Quality British Belt Leather
Supporting and buying from UK businesses is really important to me.
· It supports our local economy
· It’s better on the environment – less miles to travel.
· We have a great heritage of manufacturing quality products and materials.
In this series you can get to know the other British businesses you’re supporting when you buy from Roslyn Whiting Leathercraft. In this journal entry I am talking about my belt leather.
It is important to use quality, strong leather for belts as they’re used every day. For this reason, I have chosen to use oak tanned bridle butt. This is the same cut of leather that is used for saddles and oak tanned leather is stronger than other leathers. As you use this leather it develops a beautiful patina – showing your shared journey together.
I source the leather direct from the tannery JF & J Baker. They’re based in Colyton Devonshire and are the last remaining tannery to tan using oak bark in Britain. Most, if not all, tanneries used to use oak bark but now there is only one left in the UK. It takes longer to tan using oak bark, up to 15 months.
A little fun fact: there has been a tannery on the site since Roman Times. I wonder how it looked back then.
The oak bark comes from Cumbria. They use the coppice method, which means there is always a plentiful supply of bark. It also gives the woodland greater biodiversity as there are trees of different ages, supporting more varied flora and fauna.
The skins are sourced from local Devonshire Farms, which is a predominantly free-range area. The skins are a by-product from the food industry and not travelled far. We have a good food industry in this country and that means better quality leather.
A little fun fact: Cattle fed on grass produce less gas, and grass that is continually grazed absorbs more gasses.
The tannery is powered by a waterwheel and because they don’t use any chemicals in their tanning process, the liquid can go back into the waterways. Even the bark used to tan the leather is saved and composted to use in gardens. This tannery really does work to be as carbon neutral as they can.
Their choice of using manpower rather than machinery and natural oils rather than chemicals makes this leather top quality. Leather is a beautiful tactile, natural product. I choose top grain leather (leather that hasn’t been split or had the top sanded to get rid of the grain and any ‘flaws’). I love the natural grain; it adds to the uniqueness of the leather and my products.
I have chosen to use this leather because of its quality; how lovely it is to use as a wearer; it’s great to work with and the sustainable way the tannery works. I have attached some links below so you can find out more yourself (I am not responsible for what is on these websites).
Care and attention:
The leather may feel a bit stiff at first but it quickly softens and develops a beautiful patina the more you use it. Sometimes you might find a white bloom appears on the surface of the leather this is just some of the natural (fish) oils that the tannery applies to condition the leather. If it’s not been used for a while then the oils come to the surface. If you take a soft cloth and rub the surface the heat will make the oils go back into the leather. If the leather gets wet let it dry out naturally – DON’T PUT IT NEAR A HEAT SOURCE LIKE A RADIATOR as this will damage the leather.
An example of how good this quality leather is: One morning I found my keyring and keys outside in my back garden (it wasn’t me who left them out but that’s another story!). It had rained that night so my Oakwood Burn keyring was really wet. I let it dry out naturally and you wouldn’t know that it had been out in the rain. Quality leather feels great to use and lasts longer.
Links: