It took me a while to become convinced of the value of retzuous that were black on both sides. At first I thought it was a gimick. After a while I changed my mind for two reasons. Firstly I researched the halacha. I saw that the Rambam considers it a good thing if the back of the retzuzous are the same color as the battim. The Ohr Zeruah sides with this Rambam, as well as the Beis Yosef, the Darchei Moshe, and the Lishkas HaSofer (Reb Shlomo Gansfried). Secondly, I saw that many people who have regular retzuous are wearing posul tefillin. My Ultra Double Black Retzuou are dyed before they are painted so that even if some of the paint comes off, they will still be completly black. Take a look at the picture below. I purposely sanded the retzuah in such a way that had it not been an Ultra Double Black Retzuah it would have become posel, just like in my post entitled, Posel Retzuous. As you can see they are still black, and completly kosher. The price for a set (shel yad & shel ros) is between $85 and $125 depending on which quality leather is used. These retzuous come with a letter certifying their kashrus. I can put on new retzuous while you wait, so if you are passing through Monsey, and you would like to have me evaluate your current retzuous, give me a call at 845-290-2546. Or if I am doing a Mezuzah House Call in your neighborhood, I can take a look while I’m working on your mezuzos.
I’d like to hear your remarks on the comfort factor as well. Since we typically spend almost an hour a day wearing tefillin, I think comfort should not be overlooked. I recently had my tefillin straps replaced, and they are much stiffer than I’m used to. It’s been a few months now, and they aren’t bothering me as much — either because they’ve softened up a bit or because I got used to the stiffness — but I still miss my old straps. I was told “they don’t make tefillin straps like they used to.” Within a given level of kashrus, are suppler straps invariably more expensive?
My feeling is that breaking in fine leather is part of the beauty of any leather item, retzuzos included. If it doesn’t need breaking in it probably won’t last all that long. I find that slightly heavier retzuous last longer and stretch less than ones that start out soft. There may be some truth to the statement, “they don’t make tefillin straps like they used to.” I admit that I have trouble finding the same kind of consistency in retzuous that I would find in leather products made in the goyish world. I’m not 100% sure why this is. It may have something to do with the paint that is used. Many times I see very old black retzuous that have basically not faded, and on the other hand I have seen many retzuous that are at best a few years old and they have already faded to the point of not being kosher. Right now the two main retzuous companies that I offer are Leifer and Landau. I am watching and waiting. I have chosen them by feel and instinct, but the final judgement can only be made after many years have elapsed.The Landau retzuous are more expensive $142.50 per set on average (I sell them by the meter and most of the time I use 7.5 meters), and they are slightly heavier, but they break in nicely and are relatively soft to start with. Thanks for contacting me. Melech Michaels
A pair of the all-black retzuos were purchased for me from our chaver, Rabbi D. Melamed, about 8 years ago. Not only have I never had to paint them, but they are quite comfortable! The head retzuah seems to have stretched somewhat, though, requiring adjustments to the knot.
I have ultra double black retzuous that don’t stretch so much. I try to evaluate if they are going to stretch a lot before I purchase a batch.