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TH3515

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Legal Eagles, I would be interested in your aversion to CXL on field boots. I get that they stretch a lot. Is there something besides that? I was thinking about the British Tan on a pair of SD's. Just curious about what I might be getting into.
Thanks,
I'm not Legal Eagles, but own (among other leathers) a pair of BT SDs and absolutely love them. The colour is beautiful. It's not just some mid-brown/tan, but has a lot of ... um.. presence and depth. BT is drier / less waxy than the usual CXLs and feels silky smooth to the touch. However, it tends to absorb all kinds of liquid spilled onto it so will stain easily. It also scratches pretty easily, and the smooth surface and light colour make scratches more visible.

Definitely not a workboot leather, but makes a really nice pair of SDs for all kinds of "nice" pursuits.
 

discomute

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If you win the CXL lottery and don't get a break, it's very true.

Tell you what, do any of the regulars on here notice a real sudden trend towards British Tan? I hate on all CXL but not specifically BT I just wonder why suddenly it's so popular?
 

Legal Eagles

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Legal Eagles, I would be interested in your aversion to CXL on field boots. I get that they stretch a lot. Is there something besides that? I was thinking about the British Tan on a pair of SD's. Just curious about what I might be getting into.
Thanks,
@discomute pretty much summed up my feelings in 17,219...
CXL can be fine for a boat shoe or casual use, but it is not tough enough for any boot which might see work, hiking or trail use, plus it will show water spots... plus the risky break... you pay your money and you take your chances...

British Tan used to be a beautiful caramel color, now it has become almost as brown as brown CXL... they should call it British Brown... if I could be guaranteed British Tan no darker than this, I would go for it:
1593771119446.png

But a lot of the BT coming from White's these days looks like this...
1593771186677.png
|
Not really Tan is it?
 

Mghart

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There are certainly varying degrees of CXL out there. I find Whites generally being quite good, but bested by japanese makers even still. Some of the best made boots I've ever seen have been CXL, so it 'can' be a great leather when its the right hide/quality and clicked well.
 

Jimk4003

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There's CXL, and there's White's CXL.

I'm guessing White's yield from a hide must be terrible, because the clicking seems almost impossibly good. It really does look/feel like a different tier of leather.

How can you hate? Love is the (correct) answer


There are certainly varying degrees of CXL out there. I find Whites generally being quite good, but bested by japanese makers even still. Some of the best made boots I've ever seen have been CXL, so it 'can' be a great leather when its the right hide/quality and clicked well.
I think CXL is always going to have an element of 'luck of the draw' about it; it's just a leather that is prone to heavy creasing. I contacted White's about the amount of 'loose grain' (or perhaps more accurately, 'heavy grain break') on my boots, and they said 'we cannot foresee it', which suggests clicking has little to do with it.

It's probably safer to work on the assumption that if you're going to be bothered by dramatic grain break, buy a boot in something other than CXL - regardless of maker. If you're happy to accept that grain break is often an unavoidable characteristic of CXL, then there's nothing wrong with it.
 

barbellhacks

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which suggests clicking has little to do with it.

*Adjusts glasses*. It suggests there are some cases of future perceived "heavy grain break" that are unforeseeable.

But there are also cases where loose grain is easily perceived on a hide...and those cases can be avoided via clicking.
 

Jimk4003

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*Adjusts glasses*. It suggests there are some cases of perceived "heavy grain break" that are unforeseeable.
'Heavy grain break' was my term. The email from White's said, "loose grain seems to be a buzz word associated with the Horween leather, but it can happen to any leather. I am not usually too concern on what is not seen or cannot feel with the leather in my boots as the pictures I sent. As you experienced it appeared after wearing it awhile, we cannot foresee it."

The point is, if 'loose grain'/ 'heavy grain break' (call it what you will) is a deal-breaker, it's probably safer to buy boots in a leather that is less prone to it. A company can't be expected to click around something they can't foresee.
 

barbellhacks

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The point is, if 'loose grain'/ 'heavy grain break' (call it what you will)

If you have a photo of the "creased leather phenomenon" that motivated your communication to Whites, I'd be interested in seeing it.
 

Jimk4003

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Nice to see we are still being consistent in these troubled times... this thread was about 3 weeks overdue for a "loose grain creasing vs. break" debate... ;)
Yeah, that one's totally on me! Sorry all, I'll show myself out...
 

discomute

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Well, I'd wager there is very little that we haven't covered in the last 1,149 pages.
 

ThatDudeOrion

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Looking for opinions on the MP-55 aka MP boot built on the semi dress 55 last instead of the Barrie last... does anyone here have a pair and can you say if it fits/feels like a 55 last bounty hunter, which I love, or does it feel like the regular Barrie MP? Which I... um...don’t love to put it mildly. I know this may seem like a silly question but I would love opinions from guys that have tried all 3
 

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