Anwers to some of our most Frequently Asked Questions about leather are below. if you still have questions, feel free to contact us – we’re always happy to chat!
Can you bottle the smell?
Easily the most frequently asked question! Unfortunately no, but if you purchase a hand made leather item from us and keep it in a box you can open the box and have a sniff any time you like!
How much does it cost?
When it comes to the carving, it is purely down to time. We don’t charge as much as a plumber or sparky, who are also as rare as… hens teeth! We charge an hourly rate which is already incorporated into the standard products, and a reduced daily rate for larger projects. Please see “Custom Ravn” for more details on costs of custom projects. Our gallery has a growing library of photos with prices for standard carvings.
Why is leather so costly?
Leather is costly to begin with – the farmer needs a fair price for feeding the animal, medicines, vets, etc. and that’s before the animal even reaches the tannery!
I get my leather in sheets – up to 22 square feet. From there I’ll measure, mark, cut, trim, hole punch, stitch or rivet, edge, burnish and dye even the smallest of products. Each piece is completely made from scratch by hand using traditional, time tested techniques.
How can I pay you?
Epayments
As a small business selling a luxury leather product with minimal profit margins I prefer not to use these services and pay their fees, but as an online seller I don’t have much choice. Available at the checkout
Cash
I will accept cash (in person, and will often deliver locally) . We may even be able to negotiate a small discount for larger cash purchases!
Crypto
I will accept many cryptocurrencies – if you’re looking for a more novel way to buy your leather – give me a shout and we’ll work out the conversion rate. I don’t think I’m allowed to give a discount for crypto since I’m not allowed to use NFTs as incentive…
Isn’t Leather Cruel?
Leather is a by product of meat. Our hides are mostly American (see below). Standards for raising animals in Europe and America are fairly high.
The way we see it – if the animal will be slaughtered for meat, it’s much more respectful to use as much of the animal as possible.
We also buy second hand – reclaimed sofa material etc. This means that not only has the meat been used, the skin has served as a sofa for many years, and we are the ensuring that the animal lives on as a pouch, bag, or parts of clothing for many years to come! See Eco Ravn for more.
We are more than interested in chatting to any local farmers who would like to make best use of their animals – exciting things with High View Goats in the pipeline!
What animal does leather come from?
As leather is the tanned hide of an animal, it can come from pretty much any animal. I have a drum from Uganda with what I believe is monitor lizard drumskin. I’ve also seen videos on how to tan fish skin! That would make an interesting wallet!
Here at Ravn Leather we only use genuine leather. The majority is veg tanned cow hide, as it’s tough and durable. For some projects we may use sheepskin, hair on or hair off. It’s thinner but strong and very pliable.
We also have some hair on cow and goat to dream up more ideas for!
Where does your leather come from?
Mostly American cows!
British cow hides are sought after, since we don’t have razor wire and saw fly over here, so the majority of British cow hides are exported.
Most of the veg tanned leather available in this country is from American cows.
As above – we’re looking to form partnerships with local farmers in the South West of England to bring the whole business much more local, and have some exciting plans with High View Goats coming up.
Can you make?
Probably – we’ve been asked to make a number of itemas that weren’t on our website. From knife sheaths, leg bell pads for Morris Dancers and bucket holsters to dried flower vases and braces for archery equipment!
if you have need of an item you haven’t seen in a shop, give us a shout!
See our Custom Ravn page for a more in depth answer, and more examples, or contact us to discuss your requirements.
Can you fix…?
Alterations and repairs
In the case of alterations and fixing stitching or rusted out rivets, more than likely. We can alter some leather gear so it better suits your purposes. or Contact me to discuss or send me some photos and we can go from there.
We regularly replace leather handbag handles, (or more often than not replace pleather handbag handles with genuine leather!) We often replace worn belt straps, using the original buckles and hardware too.
Check out Ravn Repairs to find out more about our standard belt and bag repair service!
If you have one of our products from years back, send us a photo as above, and again, we’ll be able to discuss options.
Zips, jackets, boots
I’d really rather not! I do have the tools, but rarely set up right! I would always recommend your local cobbler for this – they do it day in day out! In the Liskeard / Bodmin area, I recommend Danny Smith on Baytree Hill has been sharpening my scissors and fixing my boots and bike jackets since the 90s! Or the Crafty Cow – often at the Chequered Flag on the A38.
How do I get my leather gift personalised?
Standard peronalisation options are available on most of the items in our online leather store.
In the case of names, simply choose the option you want, add into the text box the text you would like and continue to checkout!
If it’s a hand carved image you want, select the option in the shop. If you would like a unique picture that is special to you, or one that you have seen in our gallery, contact us to discuss.
Why are the colours different?
Leather is essentially preserved animal skin. Just as your own skin varies, depending on where it is on your body, so does leather. The shoulders are thicker, belly is more stretchy, It ages differently, and when dyed the fibres of the hide take the dye differently.
See our blog here on the unique properties of leather. More reading here on our dyed leather and what to expect from it as it ages.
Do you do book binding?
No!
Sorry – I don’t even know anyone who does! The amount of time and material involved in this would make it unfeasible!
I do, however, make notebook and diary covers that can be fully customised, so you can keep the cover and just replace the notebook or diary when it’s full. The cover will live on for years! (I’d bet a lifetime – I’ve had one bible cover back for repairing stitching – a good 30-40 years old!)
See the shop or Custom Ravn page
How do you look after leather?
Your leather can last decades if treated well! Having worked with, used and repaired leather all my life I have a few ideas what not to do! Certain cleaning chemicals can alter the ph and cause it to rot or dry out, not to mention the way I often treat my stuff when I’m using it every day!
Check out our blog here for more or subscribe to our (sporadic) newsletter to get a free pdf containing 8 Essential Top Tips to make your genuine leather last longer!
Or you could just watch our video here showing how to clean and care for your leather .
How do I measure my dog for a collar or harness?
Collars
For collars, please use your existing collar and measure from the end of the buckle to the most used hole.
Harness
As a general guide, our M harness was made to fit a standard XL American Bully. My Beastie ended up a little larger than that, lithe, but currently 2′ to the shoulder. The girth has roo for her to grow. We don’t meet bigger dogs than her very often, but have priced for the next size up – please send me your dog’s measurements if you require the XL.
To measure your dog, take measurement A – the largest part around their girth
Measurement B around their chest
Measurement C from shoulders to girth point.
Click here for 5 reasons to spoil your beautiful beast with leather!
