Show us your leather

[Obbigood]

Nice .design....wonder how thick is the best belt yet comfy for heavier jeans.your label still produce isnt it.what kind of leather is the thickers.

Thanks.

There is no best belt leathers, it depends on what u want

few things that glued with me everyday

Nice evo on the wallet, jigsaw

[jigsaw]

thank you james ,they slowly turning more and more buttery .love it

[dnsnlsn]

I thought this pic turned out pretty good. love my new boots

[mikecch]

Brain-tanned horsehide pouch from Scott (unlucky):

[Gilangaditya]

bonVoyej

[kiya]

spidereye, not to burst your bubble, but i don't think that's cordovan.

It doesn't look like cordovan and the price in no way indicates it's cordovan, especially if it's hard carved.

[mikecch]

^ And I don't think shell is much good for carving(???).

This one is interesting too, the 'natural' one doesn't really look like shell cordovan:

http://www.clever-id.com/WebFiles/HTM/DOL/WAL/lon/pfg2_cordovan1.html

Is it cordovan?

Was recently told that there's a cordovan maker in Japan; I wonder what the differences between Japanese, French and American cordovan would be...

[kiya]

It'd be strange for a company to lie about the leathers they're using, but honestly i agree with you, none of those look like cordovan from the photos.

[spidereye]

spidereye, not to burst your bubble, but i don't think that's cordovan.

It doesn't look like cordovan and the price in no way indicates it's cordovan, especially if it's hard carved.

Thanks for your coment Kiya..i have been told by this shop salesman..its cordovan carved..and i blindly belive by strange smell of leather.not from cow that i familiar with.and hard shell as wood...can u post some pic of carved cordovan leather.friend....hope to lern how to ply yoyo with you.peace.

[lazybum]

cordovan =/= shell cordovan

cordovan can mean the color cordovan or it can refer to horsehide in general (which is what I think the salesman meant)

[spidereye]

Thanks lazybum ,i will post pretty details and large pic. and need to be confirmed. again and i can show this treads to the salesman.wonder how much really carved cordovan wallet fetch up.

Anybody can clarify details bout cordovan & shell cordovan leather ..plz stand up (EMINEM songs as back ground music )

[mikecch]

It'd be strange for a company to lie about the leathers they're using, but honestly i agree with you, none of those look like cordovan from the photos.

cordovan =/= shell cordovan

cordovan can mean the color cordovan or it can refer to horsehide in general (which is what I think the salesman meant)

Yeah, probably just horse butt in this case - I hate these definitions :confused:

Thanks for the tips dudes!

@spidereye: need better pics, a macro would help to differentiate horsehide and shell cordovan, the grain is quite different.

The colour of the outershell of your wallet, and the fact that it is carved, would suggest to me that it's probably veg. tanned tooling leather. But no doubt it is a fine and well made wallet!

I think the cordovan, as others have suggested, may refer to the colour in your case.

[spidereye]

Yeah, probably just horse butt in this case - I hate these definitions :confused:

Thanks for the tips dudes!

@spidereye: need better pics, a macro would help to differentiate horsehide and shell cordovan, the grain is quite different.

The colour of the outershell of your wallet, and the fact that it is carved, would suggest to me that it's probably veg. tanned tooling leather. But no doubt it is a fine and well made wallet!

I think the cordovan, as others have suggested, may refer to the colour in your case.

Yeah..sorry for poor image. i will try.thanks for your info.

[ItsJustNC]

Wokay, I'm gonna try my hands on this Cordovan definition thing.

Through the years, the term Cordovan has been loosly tossed around a lot as it would allow the merchandisers to seriously jack up the price.

Anyhooooo....... To my knowledge. The term Cordovan is actually a type of colour. Looks very Burgendy.

However, things get complicated when tanneries starts using the word Shell Cordovan to describe a special tanning process which infuses the leather with buttloads of waxes and oils. This makes the leather retain its mirror-like shine for ages, only needing the occasional buffing.

The leather is rolled on with rollers which compresses the fibres of the leather further. Creating a very thin but strong leather. Traditionally, only horse hides were used to make Shell Cordovan. For Horween Leather Tannery, they only use the butt of the horse as it creates the highest quality possible from a single hide.

There are Shell Cordovan which uses cow hides as it is more economical.

As far as i know.... The difference between the Shell Cordovans of different tanneries is that the blends of oils and waxes are a unique formula to them. For example, some feels that propolis works as a better waxing agent, yadayadayada.....

[lazybum]

Isn't shell cordovan only shell cordovan when it comes from the horse? Ive never heard of cow shell cordovan, unless its faux shell cordovan :confused:

Genuine shell cordovan comes from a very specific part of the horse, I think its the butt cheek or something like that, a particular portion of the horse butt

Heres a vid about shell cordovan from horween if anyone's interested:

http://vimeo.com/4814754

But yeah the term cordovan has been used pretty loosely. Ive seen it used to describe the cordovan color, horse butts, etc etc.

[ItsJustNC]

Isn't shell cordovan only shell cordovan when it comes from the horse? Ive never heard of cow shell cordovan, unless its faux shell cordovan :confused:

Genuine shell cordovan comes from a very specific part of the horse, I think its the butt cheek or something like that, a particular portion of the horse butt

Heres a vid about shell cordovan from horween if anyone's interested:

http://vimeo.com/4814754

But yeah the term cordovan has been used pretty loosely. Ive seen it used to describe the cordovan color, horse butts, etc etc.

Well theoretically speaking, Shell Cordovan is more about the process that makes it so shiny and durable... So... I'm guessing the types of hides can be used interchangeably.. I remember reading that somewhere... Prolly some sorta knock off Shell Cordovan. Haha.!

And the double butt is used specifically cause its the best part to use, as the time and money consuming process would be wasted on any other part.

[mikecch]

^ItsJustNC, I must disagree with your definitions.

Shell cordovan isn't horsehide - it's not the dermis of the horse.

It's the muscle fibre just underneath the hide on the butt-cheeks, left and right..

Only this specific part, manufactured into that smooth, shiny material, can be called shell cordovan.

Not to be confused, Horween also makes veg. tanned horsehide.

But shell cordovan is a completely separate entity from dermis leather.

It's shiny appearance isn't just due to the oils (or later waxing), but rather the orientation and intrinsic make-up of the fibres in the material - muscle is very, very different to the dermis both in life and post-tanning.

The blend of liquor (oils) used in the manufacturing or processing of leather not only differ between the different tannages, but also within the same type of leather between different tanneries and curriers.

The colour called cordovan is indeed a dark brown with a tint of purple/red.

But that's the colour, not the leather - both definitions stand correct within their respective fields of application.

[k4727]

must spread mikecch, the world makes sense now

[spidereye]

Thanks for your post guys..pretty details .mickecch no wonder cowboy keep spanking their horses. its a sign of good portion. yehaaaaaaaa.

[ItsJustNC]

^ItsJustNC, I must disagree with your definitions.

Shell cordovan isn't horsehide - it's not the dermis of the horse.

It's the muscle fibre just underneath the hide on the butt-cheeks, left and right..

Only this specific part, manufactured into that smooth, shiny material, can be called shell cordovan.

The colour called cordovan is indeed a dark brown with a tint of purple/red.

But that's the colour, not the leather - both definitions stand correct within their respective fields of application.

Whoops.! Sorry.! I left out the part where the epidermis and dermis is sanded off..! Haha.!

And leathers do come in cordovan colour too. That was what i was implying. Haha.

[thedoad]

Either you have the tiniest hands in the world, Or I think you have been trying to keep a purse in your back pocket.

[Obbigood]

Shell cordovan isn't horsehide - it's not the dermis of the horse.

It's the muscle fibre just underneath the hide on the butt-cheeks, left and right..

Only this specific part, manufactured into that smooth, shiny material, can be called shell cordovan.

Not to be confused, Horween also makes veg. tanned horsehide.

But shell cordovan is a completely separate entity from dermis leather.

Quote for truth!

This is wat the people misunderstand.

horsehide(NOT)shell cordovan

Since there are discussions about Cordovan recently, we did something different. No, we do not have shell cordovan yet, but we sure can get plenty of lambskin

Mixing LAMBSKIN on the external and NATURAL VEG TAN for internal set-up, we have made some mid size wallet.

Somehow, it does have a similar flavour as the cordovan leathers, but more affordable

Top grain and awesome texture and grains, I really wonder how it will evolves in a few years time.

TAN LAMBSKIN

BROWN LAMBSKIN

INTERNAL

FIT

[lazybum]

Hmm never got my hands on lambskin before. Is it a firm and smooth like horsehide? Man i need to find time to head down to your workshop some time!

Speaking of horsehide, heres a wallet with horsehide exterior that I made recently

Comparison with the wallet that ive been using heavily for the past 2-3 months. Leather used for the exterior shell is cut from the same hide. The leather has darkened quite dramatically, and the surface has become very smooth and polished. I'm really liking horsehide leather, wish I knew of sources that sell horsehide with less imperfections.

Some key differences between horsehide and cowhide that I observed:

- Horsehide feels much firmer and smoother while cowhide is softer

- Horsehide seems to take scratches more easily, although durability wise I think horsehide feels more tough

-The grain on horsehide is verrrryyyy fine. The flesh side is also extremely smooth.

-Horsehide burnishes easier and holds the burnish better

[mikecch]

^ Very nice!

Scott made me a belt with a Horween veg tanned horsehide once...the leather had next to no imperfections on it, as clean as a bridle, but the grain was amazing - maybe try Horween?

[lazybum]

Unfortunately Horween does not deal with small hobbyists like me

Siegel used to carry horse butts, but they stopped buisness recently

[mikecch]

^ Oh, that's a shame

Good luck hunting!

[spidereye]

Quote for truth!

This is wat the people misunderstand.

horsehide(NOT)shell cordovan

Since there are discussions about Cordovan recently, we did something different. No, we do not have shell cordovan yet, but we sure can get plenty of lambskin

Mixing LAMBSKIN on the external and NATURAL VEG TAN for internal set-up, we have made some mid size wallet.

Somehow, it does have a similar flavour as the cordovan leathers, but more affordable

Top grain and awesome texture and grains, I really wonder how it will evolves in a few years time.

TAN LAMBSKIN

BROWN LAMBSKIN

INTERNAL

FIT

Nice wallet Obbigood ,lamb skin is awsome.

Lazybum ,you do it nice,ive try once to make my own wallet result is beyond horrible.

[lucaas]

mike really know almost everything about leather.

been lurking through his blog and he has so many posts about leather. something that i'd love to bookmark in my browser since i'm into leather too.

+rep

[mikecch]

^ Haha, you're too kind lucaas.

Good to see so many folks into the leather hobby as well (and so many craftsmen too!) - it's good company for our denim

[lucaas]

Unfortunately Horween does not deal with small hobbyists like me

Siegel used to carry horse butts, but they stopped buisness recently

somehow it's true.

I once emailed them to get the details about the leathers, but no replied at all.

Until one day, I already have my own website, I emailed them again so they can see my collections, ta-da, they replied for further details