Whilst the Covid lockdowns were a trial and tribulation for most of us, some enterprising people, like Natasha Kuiper, honed a recreational hobby, involving leather craft, into a flourishing business. ‘Tash’s initiative has been coincidental with the success of the BBC’s Repair Shop programme in making people aware of the sense and joy of mending or renovating old, damaged or simply ‘tired’ objects.
‘Tash began by making leather belts, straps and flip-flops of her own design. This quickly progressed to fulfilling customers own designs and bespoke orders. An order for strong dog leads for a police force was a significant early development. This, in turn, prompted enquiries about the repair of leather objects that needed some TLC. This is now the fastest growing activity in her business.
‘Tash does not use sewing machines. After designing a product she uses hand tools and hand stitching to create or renovate a wide range of objects. These range from belts, straps, dog leads, replacing buckles, handles, shackles on luggage and horse tack and leather tool-rolls. Renovations have also included re-colouring or staining, reconditioning and re-finishing tired leather on bags, briefcases, boots and shoes. Her speciality is in the repair of heavy, thick leather objects such as the binocular case shown below.
In this age of austerity, abandoning or throwing out quality leather objects is wasteful. Repair and renovation can add years of useful life to any item. However, ‘Tash advises we should not wait too long to seek a repair; ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ is a sentiment that certainly applies to her trade. Natasha Kuiper’s work can be seen on her website: www.kuiperleather.co.uk
Richard Catford