Sipahi Leather Belts Made in England: A Blog Competition

For the past few months I've been wearing a beautifully made leather belt by a new company, Sipahi & Co, who manufacture in the UK. You now have the chance to win some of their products in a blog competition, but first please watch this video:

As you'll see from the video, the oak bark tanned leather is from the last existing tannery of its kind in England's West Country and the buckles are made in one of England's last foundries. It's products like this that fuel my enthusiasm for British manufacture and I'm very pleased that Sipahi & Co have agreed to offer prizes to three lucky blog readers in a competition. See below for details.

The prizes, to be won by three separate winners, are as follows:

1. One belt of your choice with personal monogramming and a cardholder with monogramming

2. One belt with personal monogramming

3. One cardholder with personal monogramming

To enter the competition simply visit Sipahi & Co and sign up for their newsletter. You will be entered into the draw for one of the three prizes. Entries close Friday 8th December. Sipahi & Co will announce the winner after that date.

This is a collaboration with Sipahi & Co.

The British Belt Company - bravely bringing back British braces

The British Belt Company is part of Arnold Willis & Co, based in Rutland since 1946 and still family-owned. Naturally they make beautiful leather belts, but for this post I was interested in the colourful range of English-made braces, which are made in their factory in Uppingham.

Braces aren't seen as frequently as in days of yore, but, with their colour and comfort, particularly for those who find the constriction of belts uncomfortable, they're making something of a comeback.

Each pair of braces comes with an interchangeable metal clip and leather fastening (with buttons for attaching them to your trousers) and this month they're introducing a new silk collection which will be available online. There's a huge range of colours and designs; see The British Belt Company for more information. They also have a range of luggage.

Pampeano polo belts

Pampeano supplies polo equipment and has its roots in the Argentine, home of outstanding leather goods. Their polo belts are made from finest vegetable-tanned leather and hand-stitched with a variety of colourful designs - there are 16 to choose from - with 6 different lengths and two widths.

Getting nicely worn-in on a pair of my more battered raw denim jeans

The belts look good on a pair of denims, shorts or chinos, or even on your polo whites if you're playing a few chukkas. Like all good leather products (and, indeed, like Grey Fox readers everywhere), they improve in appearance with age. To purchase, or find out more, see the Pampeano website.

Desirable Objects: The Worcestershire Leather Co - bridle leather belt

The Worcestershire Leather Company makes beautiful hand-made British bridle leather belts to measure. These are UK-made products through and through. I was delighted when Tim Hardy, who makes the company's leather goods himself, offered to make me a belt. 

Image Grey Fox

Using the calculator in his website, I sent him measurements and here is the result. I've worn it for a few weeks. It fits very well and it has gradually become more flexible. It will be a while before it takes on that patina and softness of age which old high quality leather acquires. Unlike most things (maybe fine wine is another exception), leather improves with age. This belt will look better and better; it will see me out, I've no doubt, and hopefully will be worn by Grey Fox's descendants for years after. 

The only problem is that, now I have one, I want more - a dark brown, a black and a tan leather belt are all needed to cover the requirements of the average wardrobe. Choose from colours including nut, light Havana, Newmarket tan, London Tan and others.

For more on the fascinating story of Tim Hardy, The Worcestershire Leather Co and their wide range of leather goods, types and colours of leather, see the website here.

Christmas present problems solved!

Made-to-measure British-made belts from Monsieur London

I find it impossible to find belts that fit correctly, so it was good to hear that Monsieur London offers belts made-to-measure at no extra cost. Particularly useful for those of us who find the waistline seems to be expanding, despite our best efforts.

The belts are manufactured in North-East London by a member of the Society of Master Saddlers, so they  come from the great British tradition of leather craftsmanship. The hides are all of British origin and most of the buckles are manufactured in the UK. Like all best-quality leathers, they will improve with age - like their owners, obviously.

These beautifully-made belts come in various colours and widths and cost between £95 and £109. See Monsieur London's website and blog Almanach for more information.