Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean review! On this shiok Sunday, I’m reviewing a bunch of leather products from homegrown leather goods brand, Oxhide.
I previously reviewed the Oxhide “Wall Street” Briefcase here. In addition to briefcases, Oxhide also offers a variety of leather products such as belts, wallets, bracelets and even leather jackets – all at very affordable prices. Let’s check them out!
Update: I’m pleased to list a curation of Oxhide leather products on my new web-store, The Shiok Shop.
Oxhide – the Brand
I’ve previously covered Oxhide as a brand in my review of the Oxhide “Wall Street” Briefcase. To learn more about Oxhide, do read the article here!
Oxhide Leather Wallet – S$53
The first item they sent me was one of their newest wallet designs.
The Oxhide Leather Wallet in Navy Blue (pictured above) looks pretty good in person. Firstly, Navy is one of my favourite colours – I just think it looks super slick, especially on leather. As compared to the tradition black/brown leather, blue gives a more youthful vibe. Secondly, I also liked the applied Oxhide logo at the bottom right corner of the wallet. Older designs had the Oxhide brand name embossed on the bottom right, which both looked and felt a tad cheap in my opinion. I hugely prefer the new design! The side stitching is nice and well done as well, with no loose threads or fraying. However, I wasn’t fond of the side-stitches on the left of the wallet. I think it mars the otherwise clean look of this wallet, and would have preferred for this particular design element to be omitted.
Given that Oxhide is a purveyor of leather goods, I had high expectations of the leather on the wallet, and I was not disappointed. In this wallet, top-grain cow leather is used. Peer carefully, and one can indeed see the individual grains of leather – simply beautiful. Unlike “genuine leather”, top-grain leather will patina over use, making the wallet look more stunning as time goes by.
Flip the wallet open, and you will be greeted by a myriad of card slots. There are 9 slots for cards in total – enough for all your credit cards, membership cards, and more! Unfortunately, there’s no coin pouch in the variant, though some of Oxhide’s other wallets do feature a coin pouch.
There’s also a transparent flap to keep your ID! In my personal experience, I found this pretty useful, especially when I needed to flash my ID – I could do so without actually taking the card out of the wallet.
I personally like the minimalist design of the interior – it lets the quality of the leather speak. The stitching on the inside is done rather nicely as well.
Most importantly, there’s a spacious cash slot to store all the bills you need! Unfortunately, the lining is made of polyester, which can feel a tad cheap to the touch.
Lastly, there are even two sim card/sd card slots in the wallet, which would come in handy during travel! Quite a useful compartment – in my opinion, this should come standard on most wallets, though unfortunately that’s not the case.
Overall, I think this Oxhide wallet is a nice blend of style, quality, and functionality. I don’t really have much of a knock against it. The price is pretty good as well!
Oxhide Bracelet – S$30
Oxhide also sells a variety of leather bracelets, and sent one to me for review.
Unlike the wallet, the leather quality used here is merely of “Genuine leather” quality. While that is a pity as the leather will not patina, I think it’s still pretty acceptable given the very affordable (~S$30) price tag of the bracelet. However, given that patina on black leather isn’t very obvious anyway, I think Oxhide just about gets away with using Genuine leather on here.
Look wise, I like the sitriking cross metal hardware in the centre. As the hardware is made from stainless steel, there should be no rusting encountered! In addition, I like the two differing leather textures used here as well – it adds some nuance to the otherwise simple bracelet.
A really cool feature that I liked on this bracelet was the use of a magnetic clasp. This makes wearing and removing the bracelet a breeze, as compared to traditional leather bracelets where one often had to navigate various loops and knots.
On the wrist, I think the Oxhide bracelet makes for a great accompaniment to watches, in this case black watches specifically. Pairing a black G-Shock with the Oxhide bracelet, I think both look pretty nice on the wrist together! If you’re looking to up your wrist game, a bracelet will certainly do the trick, and at just S$30 (after promo code), this bracelet from Oxhide won’t break the bank.
Oxhide Saffiano Reversible Leather Belt – S$44
In addition, Oxhide also sent me a navy Saffiano reversible leather belt for review!
Made popular by fashion label Prada, Saffiano leather is known for its cross-hatch texture, as well as scratch and stain resisting properties. Look at the fine details exuded by the belt, especially when examined up close! However, do note that Saffiano leather is still made from genuine leather, stamped and treated to give it its iconic texture. As such, the belt will not patina over time, which in this case may actually be a good thing as that means the patterning on the belt will not be marred. In fact, due to the protective coating on Saffiano leather, Saffiano leather is very resistant to stains, scratches, water, and should not wrinkle and crack easily. Due to this reason, Oxhide claims that their Saffiano leather belt would last for at least 2 years, and based on my current experience of using it, I don’t see why not!
Oxhide belts come in a variety of sizes, from 24 inches to 44 inches wide – there should be a size available for everybody! If you require further adjustment, one can visit them at their Harbourfront Center store where their friendly staff would adjust the belt for you. In addition, the belt is reversible – simply reverse the belt for a plain grey look. I have always liked reversible belts, as it’s like owning 2 looks in one belt!
On the waist, the belt is comfortable, and the cross-hatch pattern of the Saffiano leather is subtle but striking. At just S$44 (after the promo code below), I think the belt is good value for money too. Who says belts have to be boring?
Oxhide Leather Jacket – S$269
Last but not least, Oxhide also sent me their new leather jacket to review!
Oxhide describes their leather jackets as “real soft cowhide for hard men”. Unlike most of the leather jackets one sees from fast fashion brands (Zara, Topman, etc), Oxhide’s leather jacket is crafted from top-grain leather instead of genuine leather. As aforementioned, top-grain leather is a cut above “Genuine Leather”. It’s more supple, durable, and would also patina over time (though the effect would be more pronounced on the brown variant).
Like I mentioned in my above review of the Oxhide wallet, on top grain leather products you should be able to see the individual grains of the leather on the surface. Leather is literally skin, so one should see the pores and grains of the leather – if all you see is a uniform, matte surface, that’s often a sign of poor quality or “corrected” leather.
Stitching on clothing is important – loose or fraying threads can lead to a much shorter shelve life. Luckily, the stitching on the Oxhide leather jacket is rather tidy, with no visible fraying, loose or broken thread present.
The zippers are YKK – no issues with zippers getting stuck here! The zipper also looks like it’s made from brass, due to the patina that it has developed. I quite like it, as it goes along well with the patina that the leather jacket develops over time.
Moving on to the aesthetics ornaments, I thought the buttons that came with the jacket look really cool! It reminds me of buttons that one might see on a sheriff’s jacket in an old Western movie. Given that the jacket is designed for “hard men” – I presume bikers and such – I think it fits in well aesthetically.
Another ornament decoration that I liked are the shoulder epaulettes. Given the military context of epaulettes, it again reinforces the rugged, “hard men” look of the leather jacket. It also has the visual effect of making one’s shoulders broader, so that’s a plus!
At S$269 (after the promo code below), I think the Oxhide Leather Jacket is a good value proposition. While that might seem like a pretty penny, leather jackets have always been on the more expensive side due to the costly nature of leather. To put things into context, a genuine leather biker’s jacket from a fast fashion label such as Zara costs upwards of S$200+! Given that the top-grain nature of the leather used in the Oxhide Leather Jacket, I think it’s great bang-for-buck.
Shootout: Oxhide vs Pedro
As Oxhide’s belts are their best selling product, I’ve decided to compare their belts with a similarly priced product from another local brand, Pedro.
In terms of build quality, I’ll say that the Saffiano belt from Oxhide has a slight edge. While both belts uses only Genuine leather, the wax treatment on the Oxhide Saffiano leather ensures that the belt will be more resistant to regular wear and tear and compared to a regular embossed leather belt such as this one from Pedro. In addition, the buckle on the Oxhide belt looks sturdier than the one on the Pedro belt as well. Lastly, the Oxhide Saffiano belt is reversible as well – the Pedro belt isn’t.
In terms of aesthetics, I have to go with the Oxhide Saffiano belt. There’s an alluring quality to the cross-hatch texture of the Saffiano belt – it is after, what makes Prada bags so desirable (aside from the Prada logo, of course). In contrast, the plain black leather of the Pedro belt comes across as a tad flat and boring. For those who want a more traditional look for more formal occasions, the Oxhide belt reverses to a plain grey look. As such, I definitely think that the Oxhide Saffiano leather belt would not only be the more interesting, but also the more versatile option on the waist!
In addition, the Oxhide Saffiano Leather Reversible belt is significantly cheaper than the belt from Pedro. As such, I have to declare it the winner in this shootout!
Conclusion – so Oxhide Leather “shiok” or not?
I would say so, as I enjoyed all the products that they sent me. For the most part, I think their products provide pretty good value for money. Out of the three, the product that I enjoyed the most would be the Saffiano leather belt – I really like the look, and enjoy pairing it with my Saffiano leather strap. I think the price point is great as well, though if that’s still too steep for you, Oxhide do offer belts from as low as S$19!
For those interested in Oxhide’s products, the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK-SHIOK” will grant you 10% off. After the discount, many of their items can be had for very little money. If you’re looking for affordable, quality leather goods, Oxhide Leather is a good place to look! Their website may be a bit shabby, but the products look much better in real life.
Update: A curation of my favourite Oxhide leather products can also be purchased on The Shiok Shop.
View Oxhide’s full range of products on their web-store here.
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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