Deerskin Western Shirt "The Big Buck" - Black (Version 1)

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. This shirt is the original version of the Big Buck and features a single back panel, which on newer models has been replaced by a three-panel design to allow the use of more unscarred sections of hide.

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.