Photo essay on Britain's last oak bark tannery - Page 3

Charlie -

I'd almost certainly be interested in a belt, I need something nice like that for casual wear and the uniqueness of it is a bonus. If you get to the point of wanting seriously interested folks to email you about it and/or think about deposits, please make sure you post in this thread!

Quote:

 

+1

Thanks All,

I'll be in touch with all those who have expressed an interest once I have the price firmly sorted, which I hope will be in the next day or two. Unless there is a huge shock when I get the current leather price list or lots of people drop out we will go ahead, so please post here or drop me a PM if your interested. I'll collate a list, establish sizes etc with the participants and we'll send paypal invoices to those who want one when we have the final prices.

I'm going to post this in SW&D as well.

Charlie

Brilliant stills there really capture the labour intensive nature of the process - love that it still looks how it was when conceived

Great news Charlie that you are doing this commission - despite having recently received my three orders I might be keen so will let you know!

Keep up the great work and big thumbs up for Equus

PS ive not got round to it yet but will at some point do my quick review of my brilliant Equus experience thus far!

Sounds interesting. One mid/lt brown and one dark reddish brown (cordovan color)? What's their color range.

See here.

I'm ok with Australian nut and the nickel West End buckle my self, just as Charlie suggested.


edit: since Charlie quoted me, there's no reason to have the same images twice.
Edited by james_timothy - 8/13/11 at 6:51am

James,

Thanks for compiling all that!

Bakers Australian Nut looks like this - a similar shade to the Sedgwicks we use thats above, but a very different outcome. A much more aniline dye lets all of the underlying nature of the leather show thorough

http://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/equestrian_a.php - sorry I can't include the image, I can't workout how get the image from the page!

The buckle above is Stainless Steel. Its nice but quite cold (and also temporarily unavailable). Nickel is a warmer yellow white and totally in keeping with the nature of the leather and the period the technology used in the tanning process is from, if you see what I mean. The picture bellow is bottle green Sedgwicks leather and a Nickel West End with a Stainless Steel tounge.



Given all the pas I've had we will comfortably have enough people, as soon as I have the final price (early next week) I'll be in touch with all who have expressed an interest to confirm interest and get their sizes etc.

Charlie

That is lovely, isn't it.


I prefer the link above, but here's a Baker's color chart:

Edited by james_timothy - 8/13/11 at 7:01am

Charlie,

Would you consider doing a lined and raised version?

Back to the tannery on MoK's original post, I am always amazed, even though I see this time and and time again, by the level of work that goes into the manufacturing of things taken for granted. The concept is not difficult - you are soaking animal skin with "tree skin" to make the former more durable, but to achieve this takes . . . a coaxing from us humans to make this happen. This coaxing results in mandatory time and is a wonderful example of the concept of patience that I'd say most people don't have these days.

What are other examples that I'm thinking compare to this operation? I'd say Horween for a more direct relation. Also the barrique makers in France for wine aging, as well as those who age their wine in the oak barrels. You look at the whole product, the one that you finally purchase and enjoy, and think about what really went into it and you can be amazed that the item can be as cheap as it actually is.

Compare Bakers process with that in Nick V.'s post, which is a very industrial process involving converted cement mixers.

Another time consuming process is natural indigo, which takes a fermentation time. So those natural indigo dyers in Japan
are amazing. And I'll add anyone who can make a natural dye madder silk tie: indigo, madder, and probably marigold.

Awesome video!

The basic difference is, the tannery in Nick's video produces chrome tanned (and vegetal re-tanned) leather. This produces a soft draping leather, suitable for shoe uppers, clothing, upholstery etc.

Bakers (or Rendenbach in Germany) produces a hard, thick and stiff leather, suitable for shoe soles or harness work. Both tanneries work in totally different ways to produce the desired results.

Exactly my point...What a world we live in! Old school and new, everything in between and totally global.
IMO Horns in post 40 nailed it.
Just think of it, the new skins that started soaking this week @ Bakers won't be boxed for approx. 2 years!
It's a time staking process that we don't endure. Yet, only enjoy the final product..
Time to go into my garden and pick some tomatoes, cukes and, peppers for tonight's salad. No ferts only Canadian peat. fresh manurer and, lot's of cultivating. Time and care, can't beat the results.....

From here..

I'm recalling a member here who said, after three generations of working in a factory, over his dead body was he going to work in a factory. Somehow we dehumanized the work in factories, removed the craftsmanship aspect, so much that no one wanted to do it any more.