Shell cordovan, cordovan, or cordwain is a type of tanned fibrous connective tissue commonly used in high-end shoemaking. Cordovan is an equine material made from the fibrous flat connective tissue (or shell) beneath the hide on the rump of the horse.[1] The material derives its name from the city of Cordoba, Spain, where it was first produced by the Visigoths in the seventh century,[2] [dubious – discuss] and later also by the Moors.[3][dubious – discuss] It is a difficult and expensive material to make, and in the late 19th and early 20th century was mostly used for razor strops to hone razors in barber shops. More recently it has been increasingly used for shoes, wallets, and watch straps due to its aesthetic qualities and exceptional durability. It is also used in archery to protect the fingers. It is smooth and durable, ideal for a finger tab. Shell cordovan has a unique non-creasing characteristic. Because it is made of connective tissue, it is smooth and lacks the pebbled effect of leather derived from animal skin. [4]
Horween Leather Company, the oldest tannery in the United States, is known for its production of shell cordovan and was called the "Cordovan capital of the world" by the Chicago Tribune.[5][6]
- ^ Baldwin, William Henry (1929). The Shopping Book. The Macmillan company. p. 223.
- ^ Constable, Olivia Remie (1994). Trade and Traders in Muslim Spain. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Watt, Alexander (1906). Leather Manufacture. Van Nostrand. pp. 228.
- ^ "All About Shell Cordovan - An Interview With Horween Leather Co. - BestLeather.org". bestleather.org. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 2016-12-17.
- ^ Barbara Rolek (October 27, 2003). "Horween's leather bound by tradition". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ Stephanie Arena (December 8, 1991). "Leather Land: At Horween Tannery, Cordovan has Been King for 86 Years". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.