A shout-out to a good shop which doesn’t have a web site of its own:
About once every decade I buy a belt.
They last that long — I get them from a place in Elsternwick called Stockdale Stockade Leather (552 Glen Huntly Road), which I’m amazed is still in business because their stuff is so resilient — they must get a lot of repeat business.
It looks rather like their belts are made in the shop — the front section is where they’re displayed, and further back it looks more like a workshop than a shop.
I went in today for a couple of belts. I don’t remember how much they cost last time, but now they’re $45, which is not unreasonable for quality that lasts. Another customer was in there praising their belts too.
I hope they’re still around in a decade when I need another.
Update 31/8/2014: I’ve somehow been getting this shop’s name wrong for years, thinking it was Stockdale not Stockade… and therefore not finding its web site. It does have one.
8 replies on “Belt up: Stockade Leather”
Stockade, not Stockdale.
You’ve written the business name as Stockdale Leather, but in the pics it’s Stockade Leather.
D’oh! Why am I reading Stockdale? I blame the estate agents of the same (well, similar) name.
Stockade does make sense for an oldie world crafty type shop.
I agree that $45 is good value for something that lasts.
That is great to read. Quality and durable belts. But strange how they are made locally. Shoes being made locally makes perfect sense due to the variety of feet size and shape. But belts?
Anyway, I think there is a huge untapped market for custom-made polo shirts. They could measure us in a shop here and get tailors in Thailand to stitch them up. Win-Win.
Awesome! I’m always after a good belt and now they have a website… ;-) I’ll check it out!
Thanks for the recommendation and support, it is greatly appreciated.
Stockade Leather has been around since 1990, and sometimes I am myself surprised to be still around when nearly everyone else has gone. But the business has been constantly changing, so that might explain its longevity. It used to be purely belt manufacturing, but with the cheap imports undercutting our local makers, we had to broaden our scope. So now we make bondage gear, bags, holsters and of late the classic old solicitors document satchels. One great thing that happens when you do something that you love for soooooo many years , is that you get to be quite good at it. So TV and film has discovered us and is getting us to make all sorts of stuff, which is both interesting and great fun.
My son is now working with me making bags, but he is an upholsterer by trade. So we can do most things that you care to throw at us, and we are always happy to give you advise, even if it doesn’t translate into a job.
Cheers
Pete
I have been coming to Peter’s shop off and on for several years now. My reason for the visits is that apart from being a great leather maker of many things, Peter also has original World War 1 Light Horse ammunition pouches he sells for a very reasonable price. Last visit I saw some straps hanging from a post near the ceiling; on inquiry they turned out to be straps to hold the greatcoat on the LightHorse saddles – also a great find though a bit costly ($20) each but then where will you ever see them? Peter can make you virtually anything in leather – his bondage equipment is an eye opener, and he turns a mean job at altering canvas bags to resemble World War 1 gas mask bags. He is a very gracious and knowledgable person, as is his son who has now joined him in the business, so if you ever want anything in leather, or advice, you know where to go.