St. Crispin's Appreciation Thread

[mw313]

^Novecento line Saint Moritz. Stunning NST in my list.

yes it is very nice!

 

[SoGent]

Is the split toe Bestetti?

you are correct. love that guy's style

 

[patrickBOOTH]



   do you happen to know if VNA comes patterned . . . . such as hatchgrain ?

 

No idea.

So guys what is the difference between crust leather and VNA? What are the pros and cons of them both?

Crust leather comes from the tannery completely naked and any color is added by St. Crispins with dyes and polishes. VNA comes colored and finished right from the tannery with a topcoat on it. Crust leathers "age" more with wear, lightening up in creases and potentially darkening areas with sun exposure and so on. The VNA leather is very uniform in color and is a harder leather than the CRU leather. It will be more resistant to color displacement with wear. There is debate on whether topcoats on leather are good or bad. The bad is they resist conditioners to a degree, the pros are the oils and moisture in the leather is sealed in by the topcoat so it doesn't need as much care anyway. Not sure of the truth behind those schools of thought.

 

[Gauss17]

I am not sure if this is the best place to ask this question, but I'll give it a go:

I am ordering a pair of bespoke shoes and have a couple options, was trying to decide between black museum calf and the St Crispin black baby calf from AA crack. Is there an appreciable difference in quality between the two or am I splitting hairs at this point?

 

[mw313]



No idea.
Crust leather comes from the tannery completely naked and any color is added by St. Crispins with dyes and polishes. VNA comes colored and finished right from the tannery with a topcoat on it. Crust leathers "age" more with wear, lightening up in creases and potentially darkening areas with sun exposure and so on. The VNA leather is very uniform in color and is a harder leather than the CRU leather. It will be more resistant to color displacement with wear. There is debate on whether topcoats on leather are good or bad. The bad is they resist conditioners to a degree, the pros are the oils and moisture in the leather is sealed in by the topcoat so it doesn't need as much care anyway. Not sure of the truth behind those schools of thought.

Nice info the make things more clear.

Do you know what the VNA stands for? Is it veg tanned?

 

[tifosi]

Nice info the make things more clear.

Do you know what the VNA stands for? Is it veg tanned?

I'm assuming at least the A stands for Aniline??

 

[skywalker]



Is this a possible indication they've changed their Russian calf supplier/source? Because that looks very different from the standard Russian calf they've had on offer over the years...

Definitely looks different than what I own. Seems like the only solution for the older russian calf pairs offered is to shine them and follow a special "care-routine".

 

[mw313]



Definitely looks different than what I own. Seems like the only solution for the older russian calf pairs offered is to shine them and follow a special "care-routine".

Well that could be nice for people if it is different and doesn't require as involved of a care routine.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



I am not sure if this is the best place to ask this question, but I'll give it a go:

I am ordering a pair of bespoke shoes and have a couple options, was trying to decide between black museum calf and the St Crispin black baby calf from AA crack. Is there an appreciable difference in quality between the two or am I splitting hairs at this point?

Many makers have said that the St. Crispins baby calf is the best calf they have used so I'd opt for that.

Nice info the make things more clear.

Do you know what the VNA stands for? Is it veg tanned?

Not sure if it is veg-tanned, but by the look of it it isn't. Most leathers these days aren't.

 

[poorsod]



I am not sure if this is the best place to ask this question, but I'll give it a go:

I am ordering a pair of bespoke shoes and have a couple options, was trying to decide between black museum calf and the St Crispin black baby calf from AA crack. Is there an appreciable difference in quality between the two or am I splitting hairs at this point?

I have a pair of bespoke shoes from G&G in black baby calf, presumably sourced from AA Crack. Baby calf is thin and very soft but wears faster than regular calf. Mine have started to crack at the crease.

 

[Cuebert]

I accidently dropped a bit of liquid gall soap onto my pair of St. Crispin's - after wiping them with a damp cloth this is what they look like:




Any idea what I should do?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dieworkwear]



I accidently dropped a bit of liquid gall soap onto my pair of St. Crispin's - after wiping them with a damp cloth this is what they look like:

Thanks in advance.

Others may have better suggestions, but FWIW, you can always send them back to SC to have them restained/ recolored. I had the same problem with some crust leather boots a few years back and SC nicely fixed them for me.

 

[mw313]



I have a pair of bespoke shoes from G&G in black baby calf, presumably sourced from AA Crack. Baby calf is thin and very soft but wears faster than regular calf. Mine have started to crack at the crease.

Wow that is a shame. I didn't realize that it was that delicate.

 

[luc13]

Very nice!

 

[venividivicibj]

Any idea what I should do?

Thanks in advance.

Look in the shoe care thread.