Beware the Russian Leather!!!

[kievman]

I have one close call like some of the one mentioned above. Now I stress test all the leather straps on my russian cases. I have replaced two of the straps with much better camera straps. It's easy to do. Just make a small cut on the inside of the case on either side opposite where the old leather straps enter the case on the outside, than insert you new strap thru the old hole and out the new one on the inside of the camera case and back around the top edge of case, attach end of strap with the usual hardware tape etc to the other section of strap and now you have a new strap for you 50 year old case and your back in Business! -Kievman

 

[shadowfox]

Good reminder.
I never trusted those thin leather straps.

If you buy and sell cameras for a while, you'll have abundant choices of modern camera straps. Use those.

* Especially on cameras that you really like and regularly use.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Yea, modern camera straps are normally more reliable. I think it is a prudent idea to make a habit of checking the integrity of all camera straps regardless of age.

Bob

 

[Dez]

Russian Leather

Russian Leather

Russian Leather..........Isn't that some kind of cologne??🙂

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Coldkennels]

I've had an Exakta fall to the ground because of a snapped strap, too. Which is irritating, because I've never used straps on any other camera. I'm just not a big fan of them.

A bit more on topic: I actually had a Fed arrive with a snapped strap before. The only thing that case was useful for was packing, obviously!

 

[David Hughes]

Someone was telling me that the Russians made their leather out of the skins of dead animals, treated with some sort of chemical or vegetable juice. It can't be true can it?

Regards, David

 

[Veloman]

True, in some way 🙂

True, in some way 🙂

🙂

Well, they killed those animals for sure, and used chemicals during the tanning process, too...

 

[Valkir1987]

When I was at the piano technicians school, we had to learn about the industrial leather process. Wether Leather is Russian, American or German. It is produced with chemicals (and Urine in many cases) in a quite dirty way.
The shoe maker can tell the diffirence.

 

[fanshaw]

The leather used in Soviet camera cases varies a lot. I have noticed that the leather used for the Zorki-3 or 3M cases is thick and strong-thicker than for the original Zorki case. The best quality leather I have seen is that used for Kiev-2 & 3 cases. It is soft and supple.

 

[_goodtimez]

I may add: never leave a camera stored in a leather case or bag, and never leave an empty leather case or bag in a dark non-ventilated room, like in a cardboard box.
Always leave these leather cases on their own and hung in a well ventilated area.