Ruslana leather – watch strap

RETURN OF HISTORIC LEATHER – Renaissance of artisanal Russian reindeer leather

More than a century ago, the Russian Bolshevik Revolution wiped the secret of the unique Russian tanning process off the world map.
The Russian Reindier Leather with its exceptional qualities of durability, beauty, colour and typically distinctive smoky whisky-like scent, faded into memories and eventually disappeared into oblivion. It is now being reborn in 2023 in a particularly exclusive accessory collection by Jan Pulles under the name ‘RUSLANA’.

This comeback is the result of more than six years of joint research by British tannery JF Baker, a French leather restorer and a world-renowned fashion house. The history and geography of this method of tanning are both important for those who want to unravel the mystery of Russian leather’s ‘diamond-shaped grain’, reddish-brown colour and whiskey scent. Most fascinating in this is also the incredible durability of this leather from which cases and even furniture for the prestigious Tsarist Empire were made, as well as boots for Cossack soldiers and also luxury shoes, boots, bags and beautiful accessories. Its waterproof strong quality was one of the most important properties of this leather.
This was finally confirmed again two centuries later in 1973 by the discovery of the shipwreck of the ‘ Metta Catharina’, where a number of bundles of these leather skins, partially intact, were surprisingly found in the ship’s hold. This Brigantine sailing ship was en route from Saint Petersburg( Russia) to Genoa with a cargo of Hemp and Russian leather skins when it ran into a heavy storm and eventually sank off the coast of Plymouth (English South Coast) in 1786.
Several world-famous fashion brands acquired some of these skins as archaeological curiosities for further research since this discovery. As makers of luxury leather objects recognised, one of them wanted to take responsibility in the aesthetic and sustainable management of these exceptional hides and the ancient artisanal tanning procedures of these. So in 2012, they approached a French leather restorer and a British tanner, both authorities in the field, to investigate this further in depth together. As a consultant to the fashion brand, the French restorer, whose restoration studio focuses entirely on ancient leather production techniques and text archives dating back to 1663, studied this leather.

The British tannery, with the current owner as 5th generation, is the last remaining tannery in England to treat leather hides with original oak bark. This bark is almost the same as that used in the tanning process of the original Russian Leather, which was tanned in the 18th century in the St Petersburg area, the birthplace of this legendary leather. After years of experimentation, the British tannery eventually managed to mimic the Russian Reindeer leather and was able to create a copy of the leather produced in Russia for generations before 1918.
Through a combination of different processes applied to young local English Ox hides, whose tanning process took about 18 months, they managed to obtain a similar tanned leather. The leather was also tanned with oak, willow, birch and a little fish oil. As a result, it is also rich in aroma and grained with the well-known shaded finish combined with the vegetable tanning. In this way, they managed to achieve a faithful reproduction of the legendary leather with characteristic shaded pattern and strong smoky aroma. Truly a fantastic reproduction.

In old Paris of the 1920s, the scent of the original Russian Leather was all the rage among perfumers with the aim of seducing ladies. The signature scent was discovered by a pair of Russian soldiers’ boots used in the First World War. According to an old legend, this very specific scent was created when a Russian Cossack rubbed his boots with birch bark to keep them waterproof. The reputation of Russian Leather was one of the most prized commodities between the Empire of Russia and the West in the 18th century. It remained Russia’s main trade product until even the 20th century, loved by manufacturers of luxury shoes, boots and bag makers and bought by aristocratic travellers, royalty etc…
Especially its beautiful shaded grain print, reddish-brown nuances and, of course, its authentic typical aroma distinguished it from any other leather in the world.

By using this most exclusive and high-quality leather combined with artisanal craftsmanship, ‘Jan Pulles’ encourages its customers to make an equally strong commitment to invest in items that will last a lifetime and are collectors’ pieces, which can be passed on from generation to generation. The ‘Jan Pulles ’ brand has travelled a time-consuming journey to acquire this iconic leather and create exceptional accessories full of history and heritage. These items have a particularly artistic depth and a signature marked by Russian heritage and a European era.

Jan Pulles has designed 4 accessories from this very special leather- Spring 2022- under the brand name ‘Ruslana’ : – belt – key holder – watch strap – credit card

‘Talismans with an aroma that is both smoky and woody, powerful and incomparable’.