Oak Bark Exmoor Leather Belt
UK shipping: Orders under £150 can be shipped via Royal Mail 1st Class (uninsured, untracked): £5.50, or Royal Mail Special Delivery (insured and tracked): £12.50, while orders over £150 receive complimentary shipping via Royal Mail Special Delivery (insured and tracked). We recommend Special Delivery for full insurance.
Returns are accepted within 14 days of receiving your order. Please contact us at info@tannerbates.co.uk to arrange a return.
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Handmade in Devon · Full grain oak bark tanned leather · Built to last
Made to measure
Oak Bark Tanned Full Grain leather cut from the hide in one piece 5 mm thick. Combine this with a sand cast buckle in solid brass and you will get a belt thats made to last.
- 5mm oak bark tanned leather
- Sand-cast buckles made in a West Midlands foundry
- Belt width 1.5”
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Each belt is tailor made for a perfect fit
- Click here to learn more about bespoke personalisation
- Available in Black, Brown and Natural (undyed) leather options
- Click here to learn more about 'Natural' (undyed) leather
For an accurate fit please see our size guide below.
Please note: Trouser size and measured belt size are not the same.
The hides are known as “full-grain” which means that the skin surface is as it came off the cow, just without the hair. The surface of the skin has not been buffed. This leaves all the character that were naturally on the cow’s skin; scars, blemishes etc. As a result, each product is unique to the owner. Tanner Bates - No two the same
(Photos are for illustration purposes only)
MORE DETAILS
FINDING YOUR SIZE
Measure an existing belt as shown in the diagram below
To get the right size measure an existing belt from the point where the leather meets the buckle to the most regularly used hole. This is the measured size.
If this information is not available tell us the trouser size
Each belt has 5 holes 1” (2.5cm) apart. Your supplied measurement will be to the centre one of the five.
HAND-MADE IN DEVON
We make these belts in our leather workshop in rural South Devon using leather from a local tannery, the last of its kind in Europe.
The buckles are cast in sand in a foundry in Walsall, West Midlands.
The belts are made entirely by hand from cutting the strap from the hide to the shaping of the point which we make using a traditional saddlers round knife.
UNIQUELY CRAFTED
The leather has a full grain finish which means that every blemish or scar on the cows skin will be present on the finished hide and apparent on the finished product. The hides are dyed by hand at the tannery with an aniline dye. This process allows the grain and all the individual markings on the cows skin to show through. The dye is absorbed into the hide in an irregular way so giving a unique appearance to every belt. 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
Natural leather needs feeding from time to time (more often in a dry hot environment). Apply a lavish dose of Gilboy's Leather Conditioner Balsam every 6 months to ensure long and supple service.
Our buckles are hand-made for us by a foundry in Walsall, UK.
PERSONALISATION
Personalisation of up to 10 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.
