Vintage Oak Bark Belt
£95.00
Handmade in Devon · Full grain oak bark tanned leather · Built to last
Made in small batches
On a recent visit to Bakers Oak Bark Leather Tannery, East Devon, we were able to source just a few more hides of the incredibly popular, very old Oak Bark Tanned Leather.
The hides were originally tanned for stirrup leathers - 5mm thick and incredibly strong. They were rejected for minor surface scratching, left in a pile in a dark corner and forgotten for 50 years – nobody really knows for how long exactly.
The hides are hand-dyed a very dark brown, waxy and smell strongly of leather – truly old-fashioned and labour intensive!
- Walsall foundry buckle and hand-peened copper rivets
- Belt width 1.5”
- Leather thickness approx 4.5mm
- Complimentary personalisation
- Complimentary standard UK shipping
MINOR SURFACE IRREGULARITIES ARE A FEATURE OF THIS 50-YEAR OLD LEATHER
For an accurate fit please see our size guide below.
Finding your size
Measure an existing belt as shown in the diagram below.
We make the Vintage OBT Belt in 4 sizes - Small, Medium, Large and XLarge.
There are 7 holes 1" apart with the centre holes at:
Small 33" (Trouser Size 31")
Medium 36" (Trouser Size 34")
Large 39" (Trouser Size 37")
X Large 43" (Trouser Size 41")
The 7 holes cover 3" in each direction eg: Small 30-36", Medium 33-39", Large 36-42", X Large 41-45"
More about the Vintage OBT Belt
The leather was made for stirrup leathers and is dark brown, waxy and extremely tough with a strong leather smell. It is measures in at approximately 4.5mm thick.
We are using the hides for belts but don’t expect a pristine finish – the quality of the leather, workmanship, hardware and longevity is not compromised but be aware that the surface carries surface scratching. This is an important part of the leather’s story.
We are convinced our customers will share our delight at this special find especially as we are selling at a hard to resist price.
Our Vintage OBT Belt is 4.5 - 5mm thick and with care it should last a lifetime
Uniquely Crafted
The leather is genuine vintage leather that was originally made for bridles or stirrup leathers but because of the exacting standards of the equestrian trade these hides were put to the side, rejected, because of surface scratching or superficial scarring.
The feel, initially stiff, will become more and more supple - but never floppy!
Wear this belt every day and watch the patina in the leather and the brass buckle develop over time. Feel free to take some brass polish to the buckle if you want to go out smart.
No two are the same.
Read more about our leather.
As part of the final hand finishing or 'currying' process, our oak bark tanned hides are coated in tallow.
J & FJ Baker & Co have developed 20 different speciality dubbins. Each with a different secret blend of natural fats and oils, tailored to the specific leather to enhance and support the leather's different properties.
The tallow is applied by hand with a brush to ensure a thorough and even coat is worked in. The leather is then left for a week for the dubbin to soak in.
The tallow comes to the surface of the leather and forms a white waxy coating.
Once we have finished making each individual oak bark tanned Tanner Bates piece, we then brush off any remaining visible tallow with a horsehair brush to reveal the beautiful rich leather beneath.
When the leather is new, or if it is left unused for a while, the tallow will reappear in its white waxy form.
This is a natural and unavoidable process.
However, with use, the tallow will soon rub off, or if you prefer, a quick buff with a soft bristle or horsehair brush will once again reveal the stunning characterful oak bark tanned leather in all its full glory.
Read more about tallow on our blog post here
Free Personalisation
Complimentary personalisation of up to 12 characters is available. We use traditional bookbinders brass type (24pt Gill Sans) embossed on the reverse of the belt (hidden on the inside). The hot stamping process allows you to choose between gold, silver, black and blind (no colour) embossing. The personalisation will follow the same orientation as our maker's marque.
Please note, personalised items cannot be exchanged or returned.
Love your Leather
Our leather is ethically and sustainably processed. The tannery uses a mixture of tree barks to transform the animal hides to leather. This is an ancient tradition which yields the familiar leather smell. Natural oils evaporate over time and need replenishing. Your leather benefits from and will look its very best if given an occasional dose of natural waxes and oils. Our Leather care information card is included with every purchase.