For my full leather straps I use exclusively English bridle leather. Unless otherwise stated or requested. The leathers are traditionally pit tanned and hand curried to ensure that the fibres are strong and the leather smooth. For most purposes I use bridle leather that is 4 - 4.5mm thick, though leather up to 5.2mm is available for particularly heavy applications. For shorter straps I occasionally use bridle shoulder 3mm thick to give a little more flexibility.
Bridle leathers are available in a choice of colours as shown to the right. Left to right: black, dark Havana, Chestnut, Hazel, Newmarket, London Tan.
Please note that due to screen resolution, colours may not be reproduced exactly. If you would like samples of any or all colours please click here.
How They Are Made
All my English bridle leather straps are made using traditional saddlery techniques, and are cut finished and stitched entirely by hand. The leather is cut to width using a saddler's plough knife before having the edges taken off top and bottom to give a rounded finish. These edges are stained and polished before being creased using a hot creasing iron.
Once the slots for the buckles have been punched the stitching is marked using a pricking iron. The strap is then stitched by hand using two needles and a saddler's awl to make the holes. Finally the holes are punched in the point end and the finished product is polished with a soft brush ready for delivery.