When I went to visit Van Der Spek with Steve in 2014, this is the leather I was most curious about. I wanted to feel it first, but I was sure this was going to be my first ever custom order. When I felt the swatches and then saw and touched the hides for the first time, I fell in love.
I usually go for brown or (less commonly), black leathers. I like traditional pebbly leather and am not normally fond of treated or fancy leather. But this was so striking I was instantly infatuated.
It is firm (some would say stiff) leather, though not thick or heavy. It feels like a coarser version of saffiano, which does not have a traditional leather feel, but is incredibly hardy. It wears like iron, is impervious to cat claws and repels water. It does soften with use and gently hugs the inserts. I love that in a leather.
In the end I discovered the now-famous Janet Leather so this leather was not my first custom order. But when Petra she said that VDS could not longer get the green and the hide they had would not last forever, I pounced. Then I decided the red went so well with the green that I should get one of those two.
I got my usual layout in size standard/medium/personal:
- lots of horizontal credit card pockets on the front and back inside covers
ring protectors - 30mm rings in gold
- fly leaf (in hindsight I should have bought a zipped one)
- secretarial pockets front and back
- full length back pocket
- pen loop (in hindsight, I should have ordered two)
I have used the red one intensively and it looks and feels amazing. I have been reluctant to use the green one as they no longer have this leather. The yellow is so sunny and happy, but have not used this either. I think I will be selling this one.
