The Ultimate "HARDCORE" Shoe Porn Thread (Bespoke only) - Page 115

The texture (even aside from the hatching) is totally different. Also, the real deal is more of a pain in the ass to take care of, requiring constant treatment to keep from drying and cracking.....

Supposedly, the actual recipe for curing the stuff was lost some time ago, so it is no longer possible to obtain authentic "russian reindeer leather". I actually believe this as there is a substantive difference between the Cleverley "authentic" leather, and the faux russian reindeer leather.

It is A&A Crack (leather merchants in Northampton) who are responsible for this recent upsurge in faux Metta Catherina leather. Originally the leather was made by some Italian tannery, fifteen or twenty years ago. 'Centipede's' site features some Ugolino V-front from that period.

http://centipede.web.fc2.com/ugolini2.html

Maybe two years ago, Crack got hold of a batch of that leather from another wholesaler as unsold 'dead-stock' and according to Tony Crack "sold it so well'. All the hides that G&G, Sargent, C&J etc (and your's truly) have used came from this badge. The last time I saw him (maybe 9 months ago) Tony Crack told me that he was in negotiations with Horween in Chicago to produce new stock. (I think at this time the first samples were imminent.)

I am pleased to report that has gone through and Crack now stocks 'Russia Calf' in five shades, made in the US of A.

http://www.aacrack.co.uk/default.asp?contentID=633

I haven't seen the American stuff yet, so I don't know how it differs from the Italian one, let alone the historical leather, which, of course, has all the romance the modern stuff does not have.

That's the thing - I'm sure leather that has been cured centuries ago and pickled in salt water and mud, will be substantially different to the freshly-cured stuff.  Bark-cured Russian reindeer hides are still available, and even if the recipe were the same, the product un-sea-pickled and new, is different.  It seems to me that some assumptions have been made by buyers now and then that any time they hear "Russian reindeer" is means "THE" Russian reindeer from the sea bed.

 

But I think the confusion might be encouraged, passively at least, by certain shoe makers who want to deny Cleverley one of their unique selling points.  No wonder we all get suspicious.  Next they will be putting horse meat in our beefburgers...

The charm lies in knowing that your shoes are made from the hides of reindeer that lived when Russia still had a Tsar, with all the extravagance that entailed.

I have some teapots that came from a sunken Chinese transport ship 600 years ago and that were excavated from the sunken ship. Same appeal.

 

Now we are talking!

 

It probably also require a professionally and Cleverley trained domestic staff to take care of the sea-wreck salvaged Russian Reindeer hide.

Cleverley will supply you with a pot of "moisturiser" to prevent the leather from drying-out and to keep your shoes in good condition.

For the hardcore lovers of Russian Reindeer Hide, you can always store your shoes in an oversized humidor. (Might be a nice new product line for the Hanger Project.)

They gave me this stuff.




Really unpleasant and sticky. I like the leather, but I have to say that it takes alot of work.

 

Hmm humidor for shoes.  Sounds like a very interesting idea!  Probably could apply to calf or other leather as well to prevent drying out?

 

 

Compare to, say, regular calf shoes, reindeer maintenance takes more work?

Weinheimer Leder (Freudenberg) states that leather should be stored at air humidity between 60-70%

http://weinheimer-leder.com/welcome.html

I just looked it up (don’t smoke), cigars ought to be stored at 70% humidity.

Who is going to invent the shoe humidor?

Some years ago, when I was shopping for a house, I looked at one with a built-in walk-in humidor. Since I had already given up smoking cigars, the first thing I thought of was to use it as a shoe closet. Didn't end up buying that house however.

Some years ago I contacted a tannery in Sweden. I got some samples of reindeer and calf that were supposedly tanned with birch oil/tar. None of it had the characteristic "hatching" of the Metta Catarina stuff however.

They also sent a tin (same size and shape as yours) of dressing that was redolent of birch tar. It is black and sticky and smells great!! I love it. I hoard it for only the best of my personal "utility" shoes.

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Edited by DWFII - 3/9/13 at 5:17am

Well the Cleverly stuff does, but not the faux Russian. The "original" dries out very easily, then cracks if you are not careful, particularly at areas of high stress. I guess it can be said that this is part of the charm.

 

Sounds like owning a Jaguar.  Or a mistress.

 

The other questions is how well do shoe trees last under that type of humidity and how well can leather tolerate from going in and out of high humidity and low humidity outside?

Funny that it withstood the shipwreck yet so fragile to need constant care.