Leather Quality and Properties

[NorthCoast]

Good article on leather production.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-05-27/your-salad-lunches-are-killing-american-leather

 

[archetypal_yuppie]



Buffalo calf is water buffalo. It is widely available and I have been using it for years and years. AFAIK, most of it comes from India where the British had a significant part to play in the tanning industry.

Finishes and so forth may vary with the tannery...some of it is relatively smooth, albeit with more and coarser hair follicles than cow calf; and some of it is slightly grained--a little like hatch grain except not so regular. So, neither iiteration is really appropriate for dress shoes but very suited for casual.

I don't know what Luchesse uses.

Lucchese does not spell it out anywhere, which may or may not be an intentional obfuscation.

 

[DWFII]



Lucchese does not spell it out anywhere, which may or may not be an intentional obfuscation.

More could be determined with a photo.

 

[archetypal_yuppie]



More could be determined with a photo.

For instance: https://www.lucchese.com/shop/boots/collins/GY1504.63

If you scroll over it with your cursor, it zoomifies.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

It looks really nice, teh leather.

 

[DWFII]



For instance: https://www.lucchese.com/shop/boots/collins/GY1504.63

If you scroll over it with your cursor, it zoomifies.

Pretty much standard stuff. Probably veg/chrome retan. No the most sophisticated or refined leather but very good for all of that. I have made a lot of boots from it .

Variations on the theme (mine):

 

[archetypal_yuppie]



Pretty much standard stuff.

So the Lucchese is likely water buffalo. Got it, thx.

I wonder if Bison leather is used for stuff or not.

 

[traverscao]

So the Lucchese is likely water buffalo. Got it, thx.

I wonder if Bison leather is used for stuff or not.

LL Bean had some special edition boots made out of the stuff. The hide was reported to be really durable and greasy.

 

[DWFII]

Bison vamps and counters, water buffalo calf tops:

 

[archetypal_yuppie]

Lucchese confirmed they are water buffalo. Good job.

 

[DWFII]



Aha! I feel satisfied with this explanation - it's hard to argue against this histological proof:

https://lordpoint.wordpress.com/2013/12/12/shell-cordovan/

Hardly proof. With regard to shell cordovan and this article in particular, .I am not an historian but my good friend D.A. Saguto at Colonial Williamsburg is one of the foremost shoe historians in the world and a protege' of Ms. June Swann--perhaps the foremost shoe historian in the world.

When I read the article linked above, it didn't square with what I thought I knew about Cordoba and cordovan. I felt it was a bit speculative if not apocryphal and so passed it on to him.

Here is his response:

The Medieval cordovan was goatskin—not horse. In Cordoba, we suspect they developed a combination tannage (veg-tan and alum-tawing) that resulted is super nice leather, whence “Cordwainer”=worker in Cordovan, etc. Through the 17thc “Spanish leather” was snow white goatskin, again not horse. First mentions of equine leather I’ve read is 18thc, asshide in Garsault. In England (and colonial Am.) it was illegal to kill horses until post-1780—they needed them for transport. Of course the French ate horse, so they had more access to skins.

Best guess, horse shell Cordovan is early 1800s in origin, but I cannot say for sure. The first splitting machines were around 1820-30, and I’m pretty sure you have to split horse shells to level the thickness. I don’t recall seeing it advertised for boots and shoes until late 1800s.​

He suggested he would run it by other experts...such as June Swann...and get back to me.

 

[Fred G. Unn]



FWIW, I kind of hate shell.

Hating it right now myself. I just got caught in a brief shower while wearing my Marlows so I'm annoyed I have to deal with this tonight.

 

[traverscao]

Hating it right now myself. I just got caught in a brief shower while wearing my Marlows so I'm annoyed I have to deal with this tonight.

Try wipe down with a dampened cloth, see if it improves for you.

 

[VRaivio]

Fred G. Unn, another option is to just spread wax polish on cordovan. It kind of kills the point of all those waxes and tallows added in tanning, but it should protect the horse's ass from water. It's up to you if wax is fine and dandy or just anathema. For what it's worth, Styleforum's macarthur (of the Mac Method fame) uses wax for that mirror shine of his.

 

[Fred G. Unn]

Thanks all, I mostly just use the hot breath and then lots and lots of brushing method. My daughter thought I was crazy, but while I was helping her with her trumpet last night I just brushed 'em for about 20 minutes and they look fine today. Touched up a scuff by the heel with a tiny bit of dark brown Saphir cordovan cream. I'm not opposed to using a bit of wax, but after all the brushing I didn't think they really needed it.