Behind the Bench: A Day Making Leather Goods in Norfolk

Every piece I make starts on the same bench, in a small workshop I built in the garden in Norfolk. No factory line, no real shift pattern either - just full grain hide, hand tools, and whatever hours I can find between the day job, the fire station, and being a dad of two.

Cutting and Prepping the Leather

Every piece starts with cutting full grain hide by hand to a pattern, checking grain direction and natural markings before a single cut goes in. Get that bit wrong and everything downstream inherits the mistake.

Stitching and Finishing

Edges get bevelled and burnished before stitching, then hand or saddle-stitched at every stress point. Hardware, like the solid brass buckle on my Mid Tan belt, goes on last.

Why Small-Batch Matters

Because I'm the one checking it. Every piece gets looked over by hand before it goes out - there's no line to wave it through.

What's Changed in the Workshop Recently

I recently added a die cutting press, which has made cleaner snap and hole placement possible - part of a slow, ongoing expansion of that garden workshop. More on that over on the Workshop Updates blog.

Curious about a specific piece? Get in touch, or browse my full range of handmade leather goods.