John Lobb Meleze Buffalo and Other "Buffalo" leathers

[Roger]

Can someone explain just what the John Lobb Meleze Buffalo leather is? I'm guessing that this term refers to a kind of pebbled finish on ordinary calfskin, but I've seen it described a number of times as actually buffalo hide. Actually on some Church's Norwegian-toe bluchers I saw, the seller referred to their leather as buffalo hide as well. This raised the question for me about whether buffalo hide (and what "buffalo" species are we referring to--cape buffalo, water buffalo, American bison, etc.?) is ever used for shoes and boots. Can someone shed some light on this?

 

[AlanC]

H.S. Trask shoes in Montana specializes in shoes made of American Bison. I would assume that's what Lobb, etc. are calling buffalo.

 

[jcusey]

What JL Paris calls Meleze Buffalo is, I believe, grained calfskin and is not actually from a buffalo (either American Bison or water buffalo).

 

[Concordia]

Cleverley traffics in "buffalo" hide, which I believe is water buffalo. Very soft, and with a nice grain.

 

[Nashville]

I have a pair of trask boots, mocs, and casual tassled loafers they are great and wear very well.

 

[Roger]

Originally Posted by jcusey

What JL Paris calls Meleze Buffalo is, I believe, grained calfskin and is not actually from a buffalo (either American Bison or water buffalo).
Absolutely correct (what a surprise!). JL Paris contacted me with precisely this information. Their version of "buffalo" (the Meleze Buffalo) is a lightly-pebbled calfskin.

 

[AlanC]

Harumph. Next thing you'll try to tell me that Florsheim's cashmere calf has no cashmere content.

 

[Roger]

Originally Posted by AlanC

Harumph. Next thing you'll try to tell me that Florsheim's cashmere calf has no cashmere content.

Actually no, I think it does, but I'm here to tell you that Allen-Edmonds cashmere suede has absolutely no cashmere content. It was a letdown.

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by AlanC

Harumph. Next thing you'll try to tell me that Florsheim's cashmere calf has no cashmere content.

[Homer Simpson]Florsheim's cashmere calf....aaarrrrghhhhhhhhh.......[/Homer Simpson]

 

[LabelKing]

This is certainly a question for KitonBrioni's cobbler.

 

[bengal-stripe]

Originally Posted by jcusey

What JL Paris calls Meleze Buffalo is, I believe, grained calfskin and is not actually from a buffalo (either American Bison or water buffalo).
The same goes for Berluti's "˜Lama' which is also embossed calf.

I presume, the leather of the lama must be suitable for shoemaking.
I wonder why they don't use the real thing.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by bengal-stripe

The same goes for Berluti’s ‘Lama’ which is also embossed calf. I presume, the leather of the lama must be suitable for shoemaking. I wonder why they don’t use the real thing.
Jackets seem to be frequently made from the skin of a llama.

 

[johnapril]

Originally Posted by AlanC

H.S. Trask shoes in Montana specializes in shoes made of American Bison. I would assume that's what Lobb, etc. are calling buffalo.

Trasks take a helluva time to break in but sure wear well. Ugly as hell, though.

 

[jcusey]

Originally Posted by bengal-stripe

The same goes for Berluti's "˜Lama' which is also embossed calf.

I presume, the leather of the lama must be suitable for shoemaking.
I wonder why they don't use the real thing.

If what Berluti calls lama is the same thing that Gravati calls lama, I have been told that it is "shrunken". Exactly what that process entails, I can't say, but the result is very attractive.

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by PanchenKing

Jackets seem to be frequently made from the skin of a llama.
The PRC would probably like to make things out of the skin of a Lama.