Straps

Cherry Bomb is one of the thinner leathers that I use (a Cherry Bomb strap will come out at just 2mm thick), but don't be fooled, it is a very strong leather and will hold up to serious wear. It's a high shine cherry colour with a crackled glaze. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with natural thread. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Cherry Bomb leather will be approx 2mm thick and are priced as follows: £100 with a free spring bar buckle £105 with a sewn in buckle £110 with a screw bar buckle

Harlequin is a fully veg tanned Italian leather, embossed with a diamond pattern. It has a matt finish and a soft, pliable handle. It's a lovely dark turquoise colour, and makes a great strap. I hope you like it. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with pale blue thread, but if you want something different then natural & grey stitching work well too. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Harlequin leather will be approx 3.5mm thick and are priced as follows: £100 with a free spring bar buckle £105 with a sewn in buckle £110 with a screw bar buckle

Kiwi leather is something a little different. It's a full veg tanned leather I found in a leather wholesaler in the summer, and it is one for anyone who likes a colourful strap. The leather is hard wearing yet supple, and has a pronounced grain pattern that works so well with the vivid lime colour. There is no doubt about it, this will get comments! The strap shown is made with natural stitching, but I've made Kiwi straps with grey, bright yellow and light brown stitching too, and they all work. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Kiwi leather will be approx 3.5mm thick and are priced as follows: £120 with a free spring bar buckle £125 with a sewn in buckle £130 with a screw bar buckle

Marlin is a veg tanned patent leather I came across recently on my travels. I loved the colour of this hide, and although it doesn't have the high gloss finish normally associated with patent leather, it does have a shine to it. It's a strong and hard wearing leather that works beautifully with a large watch. I leave the edges natural with this one as it look so much better for it. I hope you like it. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with pale blue thread, but if you want something different then natural & grey stitching work well too. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Marlin leather will be approx 4.5mm thick and are priced as follows: £100 with a free spring bar buckle £105 with a sewn in buckle £110 with a screw bar buckle

I recently went to visit a leather wholesaler who supplies the French fashion house Hermès with leather for their leathergoods. I managed to convince him to sell me a small amount of "Ultraviolet", a strong, deep purple leather usually made into Birkin / Kelly handbags - and now available for me to make your Toshi Strap with. This is a leather that is certainly not readily available (and I probably won't be able to get any more once it's gone) so I'm listing it as a "limited edition". As a result, each Ultraviolet strap will come with a signed letter from me stating the date your strap was made and giving it a production number. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with lavender thread for a low contrast look. This is my favourite thread colour for this leather, but natural and grey thread look great with it too. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Ultraviolet leather will be approx 3.5mm thick and are priced as follows:   £130 with a free spring bar buckle £135 with a sewn in buckle £140 with a screw bar buckle

Anthracite is an oiled goat skin leather, fully vegetable tanned and given an antiqued finish in the tanning process. Sister leather to Heidrun, it's wonderfully soft and characterful in grey with black highlights. I only have a small amount of this leather so I'm listing it as a "limited edition". As a result, each Anthracite strap will come with a signed letter from me stating the date your strap was made and giving it a production number. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with grey thread for a low contrast look. This is my favourite thread colour for this leather, but natural and pale blue thread look great with it too. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Anthracite leather will be approx 3.5mm thick and are priced as follows: £120 with a free spring bar buckle £125 with a sewn in buckle £130 with a screw bar buckle

Ginger is a stunning leather with an antiqued finish and a stunning pull-up. It is a strong and robust leather that makes a fabulous watch strap. If you are looking for something a little different from the norm, and want a leather with a distressed finish, then this is the one for you! The strap shown is made with natural stitching, which I think is perfect with this leather. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Ginger leather will be approx 4.5mm thick and are priced as follows: £120 with a free spring bar buckle £125 with a sewn in buckle £130 with a screw bar buckle

Redwood is what is known as a "crazy horse" leather. It's a heavyweight, full grain leather that is treated with oils after tanning to produce a product that is hardwearing yet supple, and which will develop a fabulous patina as it ages. Redwood is a lovely dark reddish brown colour with a slight pull-up. It is the perfect leather for a watch strap. Confusing as it may sound, "crazy horse" leather is not a horse leather, it's actually made from cow hides. It's called "crazy horse" because being supple and very hardwearing it was traditionally used in the manufacture of horse saddles. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with natural thread (which I personally think works best with Redwood), but black and grey stitching also work well. If you want something that will stand out then bright yellow stitching is something to consider. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Redwood leather will be approx 4.5mm thick and are priced as follows: £100 with a free spring bar buckle £105 with a sewn in buckle £110 with a screw bar buckle

Phoenix is a pure vegetable tanned leather with a distressed matt finish and a distinct pull up. It is oiled heavily during the tanning process and is soft right from the start. This is a very distinctive looking leather that will patinate beautifully. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with bright yellow thread, but natural, white & grey stitching work equally well. To see the options for thread colour see the stitching colours page. Straps produced with Phoenix leather will be approx 4.25mm thick and are priced as follows: £120 with a free spring bar buckle £125 with a sewn in buckle £130 with a screw bar buckle

This is a fabulous leather produced from African kudu skins in a stunning deep, rich brown colour. If you are looking for a strap with character then this is one for you! Shamen is a very soft, full grain kudu leather that is just perfect for a watch strap. Kudu live in dense brush or forest in the African Savanna, one of the harshest environments on earth, and are prey to preditors such as leopards and hyenas. The kudu skins used to produce this leather exibit all the scars and marks of the animals hard life, as a result no two kudu leather straps will look the same, ensuring your strap will be unique. I have been lucky enough to buy a small amount of this leather and I am making it available as a "limited edition". As a result, each Shamen strap will come with a signed letter from me stating the date your strap was made and giving it a production number. As is the case with all the kudu leather I use, the skins are the result of the seasonal kudu cull mandated by the South African government. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with light brown thread. Dark brown and black thread look great too, as does any strong colour, so red, emerald green and royal blue would work well. Straps produced with Shamen leather will be approx 4mm thick and are priced as follows: £120 with a free spring bar buckle £125 with a sewn in buckle £130 with a screw bar buckle

Ortensia is a stunning blue / turquoise coloured leather produced by a small independent tannery in Italy. Using a traditional vegetable tanning process centuries old the tannery produces a leather with a beautiful naked appearance - it has a matte finish and a slight pull up, and will develop bags of character as it ages. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with grey thread, but natural stitching works very well, or teal stitching if you want low contrast. Straps produced with Ortensia leather will be approx 4mm thick and are priced as follows: £120 with a free spring bar buckle £125 with a sewn in buckle £130 with a screw bar buckle

Tundra is a heavily oiled veg tanned leather produced by a small independent tannery in Italy. Using a traditional vegetable tanning process centuries old, the tannery produce this mid brown leather with a beautiful naked appearance - it has a matte finish and a distinct pull up. If you are looking for a strap that will patinate with wear then this is giving you a head start! The strap photographed for this page was stitched with light brown thread, but natural stitching works equally well. Straps produced with Tundra leather will be approx 4mm thick and are priced as follows: £120 with a free spring bar buckle £125 with a sewn in buckle £130 with a screw bar buckle

Antique Green is a fully vegetable tanned leather that I think is just wonderful. Produced by a small tannery in northern Europe, this leather goes through a lengthy tanning process incorporating natural oils and animal fats before being dyed a deep olive green. The finished product makes a watch strap that is supple from the first wear and will build patina over time. If you are considering a green strap I recommend this whole heartedly - it has bags of character. The strap photographed for this page was stitched with natural thread, but emerald green thread will give it a low contrast stitch, and black stitching works very well with this leather too. Straps produced with Antique Green leather will be approx 4mm thick and are priced as follows: £120 with a free spring bar buckle £125 with a sewn in buckle £130 with a screw bar buckle

Essex is another leather from the Chicago based tannery, Horween. It's a pure vegetable tanned cow leather that is beautifully soft, and is produced using the same traditional tanning extracts as Horween's Genuine Shell Cordovan. This has already become one of my personal favourites and ages beautifully. Horween Essex works beautifully with natural stitching on any black dialled watch. The strap photographed for this page is stitched with natural linen thread - which in my humble opinion is the best option as it shows the leather off beautifully. Straps produced with Horween Essex leather will be approx 4.5mm thick and are priced as follows: £100 with a free spring bar buckle £105 with a sewn in buckle £110 with a screw bar buckle