Aftermarket Panerai Strap Review

Man Cave Leather Straps Review

Man Cave Leather Panerai Straps

Origin: Ukraine
Construction: Hand Stiched Hand Made
Materials: New Leathers
Buckles & Tubes: Pins
Price Range: $30+
Website: Click Here
Date of Review: October 31st, 2017

Man Cave Leather is a one-man shop based in Kiev, Ukraine run by a very nice fellow named Mykola. He does some very tidy leatherwork, and his prices are extremely reasonable. At the moment, his focus is on affordable, clean, well-constructed straps. These are no-frills straps, but are well-treated and nicely patina'd leather with a great hand to them, most of them under $40.

Here are two of the straps I received from Man Cave Leather, and they look very much like some of the newer strap makers I have seen lately, with a more simplified construction such as no fixed keeper and end-sewn construction but instead use reliable techniques and quality leathers that harken back to a simpler time. If you're looking for Historical Panerai strap accuracy, this is probably not your cup of tea. However, if you're looking for a affordable strap that uses quality leather, then keep reading! These straps were made for guys like you!

He doesn't name his straps at this time, though I think that might be a good marketing move at some point. This one is the thicker of the two straps weighing in at 3.5mm thick. Beautiful reddish brown leather that smells fantastic and minimal stitching. The holes are of the smaller variety so this one as it is will not support standard Panerai-style buckles, just regular buckles like the one included.

Here's a shot of the back of the strap, showing the exposed flesh side of the leather which has been smoothed down so it feels nice and soft but not fuzzy. As you can see from the color differences on the back the leather is probably painted on the outside to achieve the desired color tones. The folds from the construction are nice and straight, and the leather is very pliable and comfortable on the skin, especially for a fairly thick strap.

The second strap from Man Cave Leather has a very interesting finish on it. This one appears to also have a painted finish with some cool distressed leather look to it. The holes in this strap are smaller than the first strap, so this definitely won't take a Panerai-style buckle. The stitching is a nice dark brown that sets off the strap quite nicely.

The back side of this strap looks like it was painted to match the front, and is a smoothed down exposed flesh side of the leather as well, so no lining. I have some of MCL's other straps, and they do have a leather liner on them, so this is done primarily for style it would seem. It does give it a more rustic look to it that matches well with the strap.

Overall these are some very solid straps for those that don't want to spend too much. The leather is fantastic, and the price can't be beat. I highly recommend these straps but would probably request larger Panerai-style holes if you plan to wear these with your Pre-v or bent buckles.

Model: Lighter Brown
Thickness: 3.5mm
Length: 125/75mm
Keeper Type: 1 Floating
Stitch Color: Golden
Edge Finish: Burnish
Price: $35 USD

Model: Darker Brown
Thickness: 2.5mm
Length: 125/75mm
Keeper Type: 1 Floating
Stitch Color: Dark Brown
Edge Finish: Burnish
Price: $35 USD