Joaquim Pimenta traded one passion—automotive mechanics—for a greater love, one passed down by his father: leather craftsmanship.
He faithfully recreates the old leather satchels once used to carry meals to the fields, crafting them exactly as he saw them made and decorated, ensuring the tradition lives on.
Surrounded by a small museum of miniatures inherited from his father, Joaquim meticulously handcrafts belts and wallets with authenticity and skill. He is one of the last remaining leather artisans in Portugal, travelling across the country in a caravan to attend fairs. By his side are his wife, Antónia, a textile artisan, and their dog, Lili.
Joaquim finds happiness in sharing his craft wherever he goes. His workshop, nestled in his home in Nossa Senhora de Machede, is just moments from Octant ÉVORA—yet another great reason to visit this charming village.
Joaquim Pimenta left behind decades of work at Renault and Mercedes in Évora to follow a lifelong calling—leather craftsmanship, a trade passed down from his father.
His tools, many inherited, remain the same: cutting shears, an awl for stitching—simple yet essential instruments that still shape his work today.
He has revived the traditional leather backpacks once used to carry meals to the fields, recreating them exactly as he remembers. He also crafts safões, protective leather chaps once worn by reapers and now favoured by hunters.
Joaquim only works with leather from animals raised for food, such as cows, sheep, and goats—a sustainable practice that prevents waste and repurposes material that would otherwise end up in landfills.
From belts to wallets and everything in between, his work remains as traditional and authentic as ever, carried out in a workshop filled with miniatures, photographs, diplomas, and awards—a tribute to his greatest inspiration, his father, Júlio António Pimenta, a renowned and award-winning master of the craft.
Joaquim is likely one of the last artisans in Portugal to keep this tradition alive.
He showcases his work at major national craft and agricultural fairs, where he not only sells his pieces but also demonstrates his craft live to an audience. During these events, he stays in his caravan, bringing with him the comfort of his home in Nossa Senhora de Machede.
Often, he is accompanied by his wife, Antónia, a textile artisan, and their loyal companion, Lili.
For Joaquim, happiness is simple—it’s doing what he loves.
