Sheffield Leathercraft - Hyde Wares

After our visit to Wilebore Leathercraft, our Sheffield leathercraft adventure carried us across the city to meet the second leatherworker who had replied to my hopeful email: Jonathan from Hyde Wares.

His studio is just a short stroll from our Mowbray Street factory, following the River Don into the heart of Sheffield. Exchange Place Studios—a buzzing home for artists and makers—was where we found him. It’s a light, airy space with views across the city, the perfect place for a craftsperson to work.

How it All Began

Jonathan’s leathercraft story doesn’t begin in Sheffield at all—it starts back in 2015 in Porto, Portugal. Originally from Norfolk, he had moved to the city and was deep into photography at the time. He’d been searching for some specific camera straps, only to find the ones he wanted were made in the US and completely out of budget.

Surrounded by leather shops in Porto, he had a thought: why not try making them himself?

That decision was the spark. From camera straps came Christmas gifts for family and friends—belts, passport wallets, keyrings—and with every piece, he got better. The feedback was encouraging, and he kept learning. No formal training, just years of patience, YouTube tutorials, advice from local shops, and a lot of trial and error at the workbench.

In 2017, Jonathan moved to Brighton, where his tiny home became his makeshift workshop. He laughs now about having to move furniture out of the way just to cut a hide down to size.

By 2020, Hyde Wares had grown enough for him to rent a shop space—£600 a month—but then the pandemic hit. Like so many makers, he had to adapt quickly, and online sales became his lifeline. One of his first platforms was Etsy, and he still remembers the thrill of shipping his very first international order all the way to the Caribbean.

Every Hyde Wares item is stitched by hand, slowly and carefully. Jonathan admits it took years before he was happy with his stitching, but his persistence—and maybe a bit of stubbornness—got him there.

What’s clear when you talk to him is that he’s not interested in fast fashion or mass production. Instead, he wants every item to feel unique, to reflect the material it came from and the values he works by. His leather comes from J & FJ Baker, the last oak-bark tannery in Britain, and rather than cutting away scars and marks, he embraces them. They tell the story of the hide and make each piece one of a kind.

A Few Words of Advice

For anyone curious about trying leathercraft themselves, Jonathan recommends keeping it simple at first:

• A couple of sharp leathercraft knives (and a strop to keep them in shape)

• Edge bevellers in a couple of sizes

• A scratch awl

• A burnisher

  
  

Just a handful of leatherworking tools are enough to get started—no need for a full workshop from day one.

For hobbyists thinking of turning it into a business, he was refreshingly honest—check the competition, think hard about whether you’d still love it if it became your job, make sure the numbers add up, and don’t underestimate marketing.

Prior to our visit we had seen that Hyde Wares had 95k+ followers on Instagram, he said these followers appeared when one of his wallet making posts went viral, he jokingly admitted that this did not translate in business and he saw little to no increase in sales!

More recently, he’s started running workshops from his Sheffield studio, inviting small groups to make their own belt, bag, or card sleeve. It’s a brilliant way to share the craft and let people experience first-hand just how much skill and patience goes into a handmade piece.

And as if that wasn’t generous enough, after showing us around, Jonathan kindly gave us a little crash course in photography basics—tips and tricks to help improve our own product photos. A perfect end to an inspiring visit.

Take a look at Jonathan's work or book on a workshop at hydewares.com

Photos by Sam Binstead You can see more of their work at https://www.samuelbinstead.co.uk/