Handmade Leatherwork
Located in my new premises at The Old Tile Works in Barton upon Humber, I make hand made leathergoods and teach both individual courses and group workshops
Custom Handmade Leatherwork
Whether you fancy a custom made holster a motorbike seat a Guitar strap or even something a little more personal let me know what you desire and I can design something that I'm sure you will like. You can choose from various types of leather including some Exotic skins such as Lizard, Snake, Ostrich or even Crocodile. We also make cartridge bags and shotgun slips for game and clay shooting, which can be made to your specification and personalised if required.
Leatherwork Workshops
I hold regular workshops throughout the year, so if you fancy learning a new skill and coming away with a hand crafted item at the end of the course then this could be for you. These workshops make ideal days out for individuals or even small groups.
There is also an onsite restaurant serving excellent snacks and meals .
Alternatively if you already do leathercrafting and want to brush up on any skills or learn new ones I do Individual sessions, either half day or full days.
Gift Vouchers are available for all of my worklshops.
Stock Items
Discover a range of stylish leather accessories that beautifully blend form and function. I stock a range of items such as bags, wallets, belts and Leather jewellery.
Bubo Leather
My History
My interest in leatherwork really started around 20 years ago when as a keen falconer I attended a course to learn how to make hoods for my birds, my very first hood is pictured on this site and I still have it to this day. This sparked a passion for leatherwork and hand made leather goods. I quickly started to learn as many different techniques and styles of leatherwork as I could. Over the years I have made countless belts, wallets, bags and other things for friends and customers on made to order basis as a hobbyist, which brings me to now. I have decided its time to dedicate my time and energy to leatherwork and believe in using top quality materials along with a combination of time honoured and new skills and techniques. I have just moved into my new workshop at The Old Tile Works in Barton upon Humber with a great view of the Humber Bridge and I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life.
Why Bubo Leather?
Well, Falconry started it all for me so I decided that as Bubo Bubo is the Latin name for the European Eagle Owl it was a fitting name and made a good logo.
Not all Leather is equal
The best cut of leather is called Full Grain or Top Grain this is the top surface of the leather and makes the best quality goods. the differnce between Full and Top Grain is Full Grain is pretty much shaved of hair and tanned and as such will show the life of the animal whereas Top Grain is still the top surface and excellent quality but is sanded and smoothed to give a smoother more even texture, which a lot of people prefer. The next level down is split which is what is left when the better quality leather has been taken off, this is then finished by sanding and spraying a finish onto it to give it the leather look we expect to see, split leather has its place and is used in a lot of high street brands. Bottom of the pile is Bonded Leather. this is made up of all the off cuts and shavings of leather which are then glued back together and formed into "hides". This has the same relationship to leather that Chip Board has to Wood. you will find this in a lot of high street and online stores made into cheap clothes and belts.
Leatherwork Workshop Dates 2026
All my Courses are held at my workshop where there is an onsite restaurant serving excellent snacks and meals. Hot drinks are provided free of charge throughout the day and theres a fridge for you to keep any cold drinks in that you want to bring with you.
Due to the use of sharp tools these workshops are for over 16's only, with under 18's needing to be accompanied by a participating adult.
All materials and tools needed for the project are supplied.
Gift Vouchers are available and make a great gift.
Course Descriptions and Dates.
Introduction to Leatherwork. Choose 3 items from keyring, glasses case, bracelet, cuff, luggage tag, cable tidy or handbag charm and learn the techniques needed to make them. This course last approx 4 hrs and costs £60.00. This course is running on January 18th and March 1st with a maximum of 6 people
Tote Bag. Learn the techniques required to make your very own Tote Bag, from cutting the pieces out to sewing and and riveting them together to make a finished individual bag to take home. This is a full day course and costs £150.00 This course is running on February 1st and March 15th with a maximum of 4 people .
Make your own Belt On this course you will learn about edge finishing , sewing and hole spacing as well as how to dye the leather. You can choose the width of your belt, the colour and choose from different styles of buckles to make your belt individual. This is a full day course and costs £110.00 . This course is running on February 15th and March 22nd with a maximum of 6 people.
Evening Courses. These courses are held on a Monday evening from 6.30pm to 8.30pm
The first one is a Lined Tote Bag course lasting 6 weeks and runs from 19th January to 23rd February. This course costs £220.00 with a maximum of 4 people.
The next one is an Ipad/ Laptop Sleeve lasting 4 weeks from 2nd March to 23rd March. This course costs £160.00 with a maximum of 5 people.
More Courses and Dates to follow..
Get in touch
Telephone: 07872619080
E-mail: bubo.leather@yahoo.com
Address: Unit 1b The Old Tile Works
Far Ings Road
Barton upon Hiumber
DN18 5RF