At Honey & Toast we source the best materials we can to make our products and offer you superb value. Leather as a material is durable, and can last a lifetime. Our bags are made from the highest quality, safety tested and ethically sourced leather articles that are all by-products of the food industry.
Leather is a natural material and will soften and change over time - developing a patina unique to you. This is part of the natural ageing process and should be cherished for the stories it tells of you and your adventures.
At Honey & Toast we use different types of leather as each has its own unique qualities. To hold structure, to slouch, to gather together, to be lightweight... Below you will find a guide to the leathers we use, why and where they come from.
HANDBAG STORAGE & CARE
To keep your H&T bag looking its best, please store in the dust bag it comes with and keep away from direct sunlight and other bright light.
If your bag gets wet - pat excess water off gently with a soft white cloth and then air dry the bag at room temperature before storing - DO NOT use a direct heat source such as radiator or hair dryer. The inside of the bags will stain from leaky pens, make up and so on – so please take care. Please be aware you may experience colour rub from dark colour leathers onto light clothing.
HANDBAG CARE PRODUCTS
We recommend the Collonil leather care range and now offer these products for sale on our website. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly for more advice.
Browse leather care products
With regard to the more fragile hair on leather bag and metallic leathers - please spray the surface of the bag lightly and from recommended distance with a silicone leather or suede spray.
BRUTON
Sourced from a family owned tannery in Tuscany, Italy. The article we buy is vegetable tanned using a generations old 'recipe' that is a closely guarded family secret. Marks and scratches are usually very easy to remove with a buff of cloth or rubbing with your hand. This is a very natural leather which will age so beautifully! The half moon bag in conker, tan, black and raspberry pink are made from this leather. Also the Liberty and Bella purses.
The nude colour leather handle straps on the Annie saddlebags is a veg tanned leather with a very natural unfinished surface, this leather changes with time to develop a stunning rich toffee colour patina.
SOMERTON
Soft, yet durable and strong – and importantly lightweight – this article is tanned in 2 locations. One in Yeovil, Somerset and the other in Italy. This softly tumbled grainy leather makes the Anna bucket bag, some Katie camera bags, Libby hobo and Jamie shoulder bag. It takes colour so well - you can see from the richness in the tones. Unlined bags made from Somerton leather may shed lightly onto items placed inside them - as the back side of this leather is suede which can be a little fluffy to start with.
FROME
The more structured Eddie, Mini Eddie, Annie saddlebag, Stevie tote and Ava satchels are made from a leather sourced from the Netherlands. The core essentials capsule - consisting of Etter, half moon and Alice phone sling - are made from Frome leather. This leather is up to 2.4mm thick and very structured, so ideal for unlined bags. It is a traditional satchel leather article. It is very hardwearing, resistant to scratches and can be cleaned very easily, it will soften slightly with age but keep it's structure well. Bags made from this leather are unlined. This leather is also used to make the handle straps on many of the bags in the H&T range as it is strong and will not stretch.
LANGPORT
A small scale pebble grain made in a tannery in Yeovil, Somerset, with the most subtle sheen - this leather has a luxurious look and handle. Ideal for our Russet tote as the grain makes this leather more hardwearing. We also make Katie and the twin moon bag in this this leather.
GLASTONBURY
A vegetable tanned leather sourced in Italy this leather is DIVINE! Soft to the touch but hardwearing and your bag will look more beautiful better every time you wear it. Conker in colour - but the different tones you see in this leather are an expression of its beauty and make each bag unique and special to you.
CARY
Our smooth grained Russet totes are made from Cary - luxuriously smooth surface lends itself to the Russets unstructured styling. Cary is tanned in Yeovil, Somerset.
EMBOSSED CROCODILE LEATHER
Your twin moon is made in Italy from calf leather that has been embossed with a crocodile pattern using large metal plates. Clean your croc twin moon bag gently with a dry white cloth - to be safe please test a small area first. Never use any abrasive cleaning substances or solvents.
Please note you may experience slight colour rub with dark colour leather on light clothing.
APPLE LEATHER
AppleskinTM is a product with a high content of natural waste. Apple leather complies with REACH regulations and is PVC free. Composition is polyester 38%, cotton 14%, polyurethane 27%, apple waste 21%. Difference in tone and colour between panels and batches is the proof that the product is natural. Wipe clean with a slightly damp cloth. If your apple leather bag gets wet please dry it as soon as you can with a soft light colour cloth and leave to dry in a warm area (not on a direct heat source such as a radiator)
METALLIC LEATHERS
All of our metallic leathers are sourced in Italy - and are more delicate - the shine may dull with age and handling. Please store your bag carefully to keep it as it's best using guidelines above.
BAG LININGS
Many of our handbags are unlined. You may see markings on the reverse side of the solid colour leather - these are often symbols that confirm the quality and size of the leather used to make your bag. If your bag is lined it is a cotton canvas fabric that is sourced within the UK. Unlined bags made from Somerton leather may shed lightly onto items placed inside them - as the back side of this leather is suede which can be a little fluffy to start with.
METAL FITTINGS
The metal fittings on all Honey & Toast products are made from coated and uncoated brass, they will develop a unique patina over time, as you use and handle them. The brass fittings may have small irregular marks and are unlikely to be a totally flat, uniform colour. We consider this to be a positive, as brass is a natural material and, as with the leather we use, the metal fittings will change over time making your bag unique to you. The air and chemicals in your skin will all have an impact on the finish.
GOLD STAMPING
The H&T logo is gold stamped on most products, on some it is bling embossed. If you have your bag personalised that may also be gold stamped (unless you choose blind emboss of course).
Gold stamping is subject to wear and tear and will fade and or change with time. The gold foil material is delicate - it is heat pressed into the leather but by no means indestructible. Depending on how you wear your bag the gold foil may wear faster. For example a wallet in and out of a pocket several times a day will wear faster than gold foil on a bag. But a gold foil on a handbag will fade and wear with use - this is normal.
