Identifying shell cordovan

I can't tell. The creases make me think regular leather but the rolls, dimple around the eyelets and color 8 similarity make me think cordovan. They're peal & co. Anyone?

I think they're shell, not completely sure though.

I'd say calf looking at the first pic

Creasing patterns, plus the coloring in the last pic, plus the way the material "folds over" a tiny bit at the sides of the shoe, leads me to conclude shell. I agree that the micro-creasing seemingly evident in the first pic could seem calf-like. But it's not as prominent or as webbed as calf micro-creasing would be. So I am about as certain as I can be, given the imperfect evidence, that these are shell.

The calls we need to make in threads like these are always hard to determine, because so many of shell cordovan's idiosyncrasies need to be seen or felt in person. The look, feel, heft, and even smell of shell cordovan is hard to determine definitively in a handful of web pics.

I have a pair of Made in England Ralph Lauren monkstraps that look very similar (in regards to creasing) and my shoes are corrected grain. They have that shell ripple with micro-creases.

Not shell. They're corrected grain.

I'm sticking to my guns on this. CG would have more color fading at the creases and wouldn't support such a variegated color pattern in general. All the CG I've ever seen (though I will admit it hasn't been all that much) has been characterized by a very uniform, bland color with no patina or variegation except for fading at the creases. The heels and upper vamp of these shoes, on the other hand, look very shell-like to me.

Tough to say definitively, but I would still say shell.

Those are corrected grain.

Originally Posted by srivats

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Those are corrected grain.

Corrected shell.

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

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Corrected shell.

Shell cordovan, by the process of shaving, is also corrected grain.

Funny, calf is always corrected around here.

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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I'm sticking to my guns on this. CG would have more color fading at the creases and wouldn't support such a variegated color pattern in general. All the CG I've ever seen (though I will admit it hasn't been all that much) has been characterized by a very uniform, bland color with no patina or variegation except for fading at the creases. The heels and upper vamp of these shoes, on the other hand, look very shell-like to me.

Tough to say definitively, but I would still say shell.

I've never seen shell cordovan with fine wrinkles in between the larger creases. There's no doubt that this is CG. And depending on how the CG is finished, varying degrees of coloration/patination could be applied by the leather producer. C&J's cavalry calf is a good example of patinated CG. Not all CG is uniform; don't be fooled by Church's polish binder.

Originally Posted by benjamin831

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Shell cordovan, by the process of shaving, is also corrected grain.

Shell grain.

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

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Shell grain.

Full Corrected?

Originally Posted by benjamin831

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Full Corrected?

Yes, must be.