Russian Reindeer watch straps!

[goody2shoes]

This week I have had the pleasure and honour to make some tricky little watch straps from the one and only very sought after 230 year old meta catharina Russian Reindeer leather! As most of you may know this leather is like gold dust unless you were lucky enough to get a hide or two of it in the 80's. 

Very nerve wracking cutting these out and double nerve wracking making sure I didn't drop a stitch or just rip right though an antique that I could never put back together again! Thankfully it went smoothly with no major hiccups so the customer was happy ......here they are ( the strap on the top of the three is just normal veg tan) 

 

[battlemunky]

I had no idea the rarity of the stuff but now I can certainly understand the nerves. I'd have ham-fisted that reindeer leather into mush; if a little tension on the thread works, a lot of tension has got to work better right? :/

Those look beautiful and congrats on being able to handle unobtainium not only without damage but with beauty as well.

[goody2shoes]

Thankyou very much for you kind comment  yes I pulled too hard on the threads once too on an antique repair and they both just came straight through and ripped the leather! 

Its nice to show off but if your ever in need of patterns or opinions feel free to ask  

[Clintock]

Those look very nice. I'm thinking with my fat fingers I could never tackle or complete a job that small and get the desired results. Looks like you have the right touch. 

[Matt S]

Now you've got me jealous. The best I have is some "russialike" calf that i acquired. Is the birch oil still pungent after two and a half centuries?

[goody2shoes]

Thanks peeps!

0h wow that is a beauty! To the untrained eye that could be the real deal, and the edges look like they burnish allot better, I can't get a good shine for love nor money on the Reindeer.

They also do a good russia hatch leather from aacrack & sons that looks very similar.

The birch oil is definitely very pungent still, I don't think there is another smell like it, I have contemplated taking some to a purfumer and seeing if they can recreate it somehow, I'm sure many others have tried too, I think they must have used some sort of creosote or secret ingredient that doesn't exist anymore. If they ever manage to recreate it I will wear it as a purfume for the rest of my life!   

[Matt S]

26 minutes ago, goody2shoes said:

Thanks peeps!

0h wow that is a beauty! To the untrained eye that could be the real deal, and the edges look like they burnish allot better, I can't get a good shine for love nor money on the Reindeer.

They also do a good russia hatch leather from aacrack & sons that looks very similar.

The birch oil is definitely very pungent still, I don't think there is another smell like it, I have contemplated taking some to a purfumer and seeing if they can recreate it somehow, I'm sure many others have tried too, I think they must have used some sort of creosote or secret ingredient that doesn't exist anymore. If they ever manage to recreate it I will wear it as a purfume for the rest of my life!   

Supposedly, Coco Chanel based this on Russian leather: https://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/fragrance-cuir-de-russie--120502 but I've never tried it. This smells like leather and birch oil, which I guess is very close to Russian: https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Acqua-di-Parma/Colonia-Leather-Eau-de-Cologne-Concentr-e-25349.html

[goody2shoes]

Ooo wow I thought someone must have! Thanks for taking the time to find these