LEATHER: TO KNOW IT IS TO LOVE IT

Beautiful, supple, butter-soft…there’s a real sense of intimacy in working with leather. And our appreciation of this wonderful, versatile material has only deepened over the five generations we’ve spent together. We inspect every single hide we work with individually, using those generations of knowledge to ensure each one is perfectly suited to its purpose, whether we’re making a touchably soft handbag or a rugged and durable travel bag.

The beauty of the leathers we work with is enhanced using premium waxes and dyes that bring out the exquisite natural subtleties of the grain whilst also balancing this with surface protection. Our hides all show these natural variations which prove their authenticity and provenance in contrast with 'corrected' leathers which have been sanded and coated to provide a falsely 'perfect' surface which will not stand the test of time in the same way.

FULL-GRAIN LEATHER SELECTION

Arguably the single most important thing about any TUSTING piece is the character of the leather we craft it from. Every item is fashioned from full-grain bovine leathers – premium quality hides that haven’t been sanded, buffed or snuffed to remove imperfections, and that retain the full strength, beauty and integrity of the leather.

We meticulously inspect every single hide to ensure it has the right character and quality to be used in a TUSTING bag. Our leather experts check for marks or scars on the hide, and any invisible issues with the thickness and tensile strength, so you can be sure you’ll receive a flawless TUSTING piece that ages beautifully.

IN THE MAKING

  • SUNDANCE FLOODLIGHT

    Our signature business case leather, Sundance Floodlight is aniline-dyed bovine side leather with a high wax content, which is infused during the tanning process, and a waxy top finish that showcases the natural grain. This leather starts with a relatively conservative matt finish and, over time, develops a wonderful patina with a gentle sheen. Its high wax content makes our Sundance Floodlight a very robust leather that will withstand the toughest lifestyle.

  •

    ATLANTIC

    Atlantic is a lovely, smooth and versatile cow leather which lends itself beautifully to a wide variety of pieces, from our smallest pouches to some of our largest luggage pieces. Crafted from carefully selected hides, and with a softly polished finish, Atlantic allows the natural beauty and richness of the hide to show. Atlantic is softer than our Bridle leathers and lighter in weight though still very robust, making it an exceptional choice for luggage and handbags.

  •

    AZTEC CRAZYHORSE

    Our distinctive Aztec Crazyhorse leather is the one to choose if you like your bag to look like it’s got a few stories to tell!  Hot-stuffed with oils during the tanning process, this distressed-appearance bovine leather has a lived-in look and is our very toughest leather. Take it anywhere, do anything, in any conditions and it will keep coming back for more, getting ever better-looking along the way.

  •

    ELBA

    Elba leather is the modern incarnation of traditional saddle leather, with a tumbled, grainy finish that is soft and pliable. And being a fully vegetable-tanned bovine leather, it burnishes beautifully with use, each rub and bump delivering a rewarding polish from your everyday endeavours.

  •

    SUEDE

    A luxuriously soft Italian suede created from cow leather and dyed right through the full thickness for the best colour intensity. Cow suede has the grain-side removed to give a soft and malleable hide whilst retaining the velvety interior surface of the leather, which is the surface we see in the finished piece.

  •

    BRIDLE / MIRET

    The traditional harness and saddlery leather, our Bridle is a bovine leather tanned solely using authentic vegetable extracts such as oak bark and mimosa fruits – very like methods used by leather workers centuries ago. The result? A firm but supple feel with strength and stretch resistance, and a leather whose appearance matures and improves over time in the most classic way.

  •

    CANVAS

    The traditional English look is exemplified by our canvas and leather combination pieces. Our robust sail canvas is a 24oz cotton fabric that’s custom woven and dyed for TUSTING. The fabric is treated with a water and dirt repellent finish, making this a distinctive and extremely hardwearing body material.

  • SUPERLIGHT TWILL

    The Superlight is a two-layer bonded nylon fabric that is washable and wipeable, significantly lighter than traditional cotton canvas and yet still extremely hardwearing (and therefore sustainably long-lasting). It has a luxurious, matt-satin natural twill feel and gentle lustre that is a thousand miles away from ‘shiny nylon’.

  •

    LININGS

    The linings in our bags are all fashioned from attractive, hard-wearing quality fabrics. We use strong cotton twill to line most of our luggage pieces, whilst briefcases, totes and handbags feature our signature jacquard lining or bonded microfibre suede. Waterproof nylon is used to protect the interior of our wash bags and pouches.

SWATCH SERVICE

While we can sing the praises of our beautiful full-grain leathers, sometimes there’s nothing like getting your hands on the real thing to decide which one is perfect for your new bag.

If you’d like to be introduced to our wonderfully tactile leathers before you order a bag, we’d be happy to send you swatches of some of the leathers and/or fabrics that we use. Alternatively, we’re always happy to welcome customers to visit us here at our factory, where we can discuss your requirements in detail.

Please contact us to request swatches or arrange a visit.

OUR PRODUCTS