About Simon Brock

I am a clog maker, leatherworker, artist and sometime morris dancer and longsword dancer (currently Dance Captain at Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers).

I have a wealth of practical and technical experience working with wood, having trained as a furniture maker after leaving school. I qualified as a timber specialist Technician of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in 2015.

Leatherwork came slightly later and is largely self-taught. In clogs, I have found one of the small number of crafts which combines both materials.


Clog making

My journey to becoming a clog maker started way back in 2010 when I first met Trefor Owen, who was to become my principal mentor in the craft.

After a few years honing my leatherworking skills, I returned to clog making and was fortunate enough to be able to acquire equipment and patterns from retired clog maker Rick Rybicki.

I sold my first clogs in 2018 and am now one of only a handful of full-time makers in a craft recognised as ‘Critically Endangered’ by the Heritage Crafts Association. I normally attend several dance and folk events throughout the year (see the Diary page for more info).

In 2019 I won two awards from the Heritage Crafts Association: the HCA/Marsh Endangered Craft Award and the HCA/Arts Society Heritage Crafts bursary, both to enable me to train in the hand-cutting of clog soles with Jeremy Atkinson.