Leathers

Most Jackdaw Leather goods are made from vegetable tanned leather and Horween Leather. Below are brief introductions to those leathers and why I have chosen to work with them.

Vegetable tanned leather

Vegetable tanned leather is produced using tannins extracted from barks, wood and other parts of plants to covert animal hides into leather. This is the most environmentally friendly way to tan leather, the process is very lengthy and therefore expensive, but widely recognised as the most desirable for high quality products. This tanning process allows the leather to achieve wonderful ageing qualities, with the ability to develop a deep and rich patina with time and use.

Horween Leather

Horween leather is named after the tannery where it is produced, The Horween Leather company in Chicago Illinois. It was founded in 1905 and for over 100 years have been producing some of the finest leathers in the world. To this day they make their leather by hand and have done so for five generations. The Leathers that I use From Horween have a fantastic Pull up quality meaning that when you rub the leather from the back it lightens as you are actually moving the tallows and oils within the leather giving it a wonderfully distressed appearance.

Conciera Walpier tannery

Buttero leather comes from the Walpier tannery in Tuscany, Italy. It is a high quality full grain 100% vegetable tanned leather. The leathers are available in amazing vibrant colours, have beautiful smooth matt surfaces and a mid to firm temper which softens and patinas beautifully with time and use.

Badalassi Carlo tannery

The spanish word Pueblo means “people” and the Pueblo range of leathers from Badalassi Carlo tannery in Tuscany are a tribute to the people of South America. The vegetable tanned dyed through leathers they produce are their premium grade and are one of the finest leathers in the world. Pueblo leather has a unique rustic stone ground finish, almost suede -like to handle initially but with exposure to light and heat will darken and with regular use and touch will develop a silky smooth rich patina which is second to none. If you like watching a leather change and develop a truly unique patina then this is the leather for you.

Leather choices

Below is a gallery of the leather options for my products, It is there to act only as a guide for the colours as each device will display the colours differently. As a natural product no two hides will be exactly the same and will vary slightly in colour and appearance, displaying subtle scars and marks that give full grain leather its unrivalled character. For me this is a deliberate and critical decision and is what will ensure that the leather goods I produce will age in a unique and distinctive way.

Threads

After trying various linen threads traditionally used in leather craft I have chosen to work almost entirely with Ritza 25 Tiger thread, a waxed braided polyester thread imported from Germany and made by Julius Koch. It is widely considered one of the best threads for hand stitching due to its strength and durability, It is also available in an array of colours.

Hardware and other materials

Other materials used in the construction of Jackdaw products are chosen for their durability, quality and aesthetic appeal complimenting the leathers they are partnered with, from the heavy duty cotten webbing straps on some of the bags to the traditional copper saddlers rivets. Many of the solid brass buckles and other hardware are sourced from a local foundry here in the Midlands.