LEATHER FOR SADDLE MANUFACTURING

Welcome to our new ‘Saddlery Series’.
 
 Throughout this series, we will be showcasing the very best materials and supplies, hand-picked by us. We will spotlight the highest quality fittings in the production of saddles and side-saddles, allowing you to create beautifully finished products.
 
 We previously covered saddle trees, welting and foams, and the fourth instalment in this series looks at leather.
 
 We carefully source the finest leathers from around the UK and Europe, and are distributors for some of the world’s most renowned leather tanneries, including J&E Sedgwick and Co and Pittards.
 
 At Abbey England, we are dedicated to supplying high quality leathers to our customers from all over the globe from our manufacturing and distribution centres based in Cheshire and the West Midlands.  All our hides are by-products of the meat and dairy and wool industries and comply with current ISO 1400:1 2004 quality ISO 9001:2008. We can also guarantee our leathers meet the current safety and sustainability criteria so you can be rest assured when buying your leather from Abbey England.
 
 We have a wide range of leathers suitable for creating any part of the saddle. Our leathers supply some of the top leading British, European and global equestrian saddle brands, including Aulton & Butler, Lariot, and Walsall Riding, amongst many others.
 
 We provide the highest quality leather in traditional colours (black and brown), as well as a wide range of non-traditional colours, including red, tan, blue, chestnut, stone, yellow, green and burgundy. We stock these in a wide range of types and thicknesses, from 1mm up to 5mm, to meet our customer’s saddle needs.
 
 Below we look at our top picks chosen by our in-house Expert Craig Evans.

 

 Leathers for making seats, panels, pads, covered flaps and skirts.

 Huntley Waxed Chrome
 The Huntley waxed panel hide is a smooth textured hide offering robust performance while maintaining a classic appearance. These hides offer a very English contemporary look with a slightly rubbery touch. Each hide is finished with a matt waxy top coat.
 
 Size: 20 / 30 sq ft.
 Available in Black and Mocha.
 
 Ascari
 The Ascari Waxed hides were developed in house at our Walsall Branch to meet the demands of our International customers.
 These hides are drum dyed and are incredibly durable in every aspect. The soft milled appearance is a unique feature that offers grip and texture to the leather
 
 Size: 20 / 30 sq ft.
 Available in Black and Havanna.

 
 Pittards Olympia
 The Olympia hide comes from world renowned Pittard’s. These hides are rich in appearance offering a full bodied leather with real depth of colour.  It’s a soft, supple handled leather with a fine grain texture which has been mistaken for calf hides as it offers a beautiful velvet like texture. All the hides are Chrome tanned and drum dyed with every test carried out fully before final inspection.
 
 Size: 20 / 30 sq ft.
 Available in Black and Havanna.

 
 Starlight
 The Starlight WR100 was primally developed for performance and sport leather goods. But with the unbeatable combination of softness and durability and the added benefit of being a breathable leather, this hide was an instant success in the saddlery sector.
 This is one of Pittards longest running hides to date and continues to outperform hides costing twice the price. It is water repellent, breathable and ultra-soft due to the drumming and tanning process. These hides are adaptable to all leather work.
 
 Size: 20 / 30 sq ft.
 Available in Black, Badminton and Chestnut
 
 Selle Calf
 Selle Calf is truly magnificent. Rich in texture with a natural full grain feel. The oily pull up enhances the finish of this leather making it the ideal choice for customers who are looking for that high end finish. You may see the odd growth line or collapsed vein but remember, these are all natural characteristics of genuine leather!
 All of our Selle calf is drum dyed using the traditional tanning methods which date back to the early 19th century.
 
 Size: 15 / 25 sq ft.
 Available in Black, Brown, Bordeaux and Ranch.
 
 Norwegian Upholstery
 The Norwegian Upholstery hides are a fantastic multi-purpose leather with a semi Aniline finish offering suppleness, colour fastness and durability. We have been supplying these particular hides now for well over 20 years and the demand is ever increasing due to its competitive price and cutting co-efficiency.
 
The Norwegian Upholstery is extremely versatile and can be used for many projects.  These hides are milled grain and offer a soft velvet like texture.
 
 Size: 40/60 sq ft.
 Available in 14 colours