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Equus Leather - English Handstitched Bridle Leather Belts - Official Affiliate and Review Thread

nelsypants

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Wow, so you’ve had an order since Nov ‘21? What were they telling you for build finish?

I ordered Jan 2022 and was told Aug/Sep 2022 delivery. Equus lost staff and punched it out to late 2022. Last I heard from them was Nov 2022 when they told me my leather was being sent out for thinning (I assume for the custom pockets and internal pocket I specified. Radio silence since then.
I last got correspondence from them in April 2022 stating that EDD was 6-7 months. Fingers crossed that I still have grounds for a chargeback...
 

johng70

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very unfortunate. I've ordered a number of belts over the years and was very happy with them. Prices got a bit out of control so the last couple belts were sourced elsewhere. I think it's a very difficult segment to have a profitable business in - especially when you craft in the UK. While I was no longer a customer, I'm sad to see them go under - good people and a quality business.
 

Mr. Six

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I'm sorry for everyone who had an order pending, but especially sorry for Charlie and Dawn. This was obviously their passion in addition to their business, and they were great craftspeople and wonderful to deal with. It's a pity that it's so difficult to manage these kinds of businesses in the current economic environment.
 

bjhofkin

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I'm sorry for everyone who had an order pending, but especially sorry for Charlie and Dawn. This was obviously their passion in addition to their business, and they were great craftspeople and wonderful to deal with. It's a pity that it's so difficult to manage these kinds of businesses in the current economic environment.
This.

I get that people are out money on outstanding orders (myself included) – but I wish more people would have this perspective. The people this is hardest on – by far – are Charlie and Dawn themselves.
 

TimothyF

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But ghosting their paying customers? I’m having a really hard time picturing honest upstanding people doing this. Btw I get that people can be totally upstanding in the past, and do something totally unethical today.
 

nmprisons

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Look, I'm almost certainly out bigger than anyone on this (including client gifts that will now never be made). But it's not clear what they are actually supposed to do if the business folds. Bankruptcy sucks for the creditors. We'll all share a bit of the pain, but their pain is bigger. I really, really wish I was getting an attache.
 

bjhofkin

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But ghosting their paying customers? I’m having a really hard time picturing honest upstanding people doing this. Btw I get that people can be totally upstanding in the past, and do something totally unethical today.
I'm certainly not an expert here but I have a sense that might be a legal issue when bankruptcy is in play.
 

brax

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Very sorry to hear they are out of business and also very sorry to hear that people have outstanding orders that won’t be filled.
 

Vamp-ire

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very unfortunate. I've ordered a number of belts over the years and was very happy with them. Prices got a bit out of control so the last couple belts were sourced elsewhere. I think it's a very difficult segment to have a profitable business in - especially when you craft in the UK. While I was no longer a customer, I'm sad to see them go under - good people and a quality business.
Its ridiculous this business couldn't survive, belts! Lile seriously, if a belt company that does all array of leather goods to a professional standards goes under, what's going to happen to even smaller ops?
 

Camerashy

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May be wrong but didn’t I read somewhere that one of their main craftsmen was retiring
 

Treble

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Its ridiculous this business couldn't survive, belts! Lile seriously, if a belt company that does all array of leather goods to a professional standards goes under, what's going to happen to even smaller ops?

Smaller craftspeople are probably fine - relatively simple thing of needing enough custom. I think the problems often come when the one-person business tries to expand and scale to pay multiple salaries, maintain websites, advertising, wider inventory etc.

I mean it's all speculation of course.
 

kongmw

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It’s unfortunate but most definitely unacceptable for a business to fold (without warning) and their paying customers with outstanding orders (me included) only to find out about it one day on a forum thread or going to their website. Now the customers are expected to contact a third party regarding their orders?

To be clear, I am significantly more annoyed by their lack of communication, both before and after the folding of the company, to their customers, than me out of whatever I paid for a belt.

I understand that they had a good run here on SF and built amazing products, which is why I ordered from them. But abusing the goodwill of this community and ghosting like this is just effing BS. I was hoping to order more from them after receiving the first order ffs.
 

johng70

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Smaller craftspeople are probably fine - relatively simple thing of needing enough custom. I think the problems often come when the one-person business tries to expand and scale to pay multiple salaries, maintain websites, advertising, wider inventory etc.

I mean it's all speculation of course.
I agree with this. The belts I got from Equus were the simple bridle leather - not raised, nothing fancy. Then they expanded to other leather goods. And, at the same time the price of their simple belts kept going up. The last belt I bought from them was in 2017 for 70 british pounds. I can't remember what the price had gone up to.
In 2022 I ordered a bridle leather belt from a small craftsman in Texas for $70 USD
Around 2020 I ordered a bridle leather belt from Tim Hardy in UK - 77 british pounds - same quality as Equus.

IMO, the problem was Equus kept expanding into more complex leather goods and had to raise the prices on their simple goods to cover costs. And, in so doing, priced people like me out of their business. I'm not talking raised leather - just a simple single strip of bridle leather with stitching and a buckle. So, I continued to support western craftsmen but ones where the price was in line with the simplicity of what I was asking for.

Also, I suspect they were unable to retain/obtain the craftsmen necessary to keep up with orders - orders that now spanned many different products. So, much more challenging.
 

Catullus

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Aug 27, 2019
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Over the last several years I've purchased 3-4 belts from Equus and had been thinking of another couple. I very much regret not ordering them now. I'm sorry for the Equus team and people who have pending orders. What are some alternatives that people recommend? I think someone mentioned Tim Hardy.
 

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