Croots
Leather and canvas bags for the English countryside, artisanal Yorkshire leather goods since 1978
Philosophy
Country people making bags for the country. Full-grain leather, heavy canvas, solid brass, handmade in Malton. No marketing, no frills. Functional gear that ages well.
History
1978, Malton, Yorkshire. John and Margaret Smith open a workshop under the name Field Sports Products. No fashion pretension, no branding - bags and cases for hunting and fishing. Objects made to go out in the rain with a shotgun or a fly rod, not to be photographed on Instagram. Yorkshire isn't the Cotswolds. It's rougher, wetter, less picturesque. People who hunt and fish here need gear that holds up. John and Margaret use thick leather, heavy canvas, solid stitching. No frills. Functional. In 2004, their daughter Jackie and her husband Allistair Croot take over. They rename it Croots and expand beyond country sports - travel bags, briefcases, weekenders - while keeping the DNA: leather and canvas, handmade in Malton, guaranteed for life. The workshop is small. A few artisans, each piece assembled start to finish by the same person. The leather is full-grain vegetable-tanned. The canvas is heavy waxed or oiled cotton. Buckles and closures are solid brass. Nothing breaks, everything develops patina. What sets Croots apart in the crowded 'heritage' bag landscape is the authenticity of the proposition. These aren't London designers playing at countryside. These are country people making bags for the country, who happen to be very good at what they do. Models bear Yorkshire place names - Helmsley, Dalby, Rosedale. The clientele is country fairs and game shoots, not concept stores. That the rest of the world discovers Croots through menswear blogs and carry forums is a bonus. The Malton workshop won't change for it.
Iconic Products
Helmsley Tweed Weekender
The tweed and leather weekender. Yorkshire tweed canvas, vegetable-tanned leather trim, brass buckles. The bag you take for a weekend in the Yorkshire Dales that smells of wet moorland on the way back. Guaranteed for life.
Dalby Canvas Cartridge Bag
The oiled canvas cartridge bag. Croots' original object, designed for hunting, adopted by heritage bag enthusiasts. Heavy canvas, thick leather, adjustable strap. The kind of bag you find in a North Riding farmer's Land Rover.
Vintage Canvas Roll-Top Backpack
The waxed canvas and leather roll-top backpack. The object that introduced Croots to menswear blogs. Country construction, urban look. Proof that Malton can dress a London street without changing the recipe.