The Omersa animal is designed and individually handcrafted by our in house team of skilled artisans. Our processes, which remain essentially unchanged from the first animal made, ensure that every animal is not only full of character but is made to last. No two pieces are ever alike and each one develops its own personality, patina, and charm over time. This is the essence of the Omersa animal.
The quality of our leather is at the heart of every Omersa animal. We work closely with our UK supplier, whose tannery in Italy prepares each hide to our own specification. We use the top grain ie skin surface which is left “unfinished” allowing it to remain supple and age naturally over time.
We never use off-the-shelf upholstery leather which is made from leather “splits” heavily coated to hide imperfections.
If you are looking at a genuine Omersa, the leather will feel supple and tactile. It will have a light sheen from the wax polish we apply (this can be buffed up to a shine) with a mottled finish allowing the natural features of the cowhide to show through — an essential part of the character and charm of each piece.
We work with full leather hides, cutting each animal from the same skin to ensure consistency in texture, strength, and natural markings. Because every hide is unique, each animal will show its own individual characteristics — part of what makes an Omersa piece so special. These natural variations in the leather also mean that sizes can differ slightly, even when made from the same pattern.
Once a hide has been marked out, the pieces are carefully cut and passed to our experienced machinists for stitching. This stage requires patience, precision, and slow, deliberate sewing to achieve the clean lines and strength our animals are known for. All fringing is hand‑cut and attached individually.
The animals are left open along the backbone, allowing access to the interior cavity where the frame and woodwool are fitted and shaped.
Each animal is built around a strong metal and wooden frame allowing it to be used as a footrest, doorstop or simply a decorative piece.
The body is tightly packed with woodwool — a natural, pine‑derived material sourced from European forests — to create the shape and character of the piece. This is a handcrafting process and most time‑intensive stage, requiring significant training, physical strength, and meticulous attention to detail.
The animal is finished off by hand stitching along the “backbone” starting from the head end and finishing under the tail. You will see from close inspection that the stitching along the backbone is more open than other seams and this is due to the hand stitching process.
After assembly, every animal is hand‑stained in our signature mahogany brown using a long‑standing, water‑based recipe. Several finishing products are then applied to seal the colour and nourish the leather.
Some colour transfer is possible, particularly early in the product’s life. Applying a wax polish, such as Nikwax Waterproofing wax or Beeswax, helps build a protective layer to minimise this.
Over time, the leather will naturally develop its own patina reflecting the wear and tear of life.
We believe that the success of our product is in the simplicity of its design. The use of best quality materials, skilled artisans and a team focused workforce allow us to remain committed to our niche market and ever growing customer base.
Our driving vision is to maintain Omersa’s reputation as a Made in England brand, respected for its heritage and traditional methods of craftsmanship. We continue on our path of organic growth with no compromise to production techniques which are used to create timeless products admired by all.
Our animals hold many stories. It is a delight to us when customers take the time to let us know their personal story. It brings the makers great joy and pride to know how much they have featured in family histories and special events.
At Omersa we are committed to responsible and sustainable ways of working. Our cowhide leather is solely British/EU sourced, and tanned in Italy using our own recipe.
The wellbeing of our staff is of the upmost importance to us and we ensure that we provide a safe and positive environment for all staff.
Developing a close working relationship with our suppliers is a priority as it allows us to ensure the best materials that meet our high production standards. We make every effort to keep the supply chain as local as possible.
We have undertaken to act as custodians of Dimitri Omersa’s original vision and handcraft every animal with the intention of keeping the spirit of the animals in the way he designed them.