Skip to content
I combine the traditional skills of a Master Saddler in conjunction with contemporary construction techniques and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Physiology. Science and Magic brought together to create luxury & desire from the old & new, the neglected & discarded.
Leather:
Design & Pattern making:
Leather & Fixings Selection:
Cutting: Once the leather is selected, if from the hide, chalk or a pricking wheel is used to mark out the desired shape. A titanium roller knife or traditional steel half moon knife is used to cut out. English points are scribed and cut by hand for all strap ends.
Edging: The edges are then grooved to raise the corner which is then shaved off to create a bevel providing a smooth finish.
All straight joined edges are chamfered so thickness of the leather is consistent.
All raw edges are friction bonded using water and brown manilla paper.
Stitching: Linen thread is hand waxed with beeswax, making it impervious to moisture, stitches are marked with a pricking iron or wheel and a shaped awl is used to create each hole so all the stitches lie at a slight angle.
Depending on what I am making, traditional two needled saddle stitch or a single needle back stitch is used. The threads cross through the leather rather than just a loop (as used in machine stitching) this may seem laborious & time consuming but this attention to detail creates the cleanest most professional finish with unparalleled durability & strength.
The stitches are then bedded in causing the leather to constrict around each internal knot, holding the bond even tighter.
The item is then given a final polish and wrapped in cotton fabric to protect the leather and allow it to breathe. All packaging is reclaimed/recycled.
Wet Moulding: All creature masks are created this way using one single piece of new leather from the UK.
A plaster mould is first created for each animal (no extra charge), leather is selected and cut to a rough pattern & soaked. The wet leather is then strapped over the mould using cotton cloths and left to dry slowly for up to two weeks.
Finishing: The pattern shape is refined and the three seams are marked for stitching. Holes are punched for any hair or whiskers then hair is pulled trough each hole and stitched in position. Eyes are positioned & cut. Secondary hand moulding is then done to enhance specific features such as eyes, ears, lips and nostrils. The seams are stitched up and bedded in.
Further hand moulding is done to create the finer details including veins & wrinkles. After the fitting and final shaping are checked and approved the mask is left for its final cureing and the mask is hand painted to your specifications.
Patterns are continually revised and improved upon with every creation, this method ensures that each mask is totally individual and has its very own character – truly bespoke and one of a kind.
Examples of some of my past creations can be found on my Gallery page here.