Army Offizier Zweidorn koppel

[Alex Ciavaglia]

Hi friends,
i've just bought this very nice Army Officer belt in almost mint conditions. It's marked "Croupon Nr. 6" just near the buckle and the leather is still soft. What disturb me a bit it's the leather smell still strong on it. Could you give me your opinion about it?
Thank you in advance,
Alex

[Alex Ciavaglia]

2

[Alex Ciavaglia]

3

[Crusader17]

Croupon is a term that applies to leather production for untanned. The typical smell of German leather is due to the tanning process. However, with this example being of an untanned variety, the smell would be different than you are accustomed.

I'm no expert in German leather, and I really have no idea why some of the German belts were produced this way. Maybe someone else can add some input.

[Alex Ciavaglia]

sold

[Jerry Burney]

Bob, Untanned hide cannot be called leather. Untanned hide is called rawhide. It has had the fats, meat and hair taken off to become pretty much an inert material but it dries hard as plastic. Drum heads are made of rawhide for instance..

Tanning is what permits the hide to remain soft and pliable. The belt shown cannot be rawhide..in the condition we see it..it must be tanned leather.

Jerry Burney

[Alex Ciavaglia]

Hi Jerry,
thank you for the explanations; in fact leather is still soft and pliable on my belt. What i enclosed is a light brown "politic" belt i found on the Net (the one on the right), with the very same 'Croupon Nr. 6' stamped on it.
It leaves me every doubt about the originality of mine one.
Alex C.

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

"CROUPON" denotes where the leather was cut from. Just an indication of an higher quality leather.