What is Cordovan?
Cordovan or Shell Cordovan is a type of leather frequently used in high-end shoemaking, like the Alden Col.8 shoes we keep at Gabucci, but what makes this exquisite leather so unique?
Cordovan is an equine leather made from the fibrous flat connective tissue, or shell, beneath the hide on the rump of the horse.
The name Cordovan derives from the city it was first produced in, Cordoba in Spain where it was used by the Visigoths in the seventh century.
It is a difficult and expensive leather to make, and in the late 19th and early 20th century was mostly used for razor strops when sharpening the razors in barber shops.
More recently it has been increasingly used for wallets, watch straps and correct, shoes due to its aesthetic and durability qualities.
The leather is smooth and because of the connective tissue it lack the pebbled effect of leather derived from other animal skin.
