Rohje's world class reindeer leather straps are made of Finnish reindeer leather by hand in a leather workshop in Tampere, Finland. Experience and skill in the manufacture of leather products has been inherited in the entrepreneurial family for more than 70 years. Rohje's soft but durable reindeer leather straps are made in the workshop through many steps, keeping quality in mind.
We visited at the Rohje leather workshop in the beginning of 2022 and asked Marko, the third-generation leather workshop entrepreneur, how are Rohje's world class reindeer leather straps actually made and what it's like to produce watch straps from reindeer leather.
Why reindeer leather and how are Rohje’s world class reindeer leather straps made? Leather workshop entrepreneur Marko answers!
Due to its qualities, reindeer leather is an excellent leather alternative for watch straps. It is very soft but also durable. On the wrist it feels like silk and does not bother unlike many other materials.
I have been using the Rohje watch with a reindeer leather strap for 3 years and it is still in absolutely great condition. I regularly treat it with beeswax so it gets a pleasant shine. The leather strap has been absolutely brilliant and I have nothing to complain about, says Marko.
However, the use of reindeer leather in watch straps cannot be taken for granted. Rohje’s reindeer leather straps have been created as a result of multi-stage development work, for which the leather workshop’s decades of experience in leather processing have been paramount.
Reindeer leather is dense and strong material and it’s suitable for watch straps. We manufacture Rohje leather straps using a method we have developed ourselves. The strap is made of two layers of leather. The layer against the wrist is made of completely undyed leather. This brings strength to the strap but maintains the unique softness of the reindeer leather, says Marko.
Responsibility, domesticity and ethics were important values for us when thinking about the manufacture of leather straps. We wanted our leather straps to be durable but also ethically produced. Therefore, reindeer leather met our expectations perfectly, as it is a by-product of the reindeer herding.
We make Rohje reindeer leather straps from vegetable tanned reindeer leather, which is a more ecological alternative than chrome-tanned reindeer leather. However, there is less vegetable tanned reindeer leather available compared to chrome tanned reindeer leather, because vegetable tanned reindeer leather is produced and dyed only on request. Fewer color options are also available for vegetable tanned reindeer leather than chrome tanned reindeer leather, says Marko.
Check out Rohje's reindeer leather straps in our online store. Our reindeer leather straps are available in several different colors and to suit all watches.See our straps here
Follow Rohje on Instagram @rohjewatches and Facebook @rohjewatches.
