Factotum
392 Ocean Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: (877) FACTOTUM
factotumleather.com
Year Established: 1969
Relationships With Bag Manufacturers: Yes
Service Online Customers: Yes
Directory Location: Handbag Repair Shops in California
Shop Description
Factotum is a handbag and shoe repair shop located in beautiful Laguna Beach, California. The owners Tom and Daniele Graffio have been in the business of repairing handbags since 1969. Factotum’s team of artisans work out of a 100-year-old historic bungalow that carries the same aire of tradition that fine handbags do.
When you walk into Factotum you can smell vintage leather, see custom tooling – you know you’re entering the real deal when you stop by. The experience is sealed by a sign hanging above the front counter that says:
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Factotum has the ability to repair vintage bags and hard to repair stitching (say worn green Gucci thread) that your typical shoe repair shop can’t handle. They service bags from all over the world, so if you don’t live in Southern California, no need to fret!
Behind the Name
We asked if the shop was named after the Charles Bukowski book, and even though Tom thinks Bukowski was a great writer, he’s not a fan of his work. Factotum the repair shop started in 1969 in West Los Angeles, six years before the book was published – so perhaps it was Bukowski who drove by and saw the shop name and decided to use it in an upcoming book. We may never know.
However, Tom points out the definition of Factotum is Latin for one who does it all. Repairing luxury handbags isn’t just one skill – it requires knowledge in leather working, chemistry and even structural engineering. So, if you want the real experts to repair your bag, be sure to give the team at Factotum a ring.
