![The Oak Bark Belt 01]()
The Oak Bark Belt uses very special leather that’s tanned using a 2000 year old method. This is one of those products that wear in over time rather than wearing out. The small tannery producing this amazing leather is tucked away in a village in the southwest of England and is the last remaining traditional oak bark tannery in Britain. There’s been a tannery on this spot since Roman times and it’s been in the ownership of the current family for more than 150 years. Using nothing more than river water and sustainably-produced shredded bark from English oak trees, the tanning process takes a full 18 months from locally sourced hides arriving to finished leather leaving. The slow, gentle, natural tanning process preserves all the strength of the fibres and produces leather that’s thick, light, super- strong, great-smelling and has a beautiful full surface grain. It’s used in bespoke shoes, saddles and luggage by artisans and makers around the world who, having once discovered it, won’t use anything else. Handmade in England by Peter Sandford of Victory Leathercraft, the belt’s edges are bevelled, dyed and then burnished to a shine – none of those raggedy edges here! Buckles are sand-cast in brass here in the UK and are attached by means of screws for easy changes in future if so desired. Currently available through Kickstarter at 33% less than the price will be after this launch.
