Am I ready to sell some of these watch straps?

[Jholden0]

The liner is Zermatt from Haas.   So I guess it's possible that it is not fully Veg tan leather.  Not sure what process they use.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Jholden0

[Jholden0]

It seems that Zermatt is mineral tanned?  Which I have never heard of.

 

[Klara]

I think it's similar to, or the same as chrome-tanned. In any case, it's not veg tanned, so for heaven's sake, don't advertise your straps as veg tanned. That would be grounds for return.

 

[sbrownn]

On 7/23/2021 at 1:42 PM, LatigoAmigo said:

First off, my comments are intended to provide you with helpful feedback, so no offence intended.

Since watchstraps are so tiny, everything you do must be "perfect."

• Only use the highest quality leather. Anything less is not your friend.
• Some of the edges look very rough. You want a more finished look.
• The edge finish should not bleed onto the surface of the leather.
• The holes for the buckle's tongue should be clean and uniform.
• Some of the stitching is out of alignment with the edge. 
• Some of the thread is too heavy.
• Exotic leathers can fight with the design.

Hope that helps.  

Excellent comment.

[LatigoAmigo]

On 7/24/2021 at 5:56 AM, Jholden0 said:

It seems that Zermatt is mineral tanned?  Which I have never heard of.

Neither have I. Found this at britannica.com.

"Mineral tanning, which uses mineral salts, produces a soft, pliable leather and is the preferred method for producing most light leathers. Use of this method can shorten the tanning period to days or even hours. Chromium salt is the most widely used mineral agent, but salts from aluminum and zirconium are also used. In mineral tanning the hides are soaked in saline baths of increasing strength or in acidic baths in which chemical reactions deposit salts in the skin fibers."

Because of the use of chromium salt, some might consider a leather given this treatment to be considered chrome tanned, but that being said, combination tanning where the leather is both veg tanned and chrome tanned is fairly common when there is a need to resist moisture, such as with latigo leather.

[pramariena]

That’s good craftsmanship, and I hope you decided to start selling the straps last year. I would pay for a good leather strap like this, honestly. There’s something you still have to improve, but it’s normal, and I think selling these will help you get motivated to learn more and have the possibility to buy better materials and tools. People are selling various stuff online nowadays, and your straps are definitely good enough.
I have an old father’s watch that doesn’t have a strap. It would be cool to get one for it to make it look more expensive and then pawn the watch at newbondstreetpawnbrokers.com. Fast money without even having to sell them.