Show us your leather

[Babyson]

 

The Flat Head x Wild Child

[edmond]

Anyone knows where i can get more kamida leather ? Miz? Help !

[Cold Summer]

I just ordered a new wallet from Tim Leathers, very similar to this one but without the silver ring (since I won't use a chain with it.) Looking forward to it, the cost is only about $200, and the Italian saddle leather ages very nicely judging from the examples on his site. Plus, it'll get here right when I start on my next pair of jeans.

[dwilson123]

I wonder if that is a similar leather to what is on my Strike Gold wallet.  It says "Italian benz leather" and not sure what that means but I guess it could be a mistranslated saddle.

[itsbenhere]

Kyle, I'm surprised after all your experience with flat head that you can buy leather goods from anyone else. I've been too spoiled!

What jeans are you wearing next?

[Iron Horse]

I just ordered a new wallet from Tim Leathers, very similar to this one but without the silver ring (since I won't use a chain with it.) Looking forward to it, the cost is only about $200, and the Italian saddle leather ages very nicely judging from the examples on his site. Plus, it'll get here right when I start on my next pair of jeans.

 

What's the wait time, if I may ask?

 

I was going to have Tim Leathers re-do my watch strap in Shinki horsehide but the wait time was too long considering my old strap was disintegrating. 

[Cold Summer]

He said it'd be around three months (which is fine with me, I'll be in my ST-120x for three more months, and the imprint from my FH card case wallet is so strong that wearing anything else with it would look weird! )

 

Next I'm going to wear the RH15 collab 3Sixteen did with Rivet And Hide, the denim is a really nice left-hand twill and they are hands-down the best fitting jeans that I've worn.

 

I love FH's leather and don't mind paying more for their stuff, but their wallets can be super thick because of things like lining in the card slots/coin cases that I don't consider to be essential. And since I'm a lefty, I prefer to keep mine in the left pocket and this would be weird with a wallet that has the silver ring (which I wouldn't use anyway) on the right side; plus, the coin case is harder to use for me when it's right-handed. I feel like something a little more minimalist/simple than FH's mid wallet fits my current style a bit better anyway.

 

My FH cordovan card case is great, and I'll keep using it with my ST-120x, but it is kinda small (not enough space when I need to carry cash, no coin storage) and the downside to a wallet with a cordovan inner is that it "sticks" together and traps little bits of dirt and stuff inside that I need to clean out daily, a problem I never had with natural saddle leather. I'm really starting to miss the evo of natural leather too! 

[elim]

I just ordered a new wallet from Tim Leathers, very similar to this one but without the silver ring (since I won't use a chain with it.) Looking forward to it, the cost is only about $200, and the Italian saddle leather ages very nicely judging from the examples on his site. Plus, it'll get here right when I start on my next pair of jeans.

Look out for the position of the zipper when you fold the wallet! I destroyed a couple of cards using my Pikebrothers wallet which has a similar contruction!

[Niro]

I need to get a new leather card case, but I want a slim bifold one

[dwilson123]

Hm I'm right handed but keep my wallet in the left pocket

[mikecch]

It's been a while! Here are some wallets and coin pouches I have been using over the past 4 years...there's a couple in storage that I couldn't photograph unfortunately.

 

 

^ Blackacre wallet by Ray.

Ray seems to have gone missing!?!? His stuff was quality. 

The outshell leather is CXL horsehide. Total wear around 1.5 years.

I maintain leathers pretty frequently, hence the mild sheen.

 

 

^ This one from Scott at Don't Mourn, Organize!

He was very kind to share this leather with me - it is NOS shell cordovan from the 1960s he purchased ? at an estate sale.

It is much more rugged and hard-wearing compared with modern shell cordovan, but can't be polished to the same high shine compared with the modern stuff.

Total wear around 1.5 years.

 

 

^ Funny little pouch.

Total wear 5 years.

It doesn't look it because it's made out of sueded elephant - so much more durable compared with cattlehide or horsehide.

 

 

^ Coin pouch by Scott.

Russet bridle horsehide from Clayton, UK.

This was from an experimental batch - a bit more rigid and less oily compared with the later leathers.

It's not russet coloured anymore

NOS mil spec snaps also faded more than I anticipated.

Total wear around 2 years.

 

 

^ Another coin pouch by Scott, replacing the one above. 

Dark brown bridle horsehide from Clayton, UK. 

The was a couple of years later, and their recipe for the leather had changed I think - oilier, a bit more durable.

Total wear around 2.5 years.

 

 

^ Current wallet, 2 months in. 

8-card bi-fold by Scott. J & E Sedgwick bridle outshell.

Has been rained on, hailed on, and rolled down a sand-dune.

Holding up & molding pretty good.

 

 

^ Finally, watch strap. 2 years.

Dark purple elephant by Maddog Straps.

Elephant is awesome (and CITES approved, in case you where wondering.)

 

[karanimal]

The elephant leather you have is awesome. Love the stuff, I'd love a pair of boots made from the stuff! Vass makes a few pairs with elephant...but its pricey! 

[mikecch]

It's so difficult to get it into Australia though. They've (Customs) become quite an@l about having CITES paperwork, and most companies and workshops can't be bothered preparing them for small purchases.

 

I also have a huge elephant biker wallet with a huge copper chain...can't wear that stuff anymore though, the workplace & the wife both disapprove

Edited July 8, 2016 by mikecch

[karanimal]

That's bullshit. Elephant's are culled every year due to their strong numbers, you just need to persuade them in a way that shows that you are actually helping the species. Elephants are inherently destructive, ruining the vital habitats in which they live, which in turn reduces the overall biodiversity of their territories and harms other species. 

 

Elephants have bounced back like crazy thanks to the intrinsic value humans place on them and the various protection programs that they have 

 

If that argument doesn't work, let me know if you would ever consider selling it! You should post some pics of it, I'm sure its marvelous 

[mikecch]

Yep, agreed. I was at Kruger national park and the Timbavati lands in South Africa recently, and saw the destruction caused by ballooning elephant populations in conjunction with a drought. 

 

It's in storage, but I'll post a pic soon.

[mikecch]

You should post some pics of it, I'm sure its marvelous 

 

It actually makes me a bit sad taking this fella out. 3 months of planning, detailing and sourcing...only got to wear it 3 or 4 times.

Here it is ~

 

 

Elephant trunk outshell, blue-grey colour.

Double-braided edge using maroon coloured kangaroo skin.

Brass hardware.

I curried it myself with a home made fat/wax mix.

 

 

 

Kangaroo inner and accents.

 

This combination of elephant and kangaroo is basically indestructible

 

Yes, I would be open to selling it, since I'm not allowed to use it...but I've never put it up on the supermarket because of the high cost.

PM me if interested though! (Happy to let it go for 1/2 cost, since it's been sitting idle for 3 years).

Edited July 8, 2016 by mikecch

[karanimal]

holy shit 

[Niro]

Using leather/hide of an endangered species is always going to be very divisive.

 

I will keep quiet on culling and my opinion, it will definitely go off tangent and detract from this nice thread

[redragon]

Welcome back Mikecch!

Hope you will restart your blog soon, missed your insight very much...

Edited July 8, 2016 by redragon

[Niro]

Forgot to mention...the kangaroo inner looks amazing! 

[dwilson123]

I hope the elephant died of natural causes but if there is any semblance of demand for their leather they'll be even more threatened by poachers.

[mikecch]

^ Nope, wouldn't be of natural causes. Most likely would have died from being culled as part of a government-sanctioned culling program, usually in places like South Africa where people think there are too many elephants to be sustainable.

 

African elephants are not endangered, but are vulnerable, in terms of conservation status. However, whether we agree with culling or not doesn't matter, because we have no say. We can choose whether we buy exotic leathers or not, I suppose...my stance is, if it's legal, I'm comfortable using it.

 

I'm less certain about Asian elephants...but lots of elephant leather do come out of Thailand.

 

Btw, you wouldn't poach them for the leather, it's the ivory that you'd want if you were a poacher. The hide is hardly worth the effort, and processing/transporting the wet hide from the middle of the African bush would be quite a technical effort - not something a bunch of poachers would do.

Edited July 8, 2016 by mikecch

[mikecch]

[Babyson]

 

How do you care for your leather?  Just got a TFH wallet and I want it to have a long life.

[Cucoo]

Occasional treatment with whatever you use for other leather isn't a bad idea, but wallets get enough oils from your hands from handling them all the time in my experience to make constant treatment really unnecessary.

[itsbenhere]

Literally don't do anything to it, it'll age and survive just fine by simply using it. You don't need obenaufs, polish, etc. nothing!

[mikecch]

How do you care for your leather? Just got a TFH wallet and I want it to have a long life.

I used to make my own leather conditioner.

Nowadays I use Tender's leather feed.

I also think regular brushing is important.

There are a couple of articles on my blog detailing leather care. Will post it once I find them.

Edited July 9, 2016 by mikecch

[Cucoo]

Thread made me photograph my LGC wallet + Iron Heart rope again ^^ Didn't notice the first pic was shit until now though.

 

 

 

 

 

Wallet has been treated two or three times with standard beeswax leather care. Rope hasn't been treated at all. 2 years wear on the wallet, 6 months on the rope. Sometimes I look at other wallets, but unless this one disintegrates I just don't want another - I'm happy with how it looks, it's neither too huge nor too tiny, it has exactly the setup for ID, cards, cash and coins that I need and the workmanship is pretty good too. I can honestly say I'd probably just get another LGC wallet, maybe with another accent color instead of black or no accent at all (the way the black leather is cut slightly wonky is the only thing bothering me a tiny bit).

 

For comparison, here's the rope when new back in January:

 

[mikecch]

That's some good wear on the wallet Cucoo.

[edmond]

 

 

 

 

 

i would try wildswans when i go to tokio on november.. heard alot of good things about them

 

 

but these veg tanned leather from kamida are awesome