One-off pieces shaped by hand from Horween Shell Cordovan
Much of our work begins with materials produced in small batches by specialist tanneries. Horween Shell Cordovan is one of the most distinctive. Its depth, density and natural lustre give it a presence few materials can match, and its scarcity means we use every piece with care. The traditional tanning methods used in Chicago are slow and demanding, which is why only a small number of people can make this leather and why so little of it exists.
Visiting Horween last month reaffirmed the level of skill involved in finding the small shells within each hide and tanning them to the standard that has defined the company for generations. No one does it better.
Origins of Shell Cordovan
The tanning process was originally developed in 1905 for razor strops, which required small, dense panels of leather. Footwear demands far more from the material. Shell Cordovan creates a distinctive sneaker with a smooth surface that does not crease, yet cutting it is complex. Each shell is shaped differently and carries its own variations in thickness and tone. It was never designed for shoemaking, which is why every pair demands careful selection and a high level of control at the cutting table.
At the Cutting Table
As clickers, we see the full range of what Shell Cordovan can be. Some shells are barely a square foot. Others reach three. Thickness shifts from one to two millimetres depending on the horse and colour is a guide at best. We can spend ten minutes matching two shells that sit close enough in shade for a single pair of sneakers. The vamp always takes the best area of the leather, yet Cordovan makes that decision more complex. Every pattern, every size and every shell demands a different judgement. Imperfections have to be read, not avoided. A wholecut design such as the Everdon adds even more pressure because it requires a large, uninterrupted piece.
Our role is to place each pattern so the leather shows its natural character while wasting as little as possible. Offcuts are inevitable when the material varies this much. They build up over time. Passing them to people who know how to use them is the best way to respect the leather. The small leather goods collection grew from that simple idea:
Off-cuts with character. Makers with knowledge. Work guided by the material.
The Hands Behind the Work
Two years ago we brought three leather goods makers into the workshop. Each arrived with a long career in fine leatherwork. Their combined experience reshaped what we were able to produce. Belts, wallets and bags are now made entirely by hand in the factory, guided by the same principles that inform our footwear. Cuts are placed by eye, edges are thinned until the leather behaves as it should and the stitching follows the standard they have worked to for many years.
Read more: Life in the Belt Business
For this latest collection, we passed them the off-cuts from more than twenty Cordovan colours we have used over the years and told them to make whatever they would be proud to carry themselves! They went through the piles one piece at a time, matching tones, judging the grain and deciding what each panel could become.
From Off-Cuts to Objects
What they have produced is a fully handmade collection. Each item takes between three hours and two days to complete. The upper end of that range is significant. Two days at the bench is the result of complex work. Some off-cuts need extensive selection and matching. Others require careful skiving to manage thickness, long sessions at the burnishing wheel to settle the edges, or repeated rounds of hand finishing to reach the standard the makers expect of themselves. Smaller pieces come together quickly. Larger items or those with demanding edge work and precise colour pairing take far longer.
Watching the process is more like watching an artist at work. They select colours with care, choosing tones that sit naturally together, from marbled No.8 through to tumbled navy, before deciding what each shell should become. The character of the leather drives every decision. No two items are ever the same. Each reflects skills passed down through generations at Horween since 1905 and at Crown Northampton since 1908. You will feel the care in the piece when you touch it.
These pieces are rare, made only when the right offcuts appear and when the workshop can dedicate the level of craft they require. Each item is shaped from Shell that will never look quite the same again and produced in very small numbers by hand. Although we are usually a made to order brand, these items are available to buy now through our gifting service.
If you have a request or a preferred Horween Shell Cordovan colour, you are welcome to get in touch and we can advise on future availability.
