Fortunately, no, they don’t. They have a very standard “leather” smell to them.

All Atelier AKNAS product linings are made of goat leather. Suppler than calf or cow leather and much stronger than lamb leather, we found it to be the best pairing with Galuchat in that it can admirably withstand the test of wear and tear while not adding stiffness or weight to the final product.

Galuchat is the result of the specific deep dyeing and polishing of the skin of the back of certain species of stingrays, living mainly in the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean) and the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean).
It was first developed towards the end of the 18th Century by French skinner Jean-Claude Galluchat (double “l”, one was lost by History…). He would cover sewing kits, tobacco snuffing bottles or jewelry boxes with it, making quite a name for himself at the court of Louis XIV and in particular with his Favorite Mme de Pompadour.
In parallel with the French, the Japanese also used stingray skins but in a less processed manner on Samurai Helmets, chest plates as well as sword handles. The grip its surface provided had no competition at the time. Likewise, carpenters used it rough as sand-paper and sushi restaurants as a grating surface to turn wasabi roots into paste.
What makes galuchat particular is its double nature. the base layer is leather, but on top of it is a mineral layer in the form of dentine and enamel (much like teeth material) “cones” or “beads” arranged very close to each other. This mineral layer is extremely hard and complex to polish, dye and work, but when well done Galuchat can boast being the most unique and most resistant leather known to man.

A Galuchat leather good requires sensibly the same type of care any other leather good requires: it does not like to be immersed and if wet by the rain need to be dried padding it with a dry cloth, then left to dry in an airy place and like any other leather, avoid absolutely to leave it to dry near a heat source.
Once dry, but also from time to time under normal use, it is a good idea to apply with a dry and clean cotton cloth a colorless leather cream to keep it supple and nourished and finish the operation with a soft bristle brush such as horse hair, to help the cream penetrate well between the beads and to make it shine as it should.
Over time, like any good leather, galuchat leather will acquire a patina over its surface, which will depend on many factors like climate, exposition to light, how it is carried and how it is used.

Our company was founded in 2001 by a Thai citizen, Ms. Nah Wongaram, and her French husband Stéphane Mesnil. Their house is next to our main office and across a small yard from the workshop. Ms. Kay Wongaram is the head of our R&D and sister to Ms. Nah. All three are very personally involved in day to day operations both in the office and the workshop. Our craftspeople have been with us for many years, about half of them since day 1 in a country where workforce turnover is very high, it is an actual feat, but it is also because the term “quality” is at the core of Atelier AKNAS. Quality of our products, of course, but quality of our work environment just as much.
So, no, no children work in our workshop, only highly skilled adults.
Likewise, our skins come from traceable sources that all abide strictly, like us, to the Washington Convention on Endangered Species (CITES).

Every country’s Import Tax and VAT (Value Added Tax) are different. Atelier AKNAS cannot be held responsible in any way for any taxes or customs that might be imposed on your order and we strongly advise you to refer to your country’s customs office in this regard.

As soon as your order is shipped, we will provide you with a tracking number and information on how to track it.
Do not hesitate to contact us should your order tracking malfunctions or if your order hasn’t arrived 3 working days after the estimated delivery date at sales@aknas.fr.

If your product was delivered damaged, we are sincerely sorry about it but do not panic: we will replace or repair it at our expense for 7 days after delivery:
– contact us at sales@aknas.fr along with a description of the issue, at least one clear photograph of the issue and your receipt/proof of purchase or order number.
– if no additional information is needed on our end, we will direct you on how to organize the collection of your product, in its original packaging.

Your Atelier AKNAS product is the fruit of skilled workmanship and a thorough Quality Control. Despite this, it may happen that something escaped us or wasn’t noticeable before shipping it. This is why every Atelier AKNAS product benefits from a limited one year quality warranty during which it will be repaired free of charge.
Note that this guarantee does not cover:
– breaks, tears, damages and wear caused by its user
– plating issues
– discoloration of beads and leather

Contact us by email first at sales@aknas.fr, describing your issue and attaching relevant photographs and a dated proof of purchase. Depending on the situation, different choices can be proposed to you by our after-sales team.

If your Atelier AKNAS one-year limited guarantee has expired, you can still contact us by email at sales@aknas.fr, describing your issue and attaching relevant photographs. We will do our best to advise you.

On our bracelets made of a solid sterling silver base (NOT made with stingray cord, nautical nylon cord or elastic strands), “one size fits all” means that the silver band can be pulled in or out by you in order to adapt to your wrist size and as described in the following illustrations:

There are of course limits to how much the Atelier AKNAS bracelets can be widened and narrowed and we do not advise (limited guarantee will automatically void!):
– narrowing them beyond 16cm – 6.3″
– widening them beyond 20cm – 7.9″

It is very possible we can custom manufacture a bracelet to fit you. please email our customer service at cs@aknas.fr with your inquiry.

If you do not have a soft measuring tape, follow the two steps illustrated below:
1- take a piece of string, circle your wrist once from one end of the string, mark or hold the string where it meets the end
2- measure the length obtained with a standard ruler

If you didn’t find your answer above, please email our customer service at cs@aknas.fr.