About Turnstyle Designs
Turnstyle's leather is bought from some of the finest tanneries in the world in Tuscany, Italy.
Only the very best full grained (top and strongest section), vegetable tanned (all natural), drum dyed, bridle or saddle leather. The cows are reared outdoors where the farmers do not use barbed wire, which dramatically reduces the scarring, (the cows also prefer it).
Leather like all natural materials will change with age, according to the situation, exposure to sunlight and usage or lack of. The more you use it, the better it looks, the oils from your hands feed the leather and create
a unique patina. Like an old handbag or briefcase the character of the leather gets richer with age.
Leather production
Our Leather is bought in either “butts” or “sides” in 3-5mm thicknesses and then split down using our splitting machines to the desired thickness depending on the design and application.
All but a few of our leather products are hand stitched by our highly skilled and dedicated leatherworkers. Saddlers, Strap and Steel Framed ranges are machine stitched, by equally skilled craftsmen on specialised leather sewing machines.
All parts are bonded with specially formulated super strong glue. The hand stitching is not just decorative, but also assists the leather to bind to the metal work, drawing tight rather like a shoelace.
Wear and Care
As with a good handbag or pair of shoes the leather will appreciate being fed from time to time, we recommend twice a year with a natural beeswax polish, or we can supply a recommended polish if you wish.
Do not clean with solvents, or chemicals, as this will not only affect the leather but also soak through and destroy the glue. Scratches and dents can be removed by a simple “boning” process that brings the oils back to the surface and repairs by simply working the leather area
in circular motions with a boning tool (or the back of a spoon).
If the leather gets dirty use a small amount of soapy water, let it dry and finish with a natural wax. Try and remove dust if the handles are not being used, as dust dries out the leather.
With a small amount of care your handles will last for years and years to come.
Colour Variation
Vegetable tanning is an art rather than a science, please allow for some variations in colours from batch to batch and even from hide to hide in some cases. This is all part of the charm of using such a beautiful and natural
material.