About Steph Rubbo
Meet Steph, founder and Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Saddler.
Tell us about yourself. I’m dedicated to the art of traditional leather work, founded on my classical saddlery training. Using traditional materials, hand tools and techniques, I create bespoke, premium-quality pieces with a timeless look and feel.
Why saddlery? In 2012, suffering from spreadsheet burnout, I was looking for a career change where I could work with my hands. I happened upon Charles Bowden’s The Last Horsemen, about life at Sillywrea, Britain’s last remaining horse-powered farm, which referenced their saddler retiring. I had horses when I lived in New Zealand, and felt an instant connection to the craft.
Where did you learn your trade? Capel Manor College in Enfield, which runs the only full-time saddlery course in Europe, is just up the road from my London home. It was fate! I trained there for two years, then at the Saddlery Training Centre in Salisbury on my way to gaining Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Saddler status. As well as four years spent ‘at the bench’, I had to do practical and theory assessments including making a double bridle and saddle, timed skills tests, and enter national saddlery competitions.
What’s special about your work? Each commission is handmade to order, working with the client to personalise every detail. It’s a collaboration from original discussion to completion, to create a bag or accessory that fits their purpose. I also problem solve, such as making a collar for a reactive dog who didn’t like having his lead clipped on. We designed an extension small enough to remain on his collar, making attaching the main lead much less stressful for him.
Craft market or studio hangout? I’m happy talking to people about what I do anywhere and everywhere, but in the studio I can give demos and show off sample pieces. It’s also better for working out a design as I have materials, patterns and tools to hand.
Repairing a one-off or creating from scratch? Figuring out a repair that requires ingenuity or creativity is more satisfying than making an everyday item. But the same goes for making from scratch – if it’s something that meets a need or solves a problem, it’s more fun than a bog-standard repair, and has greater intrinsic value for the client.
What’s the most challenging job you’ve done? I was asked to replace some straps on an antique building awning. I made them in the workshop, but they then had to be stitched on in situ over the entranceway, with me balancing on a ladder with a backdrop of Thames river traffic!
And your favourite? A range of cricket accessories. An avid fan, I spent a summer listening to commentators discussing how that season’s balls kept going out of shape. It was down to a low-spec batch of leather, the remainder of which was up for grabs. I used some to create a range of cricket-themed wallets, e-reader covers, laptop sleeves and – most fun of all – a case for a handheld radio that the owner used at matches. I delivered it to him at Lord’s!