Where to go for replacement camera leather

T

TheHub

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The only two options for replacement leather seem to be Aki-Asahi and CameraLeather.com - how reliable are these places?
I've emailed them both and am still waiting for a response. Does it take them a week or more to respond to sales inquiries?
I'm in a bit of a hurry since I'm shooting with a "naked" IIIf right now :(
 
You might check: http://www.micro-tools.com/

Go to their store and type 'leather' in the search box. They claim they have the closest match to Leica leathers.

A few years ago I recovered my Rolleiflex with their leather and am very pleased with it. I didn't use the self-adhesive stuff, I put mine on with automotive gasket shellac, which is really the same stuff camera manufacturers and repair men used in the old days. Works great and cleans off with alcohol. I don't really trust self-adhesive things. If you get a loose corner it will never stick down. Just IMHO :cool:
 
I have a black lizard skin from cameraleather.com on one of my cameras. It shipped pretty quickly, looks great, and has held up well over the three or four years I've had it on my camera. You should be happy with yours.
 
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TheHub said:
Cameraleather.com got back to me and my order should ship on Monday. I'm hoping for the best.
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Cameraleather is kinda like a one man show, so have a little patience....it is in your neck of woods and he is a real nice guy.

Kiu
 
Regarding cameraleather.com, the last time I traded e-mails with him, he was out of town. I have placed four orders, and only one shipped promptly. The others always required one or more follow-up e-mails.
 
Aki-Asahi gets my vote every time. I find his leathers better fitting on my M2 than the already not so shabby Cameraleather ones. Plus, Aki is cheaper and ships incredibly fast.
 
Another vote for Aki-Asahi. He sometimes takes a while to answer e-mail messages, but his shipping is impeccable. Also a one-man show, it seems.
 
Another Aki Asahi customer here. Always quality product and prompt shipping.
 
My supplier of camera leather is furniture store i ask for leather sample for sofas they use to have some old ones you can have.
 
Aki-Asahi is actually in my neighborhood back in Japan. He lives about a 20 minute bike ride from me :eek: I emailed him though, and he said he currently doesn't have anything in my size.

drewbarb said:
I have a black lizard skin from cameraleather.com on one of my cameras. It shipped pretty quickly, looks great, and has held up well over the three or four years I've had it on my camera. You should be happy with yours.
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Ugh- don't show me a photo of an M-series. I'm currently torn about buying a 'user condition' M3 or not :(
 
Aki gets my vote, but I have never tried Camera Leather. Aki made a special order for my M1 a while back by cutting a button rewind M2 and including the disc normally cut out for the frame selector lever. It fits like a glove and you really have to look closely to see the cut. I must send him another order because I now have five naked leicas.
 
i have used both aki and C.L.; I had a terrible time with my first CL order but it was eventually all sorted out very fairly. Aki is a faster shipper and his skins fit well. Morgan at CL does take much more time than Aki; in all but 1 of my 4 orders, he takes 2 to 3 weeks; whereas both of my Aki orders arrived within 1 week of paying him. But I do prefer CL's higher quality leathers over Aki's standard vulcanite replacement; it seemed too shiny and plasticy for my taste. CL's levant leather smells so good, and its grippiness is an added benefit.

Would I use Aki or Morgan at CL again. YES and YES. Just plan ahead.
 
Camera Leather has a pretty website and a good product, but horrible customer service. Multiple emails to ensure delivery, lack of follow up to correct mistakes. Not a pleasant experience, overall.
 
I have received a couple of covering kits and light-seal packs within eight days from Aki-Asahi. No problems at all. Camera-Leather is also often mentioned in a good context, but I have not checked to see if they both supply products for the same range of cameras so availability "off-the-shelf" could vary.
 
I ordered my leather kit lst week on Thursday. The kit came today, went on pretty easily and my IIIf looks great now.

I'm very satisfied with cameraleather.com :)
 
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thomasw_ said:
i have used both aki and C.L.; I had a terrible time with my first CL order but it was eventually all sorted out very fairly. Aki is a faster shipper and his skins fit well. Morgan at CL does take much more time than Aki; in all but 1 of my 4 orders, he takes 2 to 3 weeks; whereas both of my Aki orders arrived within 1 week of paying him. But I do prefer CL's higher quality leathers over Aki's standard vulcanite replacement; it seemed too shiny and plasticy for my taste. CL's levant leather smells so good, and its grippiness is an added benefit.

Would I use Aki or Morgan at CL again. YES and YES. Just plan ahead.
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I totally agree. Of four orders with cameraleather, three have required multiple follow-up e-mails to get the product delivered. Great product -- terrible delivery schedule. Better not need it tomorrow. You might get it right away -- you might get it in two months.
 
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