GatixI hope to offer black shell exteriors on a later drop. For this drop I was going "all natural" but ended up adding whiskey because the current batch was just too nice. Here is a photo of the whiskey with moc (light tan) interior
TamPrsYou won't regret it, @TamPrs the whiskey shell cordovan is stunning and can only be fully appreciated in person. Even the smell is magical which is strange because it is made from a butt.
JTNYHey, @JTNY -- really great question! I design and craft wallets with the goal of them lasting forever. (If you ever have a stitching failure I will repair or replace the wallet at no charge.) This will give your wallet many years to develop a patina and to reflect your own personal style in the wallet. If you love a patina I cannot suggest the natural or whiskey shell cordovan enough. The patina that these develop are better than anything I've seen...the color starts as a lighter tan shade and develops slowly to a deep, golden brown after a few years of use. Natural Essex also has an exceptional capacity for patina.
The main reason that the shell cordovan costs so much is simply because of the high level of difficulty to craft and the lack of yield from each hide. For example, one full steer hide will yield about 50 square feet of leather and takes about one month to tan and finish. One horsehide yields about 5 square feet of shell cordovan and takes six months to tan. The cost for shell cordovan leather is roughly 10x the price of steer hide (including Chromexcel and Essex). Both leathers have a lot of older, handmade techniques but shell cordovan is mostly crafted by highly experienced and very specially skilled craftspeople. There are about 10 specialized steps required to finish shell cordovan that are each done by hand.
At the end of the day all of the leathers offered on this drop are in the premium category. They are all very nice and choosing one is very personal and subjective. Having said that, Cordovan is very special and should be experienced in person. The bright luster, smooth feel, amazing leather smell, and unique ability to never crease make shell cordovan an exceptional leather for small leather goods and footwear.
ashlandleatherthanks, cos i already have 2 Johnny the fox (one in teal chromexcel and one in shell #8) also 1 Tony The Ant in natural chromexcel. hope one day can get one tony the ant in shell from massdrop.
The main reason that the shell cordovan costs so much is simply because of the high level of difficulty to craft and the lack of yield from each hide. For example, one full steer hide will yield about 50 square feet of leather and takes about one month to tan and finish. One horsehide yields about 5 square feet of shell cordovan and takes six months to tan. The cost for shell cordovan leather is roughly 10x the price of steer hide (including Chromexcel and Essex). Both leathers have a lot of older, handmade techniques but shell cordovan is mostly crafted by highly experienced and very specially skilled craftspeople. There are about 10 specialized steps required to finish shell cordovan that are each done by hand.
At the end of the day all of the leathers offered on this drop are in the premium category. They are all very nice and choosing one is very personal and subjective. Having said that, Cordovan is very special and should be experienced in person. The bright luster, smooth feel, amazing leather smell, and unique ability to never crease make shell cordovan an exceptional leather for small leather goods and footwear.