Alternative to CameraLeather

[angeloks]

Hi,

I was wondering if there were any alternatives to CL ? I was looking to recover a Leica IIf and a Leica M3 DS. Or is CL the best way to go ?

Thanks,

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

http://aki-asahi.com/store/

Cameraleather is great for stuff that is common and they have in stock and ready to go, but can be very slow for any kind of custom or unusual job.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I was happy with Camerleather's products and service.

 

[ferider]

Aki-Asahi is great, in particular if you don't look for anything fancy, but want to restore the original look.

 

[angeloks]

I'm an heretic and I'll go for the Cardinal Red ! Or the Cobalt Blue ! I can't decide !

 

[splitimageview]

Griptac rules 😉

 

[payasam]

I've bought two coverings from Aki-Asahi. Both were good and arrived fast. I am tempted by Griptac for my M2 and it seems that Cameraleather is at this time the only source.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

FWIW, Mukul, my M7 griptac arrived incredibly quickly from Cameraleather, and I bet your M2 covering will come quickly too. But removing vulcanite is a real pain...

 

[ZeissFan]

I haven't ordered from Cameraleather for some time, as my previous two orders took an absurdly long time to arrive (more than six weeks with several polite "reminder" e-mails). One order was simply one 9-inch x 12-inch sheet of his common leather.

However, it sounds as if he's being more responsive to his customers, so maybe it's time to give it another try.

I think he has some of the most interesting materials available.

I've also ordered from Aki-Asahi and had the materials within a week and a half.

 

[angeloks]

Thanks for you replies ! I'll go with CL for they indeed have a better selection of materials. Let's hope that I won't have to wait 6 weeks for it !

 

[johannielscom]

Griptac rules 😉

What Robert says. Looks the deal and sticks like glue. Love it.

 

[Bill58]

FWIW, Mukul, my M7 griptac arrived incredibly quickly from Cameraleather, and I bet your M2 covering will come quickly too. But removing vulcanite is a real pain...

Try J.W.'s paint remover. Apply with a small paintbrush and let it sit for 24 hrs. http://www.artistclub.com/tools/itemid_84210/tools_display.aspx. Maybe you can find it locally too.

 

[jmkelly]

Seems that cameraleather's service time depends often on material availability? I just had a 5-day turnaround before I received a Levant Black covering for an M3. No complaints.