An Introduction to Warriner Leather

Hello Folks,

I’ve been wishing to write words for many years, and finally on this chilly autumnal day I have found the push I needed to put pen to paper.

These pages are here to inspire, to educated and to share the stories of people who inspire me. I want to share my world with you, and hopefully through my words you will be inspired too.

I thought it fitting that the first entry would be all about me and how my passion of leather came to be.

WHO AM I?

My name is Katy Warriner and I am the sole maker and designer of Warriner Leather, a small leather business based in West Devon, UK. Founded in 2019 out of a love of wanting to slow down and consciously craft everyday wares for practical people.

I am a leatherworker, a maker, a teacher, an educator, a story teller, a voice and a pot stirrer. I like to question the status quo and to start conversations about our world.

I’ve always been Inspired by the old ways of crafters, especially saddlers, harness makers and boot makers. I really want to help move away from a mass produced, throwaway society. So, I make long lasting and repairable goods, using locally sourced materials. 

THE JOURNEY

I started working with leather over a decade ago (blimey, how time flies!). Having spent my life surrounded by leather I always knew I wanted to work with it. I dreamt of being a saddler from an early age and at 18 I was offered a scholarship to the only full-time saddlery training centre in the country - Alas, I didn’t take the course and travelled the world instead! On my 30th birthday I decided that It was time to live my dream and treated myself to a 2-day leather course in Devon. I was hooked from the moment I picked up a needle and knife, and after the course I dedicated my spare time to delving deep into leatherwork, and embarked on a discovery of this beautiful old craft. I am self-taught, learning from books (old and new).  

PASSION FOR PROVENANCE AND ALL THINGS LOCAL

I am extremely passionate about provenance and traceability, knowing the how’s and the whys into the processes of the materials that we use, and the homegrown fibres of the British Isles where I call home. I am especially interested in materials that, once used, can go onto the compost pile; A circular system from farm to fashion, land back to land, soil back to soil. ⁠I am also fascinated in how leather becomes leather, and over the past few years I have been teaching myself the knowledge of tanning. I wanted to understand as in depth as possible the materials that I use and how it changes from animal skin to something durable and workable. I have documented the process of tanning a deer hide with oak bark and will write and entry dedicated to tanning in the coming months.

BECOMING A MASTER

I am currently training as a saddler and harness maker under Master Saddler Mark Romain at the Salisbury Saddlery Training Centre. My dream is to be a master of my craft, to learn from the masters and to help educate the communities around me about the provenance of home-grown materials. 

I am extremely proud to be a leather worker, I am proud to be continuing a tradition that makes long lasting wares, making things slowly and supporting the heritage crafts. Every day I learn something from the past and every day I look to the past to take me forward

WHAT IS IN A NAME?

Makers marks always make me happy and I am a little partial to my own WubbleU.

Warriner is my surname, I am the last line of Warriner's in my family, and as I’m not having kids I wanted to keep my family name going in some form.

I learned that the name Warriner 'once upon a time' came from the north, Yorkshire and up to Scotland. As with all names back in the old days it told the tale of your vocation, and I am led to believe that we were once gamekeepers. Warrener - with an 'e'- was likely to be someone who reared runny babbits.

Never sure if this was true, but I like the story.

A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT ME

• I am a Cornish lass and proud of it – although I now reside in Devon!

• I have a dog called Murphy who is a rescue from Cyprus, and my best mate in every adventure.

• I have a foundation degree in Marine Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental science. I trained to be a Cetaceanologist (study of whales and dolphins), with a focus on anthropogenic noise and its effects on marine mammals. I don’t focus on the water world these days, instead I focus my studies on soil.

• Guatemala was my home for 3 years in my early twenties, I lived on the side of a volcano overlooking a huge lake. I’ve been very lucky to travel to every continent bar one.

• The above made me fluent in Spanish, BUT I am not so fluent these days.

• I work in TV as a set dresser and prop maker, and in the summer months I build and site manage festivals. I am extremely good at swinging a sledge hammer and love to rig bunting and erect large stages.

• Strong coffee and chocolate are always at hand in either my home or the workshop.

• Music is my therapy, especially blues, rock n roll and folk. I play guitar and sing the blues. I always dreamt of being the illegitimate love child of Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks!

• Water is also my therapy, I am happiest when standing on a cliff staring out to sea, or swimming in a chilly Dartmoor river.

• And finally, I am a Gemini, which means I can never decide on ANYTHING!

I hope that you enjoyed my first entry, and I hope that you enjoy all that I have to share in the coming months ahead.

If you would like to keep reading please sign up to my newsletter. I promise to not bombard you with emails, I am not a fan of overloading peoples inboxes with useless information. A simple monthly newsletter to keep you informed of new journal entries, things I am working on and inspiring stories from the West.

Until the next time

Warmest wishes ,
Katy