Grant Stone - Official Affiliate Thread

[XxLogo]

AARP! That's what my wife says just not quite as subtle. Worked from home today, breaking in a tobacco tassel.

View attachment 1467882

How is the Tobacco Calf compared to say the Dune Chromexcel, regarding wear, patina, water resistance, etc.?

 

[Erikdayo]

Tassel loafers, are not, by definition an "Old Guy" shoe, just a dressier form of a loafer. True, they were extremely popular when I was in my 30's (which was 30 yrs ago), but are still a valid form of footwear today for all ages.

It's interesting to hear about the images people get in their head when they think about certain footwear. I know I get that feeling of 'old guy' with tassels and 'dbag' with bit loafers. I'm feeling like an old guy these days even though I'm only in my 30s. I can see myself wearing a suede pair.

My girlfriend is also rather fond of tassel loafers. She would be very happy if I ended up getting a pair sooner or later.

 

[GrantStone]

How is the Tobacco Calf compared to say the Dune Chromexcel, regarding wear, patina, water resistance, etc.?

It's pretty tough to compare these two because they are on opposite sides of the spectrum. CXL is tanned using animal hides that are almost 40SF while these Italian calf are closer to 12SF. It's roughly half the thickness as well.
The CXL has a casual look because it scuffs and patinas easily and shows extreme highs and lows from all of the wax and oils.

Wear - CXL has a soft, elastic feeling from the looser fiber structure. The break can be good or have heavy, pronounced creasing. The upside is, the article is so soft and has the touted hot-stuffed tannage so there is a lot to look at and it's resilient given the nature of the animal.
The Italian calf has a tight grain but has more give than our French Calf. It's also vegetable-tanned and has a lot of wax so the finish has a nice sheen to it out of the box. Due to the lighter weight, it doesn't feel as 'boardy' as some other calf.

Patina - In my experience, it patinas better than any other calf we've used. This article has a downside for makers/factories. It's very transparent. You can see growth marks on the base of the leather that would usually not be visible. Most chrome tannages on better grade calf tend to cover most of the minor lines on the hide whereas this article shows a lot of this. The tannery deals with this feedback on a regular basis because it's a pain to cut. All of that being said, the transparency makes for beautiful leather. It has a natural depth that reminds me of shell, the exact opposite of a corrected leather. Some don't like any natural marks like this, just a personal preference. Here is a photo of the tobacco tassel in direct sunlight in an effort to highlight some of these marks. Of course in real-life situations, they won't be this blatant.

Water resistance - I would think CXL would perform better here if really put to the test as the tannery considers CXL as water resistant and some versions waterproof. That being said, a waterproof upper on a GYW shoe won't do much anyway because the water will come right through the upper stitching and welt inseam. This Italian calf will do just fine though on your average rainy days. As with any leather and especially veg-tanned, we would suggest letting them dry naturally and avoid heat.

Hope this helps!

 

[nqtri]

@GrantStone any idea when the restocked navy suede Ottawa will hit the site?

 

[XxLogo]

It's pretty tough to compare these two because they are on opposite sides of the spectrum. CXL is tanned using animal hides that are almost 40SF while these Italian calf are closer to 12SF. It's roughly half the thickness as well.
The CXL has a casual look because it scuffs and patinas easily and shows extreme highs and lows from all of the wax and oils.

Wear - CXL has a soft, elastic feeling from the looser fiber structure. The break can be good or have heavy, pronounced creasing. The upside is, the article is so soft and has the touted hot-stuffed tannage so there is a lot to look at and it's resilient given the nature of the animal.
The Italian calf has a tight grain but has more give than our French Calf. It's also vegetable-tanned and has a lot of wax so the finish has a nice sheen to it out of the box. Due to the lighter weight, it doesn't feel as 'boardy' as some other calf.

Patina - In my experience, it patinas better than any other calf we've used. This article has a downside for makers/factories. It's very transparent. You can see growth marks on the base of the leather that would usually not be visible. Most chrome tannages on better grade calf tend to cover most of the minor lines on the hide whereas this article shows a lot of this. The tannery deals with this feedback on a regular basis because it's a pain to cut. All of that being said, the transparency makes for beautiful leather. It has a natural depth that reminds me of shell, the exact opposite of a corrected leather. Some don't like any natural marks like this, just a personal preference. Here is a photo of the tobacco tassel in direct sunlight in an effort to highlight some of these marks. Of course in real-life situations, they won't be this blatant.
View attachment 1467909
Water resistance - I would think CXL would perform better here if really put to the test as the tannery considers CXL as water resistant and some versions waterproof. That being said, a waterproof upper on a GYW shoe won't do much anyway because the water will come right through the upper stitching and welt inseam. This Italian calf will do just fine though on your average rainy days. As with any leather and especially veg-tanned, we would suggest letting them dry naturally and avoid heat.

Hope this helps!

Thanks, just trying to plan future loafer purchase for the new year and trying to decide between the Tobacco Calf or the Dune CXL. Unsure which would get more use for me, or which would be more versatile in my daily wardrobe lol

 

[Erikdayo]

It's pretty tough to compare these two because they are on opposite sides of the spectrum. CXL is tanned using animal hides that are almost 40SF while these Italian calf are closer to 12SF. It's roughly half the thickness as well.
The CXL has a casual look because it scuffs and patinas easily and shows extreme highs and lows from all of the wax and oils.

Wear - CXL has a soft, elastic feeling from the looser fiber structure. The break can be good or have heavy, pronounced creasing. The upside is, the article is so soft and has the touted hot-stuffed tannage so there is a lot to look at and it's resilient given the nature of the animal.
The Italian calf has a tight grain but has more give than our French Calf. It's also vegetable-tanned and has a lot of wax so the finish has a nice sheen to it out of the box. Due to the lighter weight, it doesn't feel as 'boardy' as some other calf.

Patina - In my experience, it patinas better than any other calf we've used. This article has a downside for makers/factories. It's very transparent. You can see growth marks on the base of the leather that would usually not be visible. Most chrome tannages on better grade calf tend to cover most of the minor lines on the hide whereas this article shows a lot of this. The tannery deals with this feedback on a regular basis because it's a pain to cut. All of that being said, the transparency makes for beautiful leather. It has a natural depth that reminds me of shell, the exact opposite of a corrected leather. Some don't like any natural marks like this, just a personal preference. Here is a photo of the tobacco tassel in direct sunlight in an effort to highlight some of these marks. Of course in real-life situations, they won't be this blatant.
View attachment 1467909
Water resistance - I would think CXL would perform better here if really put to the test as the tannery considers CXL as water resistant and some versions waterproof. That being said, a waterproof upper on a GYW shoe won't do much anyway because the water will come right through the upper stitching and welt inseam. This Italian calf will do just fine though on your average rainy days. As with any leather and especially veg-tanned, we would suggest letting them dry naturally and avoid heat.

Hope this helps!

This calfskin looks gorgeous! The growth marks look really interesting. Hope to see this sort of calfskin on more Grant Stone styles in the future.

 

[BrandonF]

Thanks, just trying to plan future loafer purchase for the new year and trying to decide between the Tobacco Calf or the Dune CXL. Unsure which would get more use for me, or which would be more versatile in my daily wardrobe lol

The Dune Traveler is very versatile for both casual and business casual. I wear mine with shorts, jeans, slacks, sockless or with wool socks. Lots of options.

I would think the tassles and color would be dressier and more formal, in my opinion.

 

[BrandonF]

It's pretty tough to compare these two because they are on opposite sides of the spectrum. CXL is tanned using animal hides that are almost 40SF while these Italian calf are closer to 12SF. It's roughly half the thickness as well.
The CXL has a casual look because it scuffs and patinas easily and shows extreme highs and lows from all of the wax and oils.

Wear - CXL has a soft, elastic feeling from the looser fiber structure. The break can be good or have heavy, pronounced creasing. The upside is, the article is so soft and has the touted hot-stuffed tannage so there is a lot to look at and it's resilient given the nature of the animal.
The Italian calf has a tight grain but has more give than our French Calf. It's also vegetable-tanned and has a lot of wax so the finish has a nice sheen to it out of the box. Due to the lighter weight, it doesn't feel as 'boardy' as some other calf.

Patina - In my experience, it patinas better than any other calf we've used. This article has a downside for makers/factories. It's very transparent. You can see growth marks on the base of the leather that would usually not be visible. Most chrome tannages on better grade calf tend to cover most of the minor lines on the hide whereas this article shows a lot of this. The tannery deals with this feedback on a regular basis because it's a pain to cut. All of that being said, the transparency makes for beautiful leather. It has a natural depth that reminds me of shell, the exact opposite of a corrected leather. Some don't like any natural marks like this, just a personal preference. Here is a photo of the tobacco tassel in direct sunlight in an effort to highlight some of these marks. Of course in real-life situations, they won't be this blatant.
View attachment 1467909
Water resistance - I would think CXL would perform better here if really put to the test as the tannery considers CXL as water resistant and some versions waterproof. That being said, a waterproof upper on a GYW shoe won't do much anyway because the water will come right through the upper stitching and welt inseam. This Italian calf will do just fine though on your average rainy days. As with any leather and especially veg-tanned, we would suggest letting them dry naturally and avoid heat.

Hope this helps!

Any plans to bring the Tobacco Calf to other non loafer footwear?

 

[Turns31]

Been waiting a long time for these to come in.

 

[RogerKaputnik]

Been waiting a long time for these to come in.

I'm very interested to see photos after a day or two of wear. I suspect the colors will change quickly around creases. These are really cool!

 

[Turns31]

I'm very interested to see photos after a day or two of wear. I suspect the colors will change quickly around creases. These are really cool!

I'll wear them the next couple days and post pics this weekend.

 

[GrantStone]

@GrantStone any idea when the restocked navy suede Ottawa will hit the site?

I was mistaken when I said there would be another fill in this year, the latest few pairs were the last re-stock until Spring, unfortunately.

Thanks, just trying to plan future loafer purchase for the new year and trying to decide between the Tobacco Calf or the Dune CXL. Unsure which would get more use for me, or which would be more versatile in my daily wardrobe lol

No problem! The traveler would patina quicker and just looks more casual given the thickness and properties of the leather. The tassel would be nice if you're looking for a comfortable loafer for the office that has more of a dress-shoe feel.

Any plans to bring the Tobacco Calf to other non loafer footwear?

We probably won't be using this on boot patterns just given the thickness of the leather. IMO, it's perfect for a loafer because it has a tight grain structure and a lighter weight.

 

[Erikdayo]

We probably won't be using this on boot patterns just given the thickness of the leather. IMO, it's perfect for a loafer because it has a tight grain structure and a lighter weight.

That's interesting. Is it that much thinner than the Annonay Tannery calfskin?

 

[GrantStone]

That's interesting. Is it that much thinner than the Annonay Tannery calfskin?

Not necessarily, Annonay calf is right in the middle of the Italian calf and CXL. This particular veg tannage also plays a role in it's strength.

Annonay calf on the other hand has always surprised me with how durable and strong it is. Not something we necessarily look for in better grade calf but it's tough. From what I've always heard, calf in general, has changed over the years. Even the tanneries say they wouldn't have considered some of these hides to be calf in the past. The animals are getting bigger and the leather properties have changed.

 

[ryebreadiest]

I know shell is it’s own special beast but I can’t wait to see more shell options from GS moving forward. Love if color 8/black became part of the regular stock items.