Leather Quality and Properties

[DWFII]

IIRC, I read somewhere that elephants and seals, walruses had a common ancestor back in the mists of time. I dunno...

Shrug2

• DWFII
• Jul 29, 2017

 

[Sartorium]

not to mention stingray ... when it breaks its through.

Are there good ways to care for stingrays to avoid breaking in the first place?

How does elephant compare to hippo?

 

[DWFII]

How does elephant compare to hippo?

Elephant is tougher. in my experience. Again, think of lifestyle. Hippos ar in the water most of the time, the live skin itself isn't as vulnerable to abrasion as that of an elephant.

IMO, elephant is a better looking leather as well, but some people don't care for that heavy texture.

FWIW, ostrich is remarkably abrasion resistant.

 

[BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes]

Elephant is tougher. in my experience. Again, think of lifestyle. Hippos ar in the water most of the time, the live skin itself isn't as vulnerable to abrasion as that of an elephant.

IMO, elephant is a better looking leather as well, but some people don't care for that heavy texture.

FWIW, ostrich is remarkably abrasion resistant.

I guess because of that heavy textured appearance elephant leather displays I immediately make the connection with boots, same with hippopotamus.

Ostrich leather really never appealed to me. Those distinctive bumps just resonates wallet utilization.

 

[razmaftei]

Are there good ways to care for stingrays to avoid breaking in the first place?

I wish i knew, maybe saphirs rep tan?
Probably using lining that will absorb a lot of the transpiration and transfer it to the shoe trees is a good preventive option cause as far as i know stingray is almost non breathable. youll get hot feet pretty fast. if you use thin lining maybe a build up of the minerals from transpiration will damage the stingray resulting in loss of the horn bumps and breaking.

 

[DWFII]

Well, I hate stingray. I haven't tried to make anything out of it for many years. But the stingray I was getting was anything but dense--that was the problem, it is really just a "sting of pearls," as who should say. Those 'beads' of bone are attached to a fine net of fibers that don't have any significant coherency or density. Most leather is essentially a fiber mat--think felt. Sting ray is sequined chiffon. Every maker I know...knew back when I was playing with it... felt compelled to back it with a thin leather such as kangaroo. Maybe that's why it is so hot--because the cement holding the back to the stingray is so occlusive.

Beyond that, it cannot be sewn neatly, IMO. It can't be sewn regularly or consistently. Craftsmanship, ain't in it.

Now maybe things--tannages, etc., have changed, but I've never met a fishskin that I liked. Some skins simply don't make good leather...novelty or no.

 

[razmaftei]

Well, I hate stingray. I haven't tried to make anything out of it for many years. But the stingray I was getting was anything but dense--that was the problem, it is really just a "sting of pearls," as who should say. Those 'beads' of bone are attached to a fine net of fibers that don't have any significant coherency or density. Most leather is essentially a fiber mat--think felt. Sting ray is sequined chiffon. Every maker I know...knew back when I was playing with it... felt compelled to back it with a thin leather such as kangaroo. Maybe that's why it is so hot--because the cement holding the back to the stingray is so occlusive.

Beyond that, it cannot be sewn neatly, IMO. It can't be sewn regularly or consistently. Craftsmanship, ain't in it.

Now maybe things--tannages, etc., have changed, but I've never met a fishskin that I liked. Some skins simply don't make good leather...novelty or no.

yeah, it still feels like punishment working with it. in every single stage of the process. except for shining, lol.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Was going to retire a pair of shell wholecuts and got caught in the rain wearing them. Nails in the coffin. Out with the old, in with the new (albeit calf now).
Aside from rain welts you’ll notice how much the black shell dye has moved and faded. Pretty cool.

 

[BColl_Has_Too_Many_Shoes]

Was going to retire a pair of shell wholecuts and got caught in the rain wearing them. Nails in the coffin. Out with the old, in with the new (albeit calf now).
Aside from rain welts you’ll notice how much the black shell dye has moved and faded. Pretty cool.

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Yikes the rain is definitely murder. Incidentally, you weren't kidding about being a hard stepper. Those metal tips are smooth smooth smooth ?.

 

[deez shoes]

Was going to retire a pair of shell wholecuts and got caught in the rain wearing them. Nails in the coffin. Out with the old, in with the new (albeit calf now).
Aside from rain welts you’ll notice how much the black shell dye has moved and faded. Pretty cool.

View attachment 1395773 View attachment 1395774 View attachment 1395775 View attachment 1395776 View attachment 1395777 View attachment 1395779 View attachment 1395780 View attachment 1395781 View attachment 1395783 View attachment 1395784 View attachment 1395785

How did you care for the shell? (Conditioner, cream, etc.)

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Cordovan cream on the vamps mostly, black wax on the toe and heels., brush before and after wearing, the usual,

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I'll add, they are 7 years old and never saw the rain, outside of this one instance. They look pretty horrid, but that's the rain's doing. They looked great earlier that day, my girlfriend recently commented on me talking of retiring them stating how they looked brand new.

Most people are used to Alden, AE, C&J shell etc that have no issues with rain. This is because the factory sprays a shellac on them. Saint Crispins uses the leather has provided to them from Horween. Naked shell doesn't like rain. The water penetrates the wax finish and the shell swells. When dry there is a a "bubble" created by the wax. You either have to strip them down with a solvent and build the finish back up, or use a bone, or smooth surface object to burnish it back down and then rebuild a finish risking leaving dents and impressions.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I'll also add, this is why shell sucks.

 

[deez shoes]

I only use lanolin on shell. Sucks to use but works really well. Sometimes I'll use some cordovan cream if I feel that the color needs to be evened out.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I've owned a lot of shell over the years. Shell sucks. Never again.