About Katy Warriner
AN INTROVERTED EXTROVERT, WHO LOVES THE SMELL OF THE OUTDOORS, SALTY SEAS AND DAMP WOODLANDS
Founded in 2018, Warriner Leather was born out of a desire to make practical, long-lasting leather wares, highlighting a need to slow down and be more thoughtful of where our materials come from. My designs are timeless pieces, that reflect values of tradition and simplicity as well as being practical and durable to everyday living.
CONSCIOUSLY CRAFTED, WITH LIFE IN MIND
I work with my hands, using traditional tools and techniques. Every piece is entirely handmade, using local leather, waxed linen threads and brass hardware.
I make things to tell a story, to give my customers more than just a belt or a bag. I tell the story of leather, from its beginnings to its end. A circular story, from soil through to soil and all the processes in between.
It is my responsibility to help people reconnect with the things they buy, to repair rather than replace, to honour and keep alive traditional crafts.
THE STUDIO
All items are designed and made by myself Katy Warriner at my home studio based on the fringes of Dartmoor in West Devon.
My studio has an open-door policy, I welcome people to come and say hello and be involved in the process. Fuelled by strong coffee, a good playlist, chocolate biscuits and my snoring woofer Murphy.
I welcome commissions and bespoke ideas, from traditional to the weird and wonderful. If you have a unique idea in mind please get in touch hello@warrinerleather.co.uk
THE LEATHER
Oak bark tanning - also known as vegetable tanning - has been a method used to make leather for thousands of years. Each hide is unique and different from the last, having gained the characteristics of the animal it once was. It has exceptional qualities and retains the hide’s natural aesthetics like growth lines, marks and scars.
Vegetable tanned leathers absorb the traces of our life, maturing and ageing with a personal expression of naturalness and truth. Over time this leather will give a beautiful patina that becomes more intense with the passing of time and daily use. This leather will grow old with you.
THE TANNERY
J&FJ Baker is a small family run tannery, and is Britain's last remaining traditional oak bark tannery. The site is believed to date back to Roman times, and has been In the Baker family for 6 generations, dating back to 1862.
The hides that come to the tannery are from beef cattle from southwest farms and the oak bark used for its tannins is from oak forests in Cumbria. A slow and gentle process taking upwards of 14 months to produce a leather that is extremely strong and durable. Powered by a single water mill that gently rocks the tanning pits, there is an oldness to the buildings and the floors and walls of the tannery site, they whisper a thousand tales and tell so many stories.
In the past 70 years the UK has lost over 400 tanneries, there are only 23 remaining and only a very small number employ traditional tanning techniques - Oak bark tanning is now on the heritage crafts critically endangered list.
THE HARDWARE
A small family run foundry in Walsall operating since 1832 by the Stanley Brothers, the business is now run and owned by Abbey England who have held the royal warrant to her majesty the queen for saddlery and workshop materials since 1999.
Employing traditional green and sand-casting techniques they create hardware that compliments leather, specialising in the classic saddlery and harness styles.
Visit them here:
READ THE BLOG
Journey into leather making with me. Featuring Tales from the West, Tales from the Workshop, and Tales from the Tools.
