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Vietnamese Strap Makers on Ebay
- Thread starter Ruski91
- Start date
- 9/9/07
- 3,460
- 3
- 0
Why does it have to be me posting this... :facepalm:
Oh well.. I'd rather be unpopular for raining on your parade then let it go without being said. The ecosystem of the crocodilia family is very fragile. Human greed has been and continues to threaten an entire species to the point of extinction. $30 croc straps is insanely cheap for us but it's costing those animals everything.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_crocodile
Just received my excellent dark blue Ostrich leg skin strap from this seller: http://www.ebay.com/usr/vnhandcraftart?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
No worries about eco systems with Ostrich, they're farmed worldwide for their meat!
No worries about eco systems with Ostrich, they're farmed worldwide for their meat!
So do you have to punch the holes??
Just received my excellent dark blue Ostrich leg skin strap from this seller: http://www.ebay.com/usr/vnhandcraftart?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
No worries about eco systems with Ostrich, they're farmed worldwide for their meat!
It was an option. I have a hole punch, so yes in my case, but he will punch them if you ask.
I chose this vendor after I'd read through the whole thread and there was a post by 'elconquistador', #30, which put me on to him. The stitching is very professional.
Unfortunately the strap arrived the day after I sent my AP off to get serviced! Probably won't be back for at least 3 weeks or so. I did take the old strap off before I sent the watch and in comparison the croc strap looks to be spot on in lug spacing. From the way it looks I'd say it should fit - but I will only be able to confirm once the watch is back.
On a side note, the leather is super soft and supple, feels very good and high quality. Should be a delight to wear especially when broken in. I asked Tuan about the stitching issue and he said that it was done on purpose to avoid the bone and imperfections in the skin. I think it's because he does it by hand that he just can't get it through the tougher alligator parts. He even offered to make a new one, but I said I'll keep this as is.
He's a really great guy and very fast to respond to emails - highly recommended. My only concern now is the treatment of the animals which I never thought of before ordering the strap.
On the subject of alligators being endangered. I'm sure it's certainly true in the wild. But I have read that there are now alligator farms in a number of parts of the world.
One of my other interests is horticulture, where I read all sorts of stuff about endangered plant species. And, once again, I'm sure it's true in the wild and the low numbers quoted have been verified scientifically. But the statistics never seem to take into account the vast numbers of the same plants that are cultivated in gardens and sold in nurseries and garden centres. A number of times I've seen species quoted as endangered, but in fact they are easily found because they've been commercially propagated for many years, even if almost wiped out in their original habitat...
One of my other interests is horticulture, where I read all sorts of stuff about endangered plant species. And, once again, I'm sure it's true in the wild and the low numbers quoted have been verified scientifically. But the statistics never seem to take into account the vast numbers of the same plants that are cultivated in gardens and sold in nurseries and garden centres. A number of times I've seen species quoted as endangered, but in fact they are easily found because they've been commercially propagated for many years, even if almost wiped out in their original habitat...
Farishmy
Renowned Member
- 29/10/14
- 621
- 17
- 18
True but some of these species (animals and plants) have changed, adapted to its new environment such as the farmed alligators. I don't remember what I've read exactly but their growth rate changed and some other things have changed.
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Yes, lots have. But lots haven't. Species are available as well as cultivars, most of which are simply selected forms of the species anyway. As an example, in my garden I have a Dawn Redwood, planted about 30 years ago. The tree was thought lost until the 1940s when a specimen was found in a Chinese Monastery. It was propagated and is now widely available. Same is true of the Wollemi Pine from Australia, thought extinct until a specimen was found in New South Wales in 1994, again it was propagated and is probably available from your local garden centre. So while wild specimens are extremely rare or endangered, human influence and commerce has spread them far and wide.
Hopefully the same thing is true of Alligators: it's certainly true that there are a lot of croc and alligator farms now in Vietnam.
Is this the non padded version? As his padded ones seems a bit too padded on his eBay store.Just received my excellent dark blue Ostrich leg skin strap from this seller: http://www.ebay.com/usr/vnhandcraftart?_trksid=p2047675.l2559
No worries about eco systems with Ostrich, they're farmed worldwide for their meat!
Also would you mind sharing a photo showing the thickness of the strap? I'm tempted to buy this and put on the new Reverso
Received my strap from Tuan this week. Really impressed with the quality. The stitching is nice and straight. The only mistake I made was to order the "special Tan" colour........ A word of warning that colour is as orange as they come.
No it was not described as padded. But it's padded a little down the centre and not thickened at the ends: this is it on my Navitimer 01.
Can someone please help me out and message "vnhandcraftart" on eBay to ask him how long it would take to make a custom strap? I'd like to know if he still quotes you 10 days or will he give you the story he gave me.
I fear I'm being taken for a ride as my current order is still on hold (a month now and it's still not made) and I'd just like to check if his story is true (the one he gave me was that the person making the custom straps is in the hospital).
I fear I'm being taken for a ride as my current order is still on hold (a month now and it's still not made) and I'd just like to check if his story is true (the one he gave me was that the person making the custom straps is in the hospital).