, polyester, nylon/poly fabric and canvas, along with the linings, foam padding, zippers, buckles and webbing that go with them. We match the material plan to your product positioning, use scenario and target price point.
What is the full custom bag manufacturing process and lead time?
Seven stages: inquiry review, style development, material selection, colour and hardware customization, sampling (7–12 days), mass production (25–40 days) and quality control with export packing. Adding sampling, production and ocean freight, a first order typically runs three to four months from first email to warehouse — considerably shorter on a reorder, because the pattern and materials already exist.
Start your OEM or ODM bag project
Tell us which route fits — your design, your sample or your concept — plus the category, quantity and target price. We reply within 24 hours on business days.
- Email: info@eighteencraft.com
- Phone: +86 15398220952
- Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:00–18:00 China Standard Time (GMT+8)
Send your project brief
Send your specification, sketch or reference sample. We reply within 24 hours on business days with an indicative price, MOQ and lead time.
Not ready to talk yet?
Run your category, material and quantity through the cost estimator for an indicative unit price and MOQ feasibility note.