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Deerskin Western Shirt "The Big Buck" - Olive

£1,243

IHSB-BIGBUCK-OLV

Colour: Olive Green

Size: Please select size
No quibble 28 day return policy Discuss on Forum See what sizes the crew wear

The “Big Buck” is a unique collaboration with Simmons Bilt in Scotland, based on our traditional Western shirt silhouette and handmade from European deerskin. The leather used comes from deer living in the hills and mountains of Germany and Austria. As these are wild animals, many hides display natural scars — a byproduct of antlered males fighting during the rutting season.

The tanning method is an old and traditional process known as Sämischgerbung, a chemical-free technique that, while time-consuming, produces an incredibly soft yet hard-wearing leather. We source this leather from Kolesch Tannery (https://www.gerberei-kolesch.de/) — the oldest working tannery in Germany — where it is both tanned and hand-dyed.

This tanning process results in a beige-coloured leather, visible on the inside of the shirt. To achieve the final colour, a natural dye is applied by hand. Because the dye is brushed onto the surface rather than dip-dyed, subtle variations in the finish can occur, depending on how each hide absorbs the pigment. From the initial tanning process to the finished leather, production takes a full year.

This is not just leather; it is cultural heritage which, much like traditional Japanese indigo dyeing, carries a distinctive individuality in every dyed hide. While we carefully match hides as closely as possible, there will always be slight variations in appearance. Combined with the unique scars found on each hide, this ensures that no two Big Buck shirts are ever exactly the same.

Product Description

Made by Simmons Bilt

Premium leather jackets and shirts, handmade in Scotland by Simmons Bilt

Features & Construction

- Western-style shirt (but it is really almost a jacket!)
- 1.5-2mm naturally tanned deerskin
- Hand-painted dye on face (as this is a manual process there may be some variance in colour to that pictured)
- Tonal stitching
- Iron Heart oversized copper snaps
- Western-style flap patch pockets with snap fastenings
- Snaps on cuff placket
- Single, double and triple needle stitch construction
- Black satin lined yoke
- Ageing back to the original colour will occur in high wear areas
- When the face of the hide is painted, some of the paint transfers to the rear, so there will be paint streaks on the inside of the shirt
- There is scarring to the hides, we try to avoid as much as we can, but there may be small imperfections in the hide - if you can't embrace the perfection-is-in-the-imperfections, then this shirt is not for you

Model Sizing

Model Johnny wears Large

Leather Care

Nubuck Deerskin

- These hides are sourced from younger deer living wild in the mountains and woods of Germany and Austria. It is hand-tanned using a centuries-old German method called Sämischgerbung, using fish oil as the primary tanning agent. This results in a soft and pliable, suede-like deerhide, which generally won’t need conditioning due to the retained oils from the tanning process


- To clean, use a soft, dry brush to remove surface dirt, but do not aggressively scrub. If needed, a lightly damp cloth with a tiny amount of mild soap can be used to spot clean heavier dirt and stains, but avoid over-wetting and never soak the leather. If the leather gets wet, allow it to dry naturally at room temperature, away from heat sources. Consider using a speciality suede or nubuck cleaner if deeper cleaning is needed