Written by Menswear Style in Brands on the 14th May 2020

Barnes & Moore was launched in 2015, with an aim to provide handmade English leather goods, with a genuine focus on high quality craftsmanship. Founder Steve Moss initially started the company at home after working with leather as a hobby for a number of years. Initially his passion was fulfilled by making belts for friends, and as the demand grew, he made the decision to take the leap and turn a hobby into a full-time business and brand.

When Barnes & Moore launched online they also began to approach independent retailers such as The Liquor Store in their hometown of Birmingham. They were the first shop to stock their goods, and the proprietor, Phil Hazel has been really supportive of the brand from day one. He instantly loved the quality and ethos of the goods he was seeing.

Barnes & Moore have also also received recent support from Rudy Budhdeo of denim specialists, Son of a Stag in London, who also understood what they were trying to achieve with their quality leather goods, and quickly agreed to stock them in his store. The growth from there has been organic for the brand, with further stores such as Burg and Schild in Berlin and Statement Store in Munich placing orders. The inspiration for Barnes & Moore goods comes from vintage workwear, which is known to be hardwearing and functional. Historically, if something wasn’t of good quality and well made, it wouldn’t last, and people ultimately wouldn’t buy it. Steve wanted to return to these values, and so he concentrated on sourcing the finest leathers, materials, and hardware at every step.

Steve is passionate about the small details and that ethos is drilled right down to ensure everything, from the rivets on the belts, to the zippers on the wallets is as good as it can be. Everything Barnes & Moore produce is handmade in England using traditional methods and skills that have been passed down through generations. This as you would expect, takes time and effort, but there’s really no modern substitute if you want to produce real quality leather goods. Steve believes it’s worth the effort, and that is the reason why his goods are appreciated around the world, particular in Japan, where craftsmanship and quality are coveted and held in high esteem.

Barnes & Moore work with vegetable tanned leathers which are produced using natural materials. The process is environmentally friendly and very time consuming. Leather is only made this way by a few traditional tanneries around the world, and most have a rich heritage. One such tannery they 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 superb. Belts are currently the biggest seller, seen as a staple of every man's wardrobe. The Barnes & Moore belts are designed to be minimal and simple, but made to last a lifetime. The belt buckles are cast by hand, and made by true craftsmen from a foundry that also supply the Royal household.

Another popular department for Barnes and Moore is the men's wallets. They offer traditional ‘billfold’ styles and cardholders, as well as ‘long wallets’ which are popular with bikers and fans of Selvedge denim. Finally, they also make men’s bags, and they're currently working on an updated version of a messenger bag. It’s made from Italian hide combined with traditional waxed cotton, supplied by Halley Stevensons. It features lining supplied by British Millerain which was traditionally used for sailcloth by the British Navy. Both these companies have an excellent pedigree and are renowned for the quality of their materials worldwide.  

barnesandmoore.co.uk

Founded by Steve Moss, we take a look at Barnes and Moore Leatherworks which is a tannery making belts and wallets.