Bespoke:RussianReindeer shoes

[MrBern]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/fashion/02bespoke.html

The leather was recovered from a Danish brigantine that went down in a storm more than 200 years ago off the coast of Plymouth, England. The ship, the Catherina von Flensburg, was bound for Genoa from St. Petersburg, its cargo destined for Italian artisans, when it sank in December 1786.

Ian Skelton, the head diver, found someone to restore the leather. And John Carnera and George Glasgow — who are “bespoke,” or custom, shoemakers in London and who knew of the legendary qualities of pre-Revolutionary Russian calf — began acquiring it and fashioning it into shoes in 1987.

 

[manton]

Lovely stuff.

 

[Tomasso]

A closeup.

 

[moustache]

Most beautiful indeed!!!

Very nice.

JD

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Prince Charles has a pair. I believe he helped sponsor the folks who retrieved the hides.

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[Tomasso]

Prince Charles has a pair. I believe he helped sponsor the folks who retrieved the hides.

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The wreck was the property of the Crown, so Charles gave a nod (or a wave) and in return he received the first pair of shoes. That was the extent of his participation.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Thanks for fleshing that out, Tomasso


Not a bad trade: a fine pair of shoes for a sodden old wreck.

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[Tomasso]

Thanks for fleshing that out

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I try to help out where I can, but we all know who does all the heavy lifting.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Believe me, Tomasso amigo, the feeling is entirely mutual. You and I lift together, along with others here :cheers1:

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[John in Covina]

Russian Leather. The leather is exquisite.

Russian leather is noted the world over and red russian leather of a type was used as the best for straight razor strops along with specific sections of horse hide.

Some things are magic when done right.