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Here you can read about the leather your item is made of. Click here to find out about caring for your leather goods.
The Leather - Sedgwicks' English Bridal
Traditional Bridle leather, hand-finished at J & E Sedgwick’s in Walsall with an open grain texture. This smooth surfaced material originally purpose made for equestrian use, has a high shine finish due to the care and attention it receives as it works its way through the various Sedgwick processes. Ideal for belts, straps and equestrian items.
Sedgwick & co are traditional leather makers founded in 1900 and are one of the leading leather suppliers of British equestrian leather in the UK.
Sedgwick’s has always prided itself on the consistently high quality of its finished leather. Partly, this has been achieved by the sourcing of high-quality British hides, but also in maintaining the skills of expert curriers who finish the leather by hand. Many of these skills utilized at the beginning of the century are still employed today. Hence the management taking the view that these skills, when used correctly, produce the finest leather.
The Leather - Walpier Buttero
The world famous ‘Buttero’ is a 100% pure vegetable tanned leather produced on full grain shoulders. Available in a great range of both vibrant and traditional shades that will patina over time, ageing gracefully throughout its life. Buttero has a smooth matt surface and a medium to firm temper.
The Leather - Walpier Rocky
Rocky is a heavyweight 100% pure vegetable tanned leather produced on full grain shoulders. The raw material of Rocky is made from the finest of French Bulls, tanned in Italy by the world famous Conceria Walpier. Rocky has a resin reversed back making it ideal for heavier weight leather goods.
Conceria Walpier is a tannery based in the Tuscany region of Italy. The tannery was founded in 1973 by the current owners father after a long personal experience in the tanning sector and is part of the Pelle Vegetale Guaruntee Consortium. All the leathers produced are 100% vegetable tanned on cow or bull hides. Known famously across the world for their wonderful articles in traditional smooth, embossed and tumbled leathers suitable for belts, handbags and leather goods.
What is the Pelle Vegetale Guaruntee Consortium?
This guarantee certifies the traceability of the origin, the correct execution of the tanning process and the natural characteristics of the vegetable-tanned leather produced by the tanneries associated with the consortium. Each trademarked certificate label is printed with anti-counterfeiting techniques and bears a progressive serial number that allows the consortium to identify, at any time and anywhere in the world, both the tannery supplying the leather and the manufacturer of the product.
More information can be found here
Why does it matter?
The quality of leather can vary greatly. Although cow leathers are waste products of the meat industry, it's important to know that the animals still came from small scale farms that adhere to good environmental standards.
Industrially produced hides are from cattle that is grown too fast and as a result, the hides are not as dense and can have veiny, stretched patterns across the hide - these must not be confused with the normal and often desirable markings that leather has, they will be larger and more prominent in feature.
on top of this it is important not to fund industries where, internationally the standards are not as high as in Europe and the UK in terms of animal welfare and the proper use of land - for example with illegal land grab practices and deforestation to support excessive large scale farming.
