Mr TipTop Leather from Denmark
Shahram, the strap maker from Mr. TipTop Leather makes great handmade straps and is very clear on the work he is doing on a daily full-time basis, being a leather master craftsman, besides straps he creates bags, pouches, wallets, etc..
This time I have a look at another series of Mr. TipTop Leather, the padded straps, both straight 26mm and tapered 26-22mm.
The straps
Shahram sent me a few padded straps and received them in canvas-style pouches, although the packaging is of less importance to me personally, it does show an extra attention for detail from the strap maker and it is an easy way to make the straps recognizable.The padded straps in this review
In this review I share my experience three padded straps I combined with my PAM00372:- Black 26mm straight strap made of American Bison leather
- Brown 26-22 mm Double Croupon leather
- Light brown 26-22 mm printed calf leather
You will find a few images of the two straps I am not reviewing as it is an overlap of the other two tapered straps, in due time I will add more images that include them in the review in a later stage:
- Black 26-22 mm vintage Chromexcel leather
- Natural 26-22 mm Limousine Double Croupon leather
The Padded strap
The padded straps of Mr. TipTop Leather are very individual, this is something you notice when you have them in your hands. Not only the leather type changes the experience and looks, the techniques Shahram is using is diverse and specified on the strap itself.For instance the padding between a 26-22 mm and a straight 26mm straps is completely different as when you would add padding to the straight strap as extreme as the tapered strap it would look odd and makes the look of the strap too bulky.
The sides of the straps are treated different from painted to burnish to rough untreated, depending on the individual strap, thickness of the leather and leather type used.
Top quality leather used
This strapmaker is known for using the best leather hides available in the market, this might not always show clearly on an image, when you can touch and feel the material you do understand it is special. The double croupon leather for example is leather with no grains, feels thick and need a few days of breaking in, the calf leather is somewhat softer and the American Bison leather is butter soft from the first time onwards.
American Bison leather strap
The American Bison leather strap is a very wel balanced straight 26mm strap that is not too thick and has a beautiful light grain structure. The leather is very soft and does not need any break in period, When I compare this strap with OEM straps, you can see the added value of handmade craftsmanship. The outside has a very sharp stitching, when you turn it around it is less sharp, for me just and additional plus as a confirmation the strap is indeed hand-sewn. The sides are slightly burnished and the stichting matches the faux-patina of a watch like a PAM00372. An ideal strap for both as a dress strap and a leisure strap.
Double Croupon leather strap
Double Croupon leather is a leather type used a lot by Mr. TipTop Leather and is considered one of the best leather hides you can get when it comes to quality and durability.The leather feels just a bit more stiff without losing a soft touch and feel and confirms a strap made with this leather will last probably a generation.
This strap is dark brown and comes with also a faux-patina matching stitching. What I like about this strap is that one side the straps is very classic and at the same time it is made with triple-folding technique, has a single sewn loop and a flat GPF Mod Dep buckle, the buckle installed reverse as the text normally sits on the inside of the buckle, here it is on the outside and as this is a 22mm buckle it doesn't matter in the sense of historical correctness as there are no original 22mm GPF Mod Dep style buckles anyway.
The padding is more extreem that on the straight 26mm American Bison strap and gives a bulky look and at the same time looks made perfect being it a tapered strap. The sides are completely rough and sharp cut.
Printed calf vintage leather strap
This strap is a lot of straps in one as on one side it is a classic padded strap, at the same time it has a printed croc structure plus has had a vintage treatment.The finish of this strap is very good, the sides slightly burnished and because of the vintage treatment there are many shades on the leather that makes the look of the strap special. When wearing the strap for the first time it felt a bit stiff but within a days time the strap became absolute soft. This strap has actually made me look different again at tapered 26-22 mm straps as the 22m Panerai OEM buckle looks very nice on the strap and very dressy. Still you can use this strap for both for dress or leisure moments.
My conclusion
Mr. TipTop Leather started in 1954 and is a known and dedicated master craftsman strap maker. If you are looking for a quick service you are at the wrong address as everything happens here by hand, there are no machines included in any part of the work to create a strap or any of their other leather accessories.
The padded straps Shahram creates are amazing and I am not saying this to try to sell straps for him, I really appreciate his craftsmanship and the way he handles the materials he uses. He actually gave me back a taste for padded and tapered straps on a 47mm Panerai watch as it can look very nice and dressy.
Whatever leather material you order your strap, I do not think you can go wrong with any of them as they all have their own charm, if you want a strap you can hand over to a next generation I would say go for the double croupon leather straps!
The straps have very predominant logos and branding embossed on the inside, are packed in simple canvas pouches that also have the name Mr. TIpTop Leather mentioned.
If you are looking for more info about TipTop Leather Straps, you can find the strap maker at www.mrtiptopleather.com
Thank you for reading this review!
The strap specifications:
Below you find summarized the specifications of the strap, the prices mentioned are only indicative just to give you an idea what you could expect if you order one.
Black American Bison
Leather type: American Bison LeatherWidth: 26 mm
Length: 130/80 mm
Thickness strap: 3-5 mm
Type of buckle: no buckle included
Type of stitching: hand-stitch
Price range: 200 EURO (depending on the destination, VAT & shipping charges vary)
Brown Double Croupon
Leather type: Double Croupon leatherWidth: 26-22 mm
Length: 130/80 mm
Thickness strap: 3-5 mm
Type of buckle: 22 mm GPF Mod Dep style buckle
Type of stitching: hand-stitch
Price range: 225 EURO (depending on the destination, VAT & shipping charges vary)
Vintage Printed Calf
Leather type: Calf leatherSpecial treatment: vintage treatment, leather printing
Width: 26-22 mm
Length: 130/80 mm
Type of buckle: no buckle included
Type of stitching: hand-stitch
Price range: 200 EURO (depending on the destination, VAT & shipping charges vary)
A few additional images of the strap. Enjoy!
