George Barnsley and Sons

George Barnsley and Sons George Barnsley and Sons specialise in the manufacture of knives and tools for shoemaking and repair, leather working and the associated industries.

Final preparations for the UK Micro Tanners Conference at Cotmarsh Tannery CIC This coming Monday we’ll be travelling wi...
11/06/2026

Final preparations for the UK Micro Tanners Conference at Cotmarsh Tannery CIC

This coming Monday we’ll be travelling with a selection of our hand-made tannery knives and tools, many of them based on original George Barnsley patterns recovered from our old Cornish Works factory.

We’re looking forward to meeting tanners from across the UK and beyond, learning more about modern tanning practices, and finding out whether these traditional tools still have a place in today’s workshops.

If you’re attending, come and say hello. We’d love to hear your thoughts, discuss old patterns, and talk about the possibility of developing new tools for the trade.

See you there.

Next week we’ll be attending the UK Micro Tanners Conference at Cotmarsh Tannery, and we’ll be bringing a selection of o...
09/06/2026

Next week we’ll be attending the UK Micro Tanners Conference at Cotmarsh Tannery, and we’ll be bringing a selection of original George Barnsley tannery and currier’s tools recovered from our former Cornish Works factory in Sheffield.

Today’s selection includes traditional boning, butcher style and a round knife, patterns developed for the leather trade and made to be used, not simply admired.

These original tools will be available to purchase at the conference, but we’re also looking forward to learning as much as possible from the people using them today. We’d love to hear whether these traditional patterns are still current and relevant in modern micro tanning, and what tools or designs the industry would like to see in the future.

If you’re attending, please come and say hello. We’d be delighted to talk tools, tanning, and the future of British leathercraft.

We recently sat down with Katy Warriner of .leather to discuss her journey into leatherwork, traditional saddlery traini...
03/06/2026

We recently sat down with Katy Warriner of .leather to discuss her journey into leatherwork, traditional saddlery training, oak bark tanned leather, craftsmanship, and the projects she’s working on today.

From a childhood ambition to become a master saddler to working on bespoke commissions and film productions, Katy’s story is a fascinating one and her passion for the craft shines through in every answer.

The full Q&A is now live on our website.

Link in bio.

A huge thank you to Katy for taking the time to take part.

Prepping for our adventure down to June 15th & 16th James Allen has kindly allowed us to visit the farm and tannery and...
02/06/2026

Prepping for our adventure down to

June 15th & 16th James Allen has kindly allowed us to visit the farm and tannery and also bring along our selection of curriers and tanners knives and tools.

Really looking forward to visiting and learning more about the tannery and the processes involved.

Tickets are still available, search cotmarsh tannery to join us

French Pattern HammersHandmade in Sheffield by George BarnsleyFinally back in stock on our website
29/05/2026

French Pattern Hammers

Handmade in Sheffield by George Barnsley

Finally back in stock on our website

We recently did a Q&A with Katy Warriner of Warriner Leather about her journey into leatherwork, traditional training, a...
27/05/2026

We recently did a Q&A with Katy Warriner of Warriner Leather about her journey into leatherwork, traditional training, and the thinking behind her craft.

From a childhood ambition to become a master saddler, through to qualifying under Master Saddler Mark Romain at The Saddlery Training Centre, Katy’s path back into the trade has been anything but linear, but deeply rooted in traditional skills.

What comes through most strongly is her respect for process. Hand stitching, edge work, material choice, all treated with patience and discipline, learned through traditional saddlery and carried into everything she makes today.

That foundation runs through her work at Warriner Leather, whether she’s making belts, cases, harness work or bespoke commissions. It’s a way of working that values longevity over speed, and understanding over shortcuts.

The full Q&A will be live on our website soon, where Katy talks in more depth about her training, influences, use of oak bark tanned leather from J&FJ Baker, and her current work on the limited R33 Stradale commission with Pristine Panel Works.

Today I had the pleasure of visiting the Leather Conservation Centre, formerly of Northampton now settled in to their ne...
22/05/2026

Today I had the pleasure of visiting the Leather Conservation Centre, formerly of Northampton now settled in to their new home in Leicester.

We’ve previously supplied them with some of our tools and this morning I was dropping off a batch of our stitching clams.

An incredible facility, so light and spacious and kitted out with a very enviable extraction system!

I was given the full tour by Rosie Bolton, head of the centre. She has extensive experience of working with leather both historic and modern for a catalogue of clients including both renowned heritage institutions and private clients of all backgrounds, and a strong craft background, having trained in traditional fine bookbinding.

The team at the centre undertakes some incredible projects, with their work centred around the restoration and repair of incredible leatherwork. Even driving cars into the studio space to work on!

Couple that with an extensive library of books detailing all aspects of leatherwork it really is a place that any leather enthusiast should check out, they run a series of courses and even offer tours of their studio space.

We are truly honoured to have our tools put to use in this incredible facility and hope to continue to work with and support Rosie and the centre for years to come.

Address

47 Mowbray Street
Sheffield
S38EN

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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