Barnes & Moore: Handcrafted In England Using Traditional Skills
It all started as a hobby, originally fulfilling his passion by making belts for friends. But as the demand for his products grew he took the leap to turn his hobby into a full-time business. Barnes & Moore was launched in 2015 by founder Steve Moss, a man who’s mission is to produce a range of goods that not only he would be proud to put his name to but first & foremost his customers will be proud to own. With a passion for detail, unquestionable quality and value for money, it’s a brand that has your best interest at heart.
Barnes & Moore don’t claim to be doing anything new, Britain has been producing small leather goods since the mid 19th century, but over the years there has been a demise of high-quality English leather goods as quantity is favoured with obvious sacrifices being made. Barnes & Moore want to bring back the craftsmanship of the past and that’s exactly what they do, standing by their slogan: “we still make em like they used to!”. They only work with the finest of leathers and hardware, with every product handmade in England, using traditional tools and skills passed down through generations.
The brand’s inspiration comes from vintage workwear, which is known for its functionality and hard-wearing ability. Barnes & Moore have always and continue to go the extra mile to source the finest materials available, choosing to only partner with those who share the same ethical and sustainable mindset as their own. They work with vegetable tanned leathers which are produced using natural materials. This process is environmentally friendly and very time-consuming. Although there are easier, quicker and cheaper ways to produce leather goods, Steve prefers the traditional approach and takes pride in breathing new life into age-old techniques. In his opinion, good things have always taken time, and probably always will which is why he chooses to undertake each process by hand, as only these time tested methods will produce results he can be proud of. And because vegetable tanned leather is a natural product no two pieces can ever be identical which gives the brand a uniqueness that will stand the test of time.
There are only a few traditional tanneries left around the world that still produce leather using natural materials most of which have a rich heritage. One such tannery that Barnes & Moore work with produces ‘oak bark’ tanned leather, using genuine oak bark, each hide is unique and takes 12 months to produce. It’s the last tannery of its kind in Britain and the quality of the leather is astonishing which is no surprise, as the brand’s pursuit of quality is at the forefront of everything they do. All of the hardware used is made from solid brass or copper, then coated to achieve the relevant finish. Each belt they make goes through 11 different processes before it is boxed and delivered, all handcrafted using traditional techniques dating back 100 years with each buckle hand-finished and made to last a lifetime. The buckle for the best selling Garrison belt is cast by hand to their specifications by Britain’s last remaining sand cast foundry, who are also holders of the Royal Warrant by appointment to Her Majesty the Queen of England. You can’t get any higher quality than that!