Durable leather belts
We admire handmade craft from honest and raw materials. We also enjoy working with small European companies. Tanneries that have been tanning their leather in the traditional way for generations, where even the energy is generated with a hydroelectric power station. That is what makes our work and our products so special. The leather is tanned in a sustainable way and with vegetable tannins, for the best quality leather.
Leather supplier J&FJ Baker & Co Ltd
One of our regular leather suppliers is J&FJ Baker & Co Ltd. Established in 1862, this company is Britain’s only remaining traditional oak bark tannery. While other tanneries switched to different and faster tanning methods, they stuck to the traditional slow method (12 to 15 months). They use oak bark for this, because it produces stronger and luxurious leather without producing waste which is difficult to process. They only use oak bark and water to tan their hides. The bark comes from oak trees grown in Cumbria, England, for lumber and charcoal. The hides are sourced locally in Devon. The hides are a by-product from the meat industry and so we turn it into something beautiful and sustainable. We mainly use it to make our handmade Heritage leather belts.
©J&FJ Baker & Co Ltd
Leather supplier Gerberei David Schmid
Another one of our regular suppliers is Gerberei David Schmid, a German family business that was founded in 1888. They produce leather like they did in the past and that lasts for generations. Their tannery has specialized in vegetable tanning from the beginning. This is reflected in their experience passed down from generation to generation. The durability of the leather starts with the purchase of the raw materials. The raw material, the hides of cows, oxen and bulls are a by-product of the meat industry.
To tan the hides, they use vegetable tannins, a renewable raw material extracted from bark and wood. The finish of the leather also plays an important role. Due to the high proportion of natural fats, such as beef tallow and fish oil, the leather feels warm, pleasant and hardly needs re-greasing or special care. By doing this they try to produce natural products in an environmentally friendly way.
We use this beautiful leather to make our durable leather Stoerens, Nostalgy and Hebbich belts.
