There seems to be a degree of mystery surrounding Shell Cordovan leather in many people’s minds. I often get asked what makes it so special, what makes it ideal as a watch strap, and why it’s so expensive, so I thought it would be a good subject for a blog post.
What is Shell Cordovan?
Shell Cordovan is a leather made from the shell of a horse (the “shell” is the fibrous muscle beneath the skin on the rump). The process of creating Shell Cordovan leather has many stages and takes 6-8 months from start to finish, but below is a brief description of the process.
It starts with the skin bring divided into the “butt” and the “front”. To do this, the horse hide is measured approx. 18 inches forward of the base of the tail along the backbone, and cut at right angles to the backbone creating two pieces – the “butt” (the smaller piece from the tail to the cut) and the “front” (everything forward of the cut).
The butts are stretched out on wooden frames and tanned (“tanning” is the process of preserving the skin – i.e. making it resistant to bacteria). Shell Cordovan is vegetable tanned so no minerals or chemicals are used in this process. The tannins required to turn the hide into “leather” come from a mix of tree bark, leaves and other natural products, mixed with water to produce a liquor. During the process the tannins present in the liquor bind with collagen in the hide altering the structure of the skin and making it more resistant to bacteria. The shell of a horse is a very dense material, so the vegetable tanning process takes much longer with Shell Cordovan than with a normal leather. The butts are hung in vats full of liquor for weeks at a time to allow the liquor to penetrate fully, and are moved from one vat to the next in increasing concentrations of tannin until they are completely tanned. I’ve been told this process takes in the region of 20 weeks with Shell Cordovan.
Once the butts have been tanned they are then “retanned” (a process of re-introducing fats, greases and oils to nourish the fibers of the leather). With any leather it is retanning that determines many of the leathers characteristics. How the leather looks, feels and smells can be changed by changing the retanning process. With Shell Cordovan retanning is done by “hot-stuffing” – using steam-heated wooden drums, the butts are tumbled (much like clothes in a washing machine) in special blend of greases, waxes, and oils. These greases, waxes, and oils are pounded into the skins by the tumbling action of the heated mills. Once this is done they are laid on glass frames to dry.
Next the butts are prepared and shaved to expose the shells. The shells are covered by a thin layer of skin on the hair side which has to be removed. This is done in a process called “currying” and is a highly skilled job done by hand to ensure enough material is removed without taking too much off and causing damage to the shells. Once this layer has been removed the shells can then be cut from the butts.
Finally, the shells are dyed & glazed. Again this is done by hand and using only natural products, and again this is a time consuming process undertaken by skilled craftsmen. When this is finished the leather has a characteristic fine grain, deep colour and a rich shine.
If anyone is interested in seeing a video showing the tanning process and production of Horween Shell Cordovan then this video is worth a watch. Be warned though, it is quite a lengthy video (12 mins) and is aimed at Shell Cordovan for the shoe-making industry, but I think you’ll find the parts associated with the production of the leather itself informative.
Why is Shell Cordovan so expensive?
There are two factors that make Shell Cordovan one of the most expensive leathers there is. First is the time it takes to produce. As is evident from the description of the processes above, not only does it take upwards of 6 months to produce, it also includes a lot of skilled work that has to be done by hand. Secondly, because in many countries horses are not farmed for food there is a limited supply of quality horse hides (most of the hides that are used to produce Shell Cordovan today come from France and Canada – two countries where horse meat is eaten). These two factors combine to limit supply, and the constant demand for it keeps prices high.
Where do you get your Shell Cordovan from?
There are only a few tanneries in the world that still produce Shell Cordovan, and without a doubt the most famous is Horween, in Chicago, USA. Horween started producing Shell Cordovan back in 1905 (when it was primarily used for strops for sharpening cut throat razors) and have kept the tradition alive ever since. I use many leathers from Horween, and all of the Shell Cordovan I use is produced by them. In my opinion it is the best Shell Cordovan there is.
What makes Shell Cordovan a perfect material for a watch strap?
I’m always very choosy about which leathers I use for my watch straps, and Shell Cordovan is certainly not the only leather I like to use, but there is no doubt it’s properties make it ideal for a watch strap. It is a soft, pliable leather with a tight grain and a lovely shine, but it is also very hard-wearing. It’s high fat & oil content (a result of the retanning process) means it is more resistant to water than many other leathers, and it resists scuffs and scratches very well. Many leathers will crease when bent or folded, but Shell Cordovan tends not to, so your strap will retain it’s structure even after many years of use. Finally, what I love most about Shell Cordovan is the wonderful patina it develops. It is a great leather for a watch strap from the start, but after a little wear your strap will develop a very individual character.
How do I care for a Shell Cordovan strap?
When I decided to write a blog post about Shell Cordovan leather I thought I should also give some advice for anyone thinking of buying a Shell Cordovan watch strap. The most important thing to understand about Shell Cordovan is that it is stuffed full of oils and waxes so it won’t need much looking after, in fact too much “care” can be a bad thing. Many people think that a leather has to constantly be nourished – this is not the case with most leathers and certainly not with Shell Cordovan. The main thing to do is to keep it clean – a regular brush with a clean, soft bristled brush (horse hair is perfect) will remove most dust & dirt, and it really won’t need much else. Occasionally (maybe twice a year) I use a cream to replenish the oils and renovate the Shell Cordovan straps I wear (I use Saphir Médaille d’Or cream shoe polish, Cordovan, but I’ve heard Venetian cream is also very good). Your really only need a very small amount – I find it easiest to apply it using my index finger, rubbing it gently into the leather in small circles, and after 15 minutes or so I buff the strap with a soft bristled brush to remove any excess.
Where can I buy a Shell Cordovan watch strap?
I was hoping you might ask that!
As it happens, I have Shell Cordovan in five colours available currently. I have Brown Shell Cordovan (it works beautifully with dark brown, butterscotch or grey stitching), Black Shell Cordovan (as shown in the photo above) and what is considered to be the original Horween colour (and my personal favourite) – Burgundy Shell Cordovan (otherwise known as “Horween #8”). I also have the Horween #8 in Cognac, which is the same shell cordovan leather but with a hatch grain pattern, (edit in March 2021) plus something a bit special – I currently have a limited amount of Marine Shell Cordovan, which is a speacial run by Horween of shell cordovan in a deep marine green colour.
If you feel like treating yourself to any of these leathers for your next strap I’m confident you won’t regret it.
