Just bought a Momo Anatomico shift knob. I've had them before, and still do on one of my other cars. Momo claims it's made of top grade leather, but it looks more like fake leather and it smells like a tire store. Anyone have any insight?
Just bought a Momo Anatomico shift knob. I've had them before, and still do on one of my other cars. Momo claims it's made of top grade leather, but it looks more like fake leather and it smells like a tire store. Anyone have any insight?
Maybe there is a hard rubber knob under the leather....
I normally don't smell guys knobs.......
Something like 90% of claimed "genuine leather" is really vinyl, rubber, or other such synthetics.
If you ever look at a real leather interior in something that's aged a little, like a convertible, you'll see that just the seating surfaces (so where your ass and your back touch) are leather (and are hard and cracked) and everything else is "other". This is the industry standard.
It wouldn't surprise me if your knob is the same way and not leather.
In reply to Javelin:
That was what I suspected also, but I would think a company like Momo wouldn't make false claims like that. My Momo competition wheel also seems like synthetic to me, as it was clearly different than the Monte Carlo I bought 15 years ago. When I bought that, I called Momo and asked them if any of their wheels were anything but real leather and they told me "no, they are all genuine leather".
Below is the description of my shift knob from the Momo site. Do you really think they'd state that so clearly if it wasn't true? But yet I could swear this material is not leather. I even have an older model of the same knob and it is clearly leather.
"Product Description
Anatomically shaped shift knob in Top grain Black leather.
Black stitch and black collar.
Embossed MOMO logo
Additional Information
Color: Black
Material: Leather
Height: 3.94 in (100 mm); 2.95 in (75 mm) for Short Version
Diameter: 2.17 in (55 mm)
Insert: 2.76 in (70 mm); 2.17 in (55 mm) for Short Version
Weight: 8.3 oz (235 g); 7.2 oz (204 g) for Short Version"
"Condom"
Is it a chinese knock off?
In reply to JohnRW1621:
No, I verified that it was a real Momo knob. I emailed them expressing my observations and asking them for an explanation, so we'll see.
Material: Black Leather®
bravenrace wrote: "Product Description Anatomically shaped shift knob in Top grain Black leather. "
It's anatomically shaped like a knob?!
I wonder if the core of the knob is rubber. Leather wrapped rubber.?
In reply to RossD:
I noticed this too and giggled. I'm almost afraid to ask, but I think we need pictures of this anatomical rubber knob.
http://www.momousa.com/tuning/shift-knobs/anatomico.html
In reply to jeffpdesign:
I thought about that, but the outside smells more like rubber than the inside.
bgkast wrote: In reply to RossD: I noticed this too and giggled. I'm almost afraid to ask, but I think we need pictures of this anatomical rubber knob.
It's an anatomically designed shift knob. If you read it correctly, it makes sense. It's anatomically designed for your hand.
Leather these days is often treated with a thick coating that covers up all the flaws, to the point where you can't see the actual leather. That's probably what causes the smell. If you look at any leather shoes under about $200 they're all made that way now too, might as well be called leather-backed vinyl.
bravenrace wrote: It's anatomically designed for your hand.
About the age of 12, I discovered mine fit my hand perfectly too
Shouldn't it be 'ergonomically'? It doesn't look like any part of the human anatomy that I know? I'm terrible with the English language, however.
Notice "automotive parts" aren't included.
Also since Momo calls it "Top Grain Leather" as opposed to "Genuine Leather" would have me questioning it, as well.
In reply to Javelin:
Thanks for the link. How are you determining that auto parts aren't included? Are you referring to something other than the first paragraph? Because that says - "and similar articles (hereinafter, "industry products").". I know they didn't mention any auto parts, but I'm not sure that statement specifically excludes auto parts either. I guess it's not clear, which then leaves it open to interpretation.
To me, this looks like leather:
This is mine, and it doesn't look as much like leather to me:
I know there are many different kinds of real leather, but when you consider the rubber smell, idunno. I would have bought the shifter in the first picture, but I wanted to get rid of my simulated wood knob because it gets so hot in the summer and it doesn't feel good, and the M knob has a plastic top that would also get hot.
In reply to bravenrace:
Nothing our stupid government regulates is clear. I guess I should have said that automotive stuff wasn't specifically listed.
In reply to Javelin:
Well that's pretty much what you did say. I wasn't questioning you as much as the regulation. I just wondered if it was listed more specifically somewhere else and I just missed it.
In reply to bravenrace:
If it is listed somewhere else on their site, I couldn't find it.
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