World Directory of the Handmade Trade

15 Craft Families · 57 Producing Countries · 24 Craft Cities · Free Directory 2026

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Supply chain stage

Design & Sampling

Craft sourcing begins with a sample that both sides agree describes the bulk. Because handmade goods vary by nature, the sample conversation has to fix what must be identical and what is allowed to move: dimensions, colour range, weight, motif placement, finish. Written variation tolerance is the single most useful document in a craft order, and the one most often missing. This stage also decides whether a design belongs to the buyer, the workshop or the tradition itself — a question that has become sharper as geographical indication protection spreads across craft-producing countries.

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