By B. Crawford 

What do some of the world’s best-known bartenders, butchers and blacksmiths have in common? They are all trusted Stalwarts, which means they all rely on handcrafted, durable Stalwart Crafts leather aprons to help them do their work.  

“What I like about working with so many different kinds of people is that they are all individuals who are very passionate about what they do,” says Tim de Ket, the founder and president of London-based Stalwart Crafts. “They all want the best things they can buy to help them perform their craft.” 

From its beginning in Tim de Ket’s London apartment in 2014, Stalwart Crafts has grown to be the go-to provider of leather aprons for restauranteurs and backyard barbecue buffs around the world. Tim’s most popular designs are the basic leather apron and the cross-strap apron deluxe, the preferred model for chefs, butchers and blacksmiths around the world. “I work as a meat cutter,” explains one customer. “The apron holds up splendidly…and the cross strap does wonders in eliminating the neck pain I get from other aprons.”   

The Stalwart Crafts product line has grown to include rustic leather aprons, leather knife rolls, and even menu cards. No matter what the particular design, all of Stalwart aprons provide a reliable, sustainable alternative for people who need an apron day in day out. 

A leather apron? I was a bit dubious myself about the utility of such a high-end utilitarian item, until I caught up with Tim at his office in London and talked with him about his products. As it turns out leather aprons have been around for a long, long time. In ancient times, blacksmiths and tanners wore leather aprons for protection from heat, sparks and other hazards. In the Middle Ages, armorers, bakers and butchers wore leather aprons, often decorated with intricate designs. In the 19^th century, leather aprons became standard in many factories, protecting workers from machinery and chemicals. 

Today, leather aprons continue to be popular for a number of reasons. Leather aprons are hygienic and protective. They are easy to clean: just wipe them down and use an antibacterial spray. Leather aprons last a lot longer than cloth aprons. While cloth aprons wear out quickly after numerous washings, leather aprons just look better with age. Leather aprons are light and flexible enough to wear all day. Best of all, leather aprons save money. Sure, they might cost a bit more on the front end, but they last a lot longer than cotton aprons and there are no laundry bills.    

How did Tim de Ket, a 33-year-old Dutchman, become a master of the modern-day leather apron? “When I was 17, I started working in a factory,” Tim explains. “It was a really good paying job, but I had no passion for the work, so I said, ‘I am just going to quit it all and redo my whole life.’” Tim became a ski instructor in Austria, but there were a couple of problems with his chosen profession. “I couldn’t ski and I couldn’t speak German.” Tim completed a training course, and picked up enough German to become one of the most popular instructors on the slope. 

Tim returned to his home in the Netherlands, where his father asked him to help out with the family business. Tim worked with his parents, making cloth aprons for local restaurants. “We branded them in the shed in our garden, out behind our house,” Tim recalls. Tim’s father took a month’s vacation, leaving Tim in charge of running their small family business. That was Tim’s “Aha!” moment. He found that he really enjoyed running a small business.  

“That’s when I started thinking, ‘What’s the next adventure?’” Tim says. “I decided to make my own apron, and I wanted to make it the coolest thing you could ever buy and made from sustainably-sourced material.” Tim began to make contacts with people in the leather industry. 

His first leather deal did not work out so well. “I met this sweet-talking salesman from the Netherlands. He said, ‘I’ve got the perfect skins for you.’ I was convinced that he was telling the truth and I bought all these skins from him and started making aprons.” After building and selling leather aprons to local restaurants, Tim soon discovered that he had made a terrible mistake. “It was the wrong kind of leather,” Tim says. “It was extremely expensive and it soaked up every drop of water. I said, ‘S&$t, this is not good.’” 

Tim took his first mistake in stride. “I just kept trying. I just kept learning, and luckily, there were always customers so I could just keep moving forward.” Eventually, Tim found the perfect leather for his aprons. It was lightweight, scratch-resistant, waterproof and also sustainably sourced from dairy cows. 

By that time, Tim had moved to London and was living in an apartment with Harriet, his girlfriend. “I started using the apartment as my workshop,” Tim says. “I had piles of aprons in the bathroom, in the clothing closets, behind the couch. There were piles of aprons everywhere. Harriet was very patient with me.” 

Tim’s business really took off when he landed his first big order. But the sale didn’t come easily. “I had a meeting set up with the people from Heinz ketchup. I had just gotten out of another meeting and I was late. I was on a bike and I had to go across London. It was pouring down rain, really badly. So, I called them to reschedule the meeting, and they said, ‘No, we are here ready for you come now.’” 

Tim said, “OK,” and headed off across London on his bicycle in the driving rain. “When I arrived for the meeting, I was standing there like a drenched rat. I was wet right down to my boxers, but they respected the fact that I had made the meeting. I began showing them my products and they said, ‘No, no, no.’ Then they saw one of the last aprons and they said, ‘Yes, we want that one. That’s really cool.’” 

 Landing an order for 500 aprons was great, but it presented a whole new set of challenges. Tim knew that there was no way he could fill the order working alone in his apartment workshop, so he traveled to the Netherlands, and looked for partners in the leathermaking industry.  

“I went to the tannery, and I explained my problem,” Tim says. “My contact at the tannery introduced me to other companies that could help me. With a large order, I was able to get some interest and I found two guys who did really good work and got along well. It turns out that the first big order did not go through; but because I had things set up with the workshop, we started working together and we started making a whole bunch of aprons in different styles. From that point onwards, I could focus not just on producing but also on selling, which is the most important thing if you want to grow.” 

Like most small businessmen just starting out, Tim continued to travel a rocky road. The first company he worked with in the Netherlands went bust. Then he partnered up with two other leather workers. “They specialized in making leather sex toys,” Tim says. “But they said that they could use the extra work and we began to collaborate.” 

Tim showed them his apron designs and provided his new partners with the production knives and all the machinery they needed to produce the aprons. “It was perfect. It couldn’t have been better.”  

Tim says that the only time he felt uncomfortable working with his partners was when his customers wanted to come and see his workshop. “I would tell them, ‘Of course, you are most welcome to come, but I have to warn you in advance we don’t just make aprons. We make a lot of other stuff.”   

Did Tim ever design a leather apron for the bedroom? “We talked about doing something like that,” Tim says, “but we never got around to it.”   

Things went extremely well for three years, until Tim’s partners fell out. Tim found himself in the middle of a messy business divorce, with lawsuits flying left and right. But Tim managed to survive and finally found the right partner.    

“My production partner is 55 years old, and he has spent his whole life in the leathercrafting business. He has great contacts in the leather industry. He travels to Italy on a regular basis to check out all the newest types of leather. His connections in the industry are key for us since we work with a lot of high-end customers, and they all want something different something that is made specially for them.” 

Stalwart Crafts now builds aprons for some of the world’s most prestigious restaurants including Burger & Lobster in New York and the Langham hotel in London, Folie, Wigmore pub, Amazonico, Hilton, and the Four Seasons. 

“Fallow is one of biggest up-and-coming restaurants in the world, and the owner is a good friend of mine as well. He is all about sustainability.”   

Chotto Matte, which canceled Tim’s first big order, has since become one of Stalwart’s best customers. “They have 10 restaurants around the world, and they are always building more,” Tim says. “At one point they wanted leather menu cards, so we made the menu cards for all the restaurants. 

In addition to restaurants, liquor companies also began to buy Stalwart aprons. Glenlivet, Dewars and others have worked with Tim and his team to design branded aprons, which they then give to bar staff in select restaurants. It is the perfect marketing device. With every order, the customer sees the liquor brand. Stalwart aprons reinforce the liquor brand’s high-quality image. 

Today, Stalwart Crafts create aprons for a variety of customers, including barbers, butchers, woodworkers and welders. Tim loves the challenge of working with a variety of customers. “What I like best about the business is that I get to know my customers. I get to visit them and learn about their craft and what they need. It’s incredible to work with all these extraordinary craftsmen that I otherwise would never be able to meet.” 

Tim’s unique opportunities also present unique challenges. “My customers always want something a bit more special. You can start with something that exists, but then you have to design something new to fit their specifications, their colors, their style. It is always a challenge to make a leather piece that will meet their functional and design needs.”   

Tim’s work has earned the respect of his fellow craftsmen. Stalwart has won awards for sustainability and innovation. “We never sought out these awards,” Tim says, “but it has been a great recognition of what we are doing.” 

Tim says that his toughest challenge right now is figuring out how to grow his business. In 2022, Stalwart entered the US market and opened a workshop in Boston. Setting up in the US presented Tim with a new set of challenges. He had to find and train staff, meet logistical challenges and sell, sell, sell. “It’s difficult to put your name out in a new country,” Tim says. “For example, we have built a website, but now we have to drive traffic to it. We need to advertise, meet the clients and attend trade shows. There are a lot of barbecue fans in the US, so we might just focus on that market. But at every level of a business there are costs involved. It’s all about trying to be wise about how you invest your money.” 

In addition to expanding his business, Tim is also planning to expand his family. He is now engaged to Harriet, the woman who so patiently allowed him to turn their London apartment into a leather apron crafting workshop. “Harriet was my first student when I taught ski lessons in Austria,” Tim recalls. For Tim, every experience is a learning experience. 

“Keep learning,” Tim says to everyone who is in business for themselves. “Don’t think you know it all. Keep learning.”  

As he continues to learn about business and life, there is no doubt that Tim de Ket will be a trusted Stalwart for years to come.