Basil Racuk v. Lotuff Clegg

[Maverick972]

Hello all! I hope to hear your opinions on these two firms, specifically the quality of leather used and the "quality" (i.e. the neatness of the stitching, the dying of the edges, the gluing, etc.) and amount of handwork involved. 1. Basil Racuk--"Basil, the brand's designer and namesake, comes from a NY fashion world background. He had a menswear line in the 90s which sold at Barneys, among other retailers, and then worked on Seventh Avenue for many years at a leather company, where he learned about skin qualities." (http://www.luxist.com/2010/01/20/bas...-for-real-men/) Question #1: He sounds a bit more fashion-forward than I like. I think I read somewhere that he was associated with Banana Republic, so he's not exactly like Bea from April in Paris. Does working at a leather company qualify his credentials? 2. Lotuff Clegg--I feel like the owners come from more craftsmen background. Frank Clegg is a third-generation craftman. Question #2: Design aside, do they work with better materials and have better handwork? I hope to learn more about these two firms. Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[Maverick972]

Bumping for help, please?

 

[alexanduh]

i think lotuff and clegg is nicer, specifically the duffel.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by alexanduh

i think lotuff and clegg is nicer, specifically the duffel.

Racuk's stuff is a bit more casual in my opinion. It is also a bit less finished. It is really cool and good quality, but I think it depends on what you are going for. Clegg is cleaner, more traditional.

 

[medtech_expat]

I ordered the soft brief from Leffot a few weeks back. British khaki tan, silvertone hardware with dark brown moleskin interior. It is definitely more of a casual piece, but appears very well made and is deceptively roomy (this will see occasional use as a gym bag). I had the chance to examine Steven's bag which has seen daily use for about a year, so this will age nicely.

Pics below from Leffot blog (in real like the British khaki tan was less orange)

 

[Maverick972]

Originally Posted by medtech_expat

I ordered the soft brief from Leffot a few weeks back. British khaki tan, silvertone hardware with dark brown moleskin interior. It is definitely more of a casual piece, but appears very well made and is deceptively roomy (this will see occasional use as a gym bag). I had the chance to examine Steven's bag which has seen daily use for about a year, so this will age nicely.


Thanks for the response. I was actually thinking of this exact bag, as well. What do you mean by "deceptively roomy"? I visited Steven not too long ago, and he described it that way, as well. I plan to use it as a gym bag. Maybe as a carry-on?

Medtech_expat, did you see the rootbeer color? Didn't like that color?

 

[Maverick972]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Racuk's stuff is a bit more casual in my opinion. It is also a bit less finished. It is really cool and good quality, but I think it depends on what you are going for. Clegg is cleaner, more traditional.


Thanks for the response! So you think it's worth the price tag?

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by Maverick972

Thanks for the response! So you think it's worth the price tag?

I definitely think that it is if you are looking for that style. Also remember it is just Basil that makes all of the bags one by one himself. He even finishes the hides himself and sources the leather locally. I don't know if you get that with Clegg.

 

[medtech_expat]

Originally Posted by Maverick972

Thanks for the response. I was actually thinking of this exact bag, as well. What do you mean by "deceptively roomy"? I visited Steven not too long ago, and he described it that way, as well. I plan to use it as a gym bag. Maybe as a carry-on?

Medtech_expat, did you see the rootbeer color? Didn't like that color?

Steven and I talked about that specifically, the bag has much more interior space than I thought it would from the pics. It will easily accommodate my workout gear. I chose the British khaki tan since I thought it would age well. The darker brown recently posted on the Leffot blog is in buffalo leather, which is much softer, a bit thinner and less structured that the standard leather.