“From the materials, art is made.”
Leather and Materials
What I use to create Caruso Leather leather goods.
Just as the painter has their canvas or a carpenter their wood, the leather artisan has their leather. Choosing what leather and thread to use for an item is just as important as the design itself. The leather used will create the strength, colour, feel, smell, longevity and overall emotion of using your handmade leather item.
I have carefully chosen leather and materials that speak for my work and is proven in the overall quality I want to share with you.
Imported from Italy.
Italian Veg Tan Leather
For almost all of my leather items you will see them created with vegetable tan full grain leather. This leather is made and imported from Italian tannery Conceria Walpier. The variety I use is called “Buttero” leather. It is among the finest leathers out there with a long history of its use. I love this leather because it is firm and wears in a bit softer with use. The colour is a beautiful matte sheen that shines up as you use your item. Since this leather is finished in an “aniline” process the hides character shows through the colour and gives a very unique character to each item.
I offer 6 colours on all of my items made with Buttero with some colour releases throughout the year. If you would like a specific colour please reach out to me since they have a lot to choose from and I love custom leather work so you can get exactly what you want.
Belts and Dog Gear
Strong Leather for Tough Work
Items like belts, dog leashes, collars or bag straps demand tough leather. I want my leather items to be tough and strong, yet not hard or harsh to touch and use.
Bridle leather is used for most strap work. It comes from a Mexican tannery that produces lovely feeling strap leather that will wear in and last a lifetime. Bridle leather goes through a special tanning process and the result is a very tight full grain leather that is weather resistant and won’t stretch to much. This is the preferred leather in saddlery making.
I carry many colours for my strapped items. If you would like a special colour please reach out to me for a custom order.
Bag leather from a boot maker.
Soft leather for bags, pouches and cases
Picking the right leather for the right item is a skill only achieved through many many hours of testing and researching. For my totes and softer leather items I use a chrome tanned leather from an American tannery called SB Foot.
SB Foot was acquired by Red Wing Boots and they exclusively produce hides for their company. Luckily SB Foot still makes their leather available to supplies so makers like myself can use this wonderful leather.
Chrome tanning is a quicker way to tan the hide and the result is a more moveable hide that is still tightly grained and strong. The surface is soft with a smooth suede on the inside. It has that lovely leather smell and you’ll want to keep touching your bag..it’s that nice!
I stock a range of colours in this hide but if you don’t see shade you love please reach out to me for a custom made item.
Braided thread, in all the colours.
Thread that lays flat and looks great.
The stitch on a leather item is a wonderful piece to the whole item. From the stitch spacing chosen to the thread. The right combination can bring a leather item to life!
I use a braided polyester thread that is waxed to help with weather resistance. The braided thread means that instead of having each strand in a “twist” forming a round cord, the strands are crossed and braided with each other forming the thread. It lays flat and just like a chinese finger trap as it gets pulled the braid only gets stronger. It has a high wear life span and resists fraying very well.
This thread is imported from Germany and has been the standard in leather making for many years. I carry 11 colours allowing you to customize your item to get the exact leather and thread colour you want.
Solid brass hardware looks better as it ages.
Hardware that is built to last.
Some leather items need some hardware such as a buckle or snap end. I only use solid brass hardware sourced from trusted suppliers in the industry. This allows me to make my items with hardware that is strong and will last a lifetime. Cheap made hardware is often plated and will chip or wear out the finish over time. They also will not have the same strength.
Matte nickel plated brass is also available in some items, or for custom orders. Please reach out if you would like to change the hardware on your item.
Sample Colours and Look
If you would like to customize your leather item please use these samples to view the colours for leather and thread. All photos have been edited to show the true colour as best as possible. Since device screens all have different shades or colour settings please know that colours can vary.
Leather is also an organic material and hand processed. While the tannery is a very good one and colour is very consistent, please know that colour and shades can change from hide to hide (but only slightly if any).
The last section shows the characteristic of the Buttero leather to give you an idea of how the hides look with various colouring, markings, stretch marks, matte sheen and other aspects of the hide that this tanning shows.
Italian Buttero Leather from Walpier Conceria
Light Brown
Medium Brown
Cognac
Whisky
Olive
Black
Freedom Pull Up - Cognac
This hide is available for custom orders or pre-sale orders. Please contact me for availability if you would like your item made from Freedom. It is a lovely leather!!
