What do you get when you cross a cow, a horse, a bison, and a deer? No, it’s not a joke. It’s a leather tannery lesson from Nick Horween and Phil Kalas. Nick and Phil have a combined 30+ years of leather tannery experience. They explain how shell cordovan, cow, steer, horse, bison, and deer skin vary in their features and functions. Which one is the most suitable for a formal shoe? A rugged boot?

0:00 Always Workin’

1:01 Leather Hide Types

2:33 Coarse vs. Fine Grain Character

3:53 Performance Characteristic

5:34 Best Leather for Dress Shoes

9:35 Deerskin

12:00 Most Casual Hide

12:11 Grain Characteristics 

17:28 Fat Wrinkles vs. Draw

22:38 CXL on Different Hides

24:52 Tannages and Pit Tanning

31:32 Horween Shell Cordovan Differences

48:28 Favorites

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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The Inside Scoop on Buckles, Hardware, and Leather

In this episode, we sit down with Hugh Harriss, the 4th generation proprietor of Buckleguy. Hugh shares his insights on the history of leather, buckles, and hardware, the story of how Buckleguy got started, and the challenges of sourcing hardware and leather. He also discusses upcoming Buckleguy products, and offers advice on choosing the right hardware for your projects.

This is a must-listen for anyone who is interested in leathercraft, DIY, or simply wants to learn more about the world of buckles and hardware.

https://www.buckleguy.com/

0:00 Reconnecting

2:17 How hardware is created

9:20 Hardware is a challenge

17:03 How Buckleguy got started

30:22 Why brass?

39:14 Sourcing and selling leather

44:38 Dry splitting vs. wet splitting

55:29 Upcoming products

1:07:27 Favorites

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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Curtis is the CEO, founder, and the energy for Portland Leather Goods and Patina.

https://www.portlandleathergoods.com/
https://patina.com/

0:00 Coming to America

2:22 Starting Portland Leather

7:25 Leather

12:16 Forecasting

16:19 Hide Market, Material Delays

21:24 Leather for Women

35:00 Best Leather?

43:23 Mystery Box

45:36 Scale

54:08 Growing in a Pandemic

56:16 Sustainability - Recraftable Boot? 

1:00:36 Thursday Boot

1:07:41 Future Products

1:11:10 Made in USA

1:13:45 Tannery Leather Working Group Relevance

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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Back in the saddle again. We’re back with another podcast for the inquisitive minds. Join us, Nick Horween and Phil Kalas, as we delve into the intriguing worlds of patina and preservation, from the leather boots that develop a rich character in the Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome contest, to the ancient human remains that are frozen in time in peat bogs.

0:00 A Beautiful Voice

0:24 Real Estate Market

2:00 Chat GPT Asks Nick

8:18 Patina Thunderdome Recap

26:15 Bog Bodies

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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Matt Foster started Maverick Leather 40 years ago. He has a lifetime of leather information. From their new home in Bend, Oregon Maverick sells Horween seconds and leather from many tanneries.

0:00 Eye Surgery

1:16 Horween Seconds, Reselling Leather

9:58 USA Leather Tanneries

16:58 What leathers don’t exist anymore

24:26 Environmental Regulations

38:18 Maverick’s Customer Base

32:51 Tandy Leather

34:54 Leaving California for Oregon

41:51 Family Business

45:16 Horween Dublin Wax Finish

47:49 Favorite Leather

50:38 Saddle and Harness Makers

53:59 Leon Mexico

55:13 Tanneries in Chicago

57:14 Trends and Cycles

1:01:18 New Car Smell, Scented Leather

1:10:51 Salz Tannery Santa Cruz

1:12:18 Nose Blind

1:13:22 Hides and Exotics

1:16:32 Favorites

https://maverickleathercompany.com/
https://www.instagram.com/maverickleather/

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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George Vlagos started Oak Street Bootmakers in 2010. The brand makes boots and shoes in the USA and has a wide offering of styles, leathers, and colors. George talks about their mission to make shoes in the USA, explains hand lasting, and tells us how Ralph Lauren is an inspiration.

0:00 Calfskin Shortage

7:45 Why Made in USA?

18:31 Hand Lasted Boots

31:07 Boat Shoes and Handsewn Shoes

41:15 Best-Sellers, Style vs. Comfort

48:50 Leather Board

58:05 What Makes Oak Street Special

1:03:03 Sizing and Fit

1:15:29 Ralph Lauren

1:18:18 New Styles

1:21:50 Favorites

https://oakstreetbootmakers.com/

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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Werner is the bassist for Monuments and Aviations. He shares his passion for music and unveils some truths about the touring life of a musician.

0:00 Can you play bleed?

1:13 Posh touring life in France

4:28 Is there money in music?

9:54 Why bass?

17:04 Writing Process

25:58 International Touring

33:00 What do your parents think?

35:12 What do you want to be better at?

39:04 Favorite Bassist

44:33 Favorites

Support Werner on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WernerErkelens/posts

https://www.thisismonuments.co/

https://aviations.bandcamp.com/music

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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Nick Horween and Phil Kalas answer your most pressing questions. Have a question? Email [email protected]

0:00 Chat GPT

2:14 Cordovan & Dublin Scratching and Repair

5:21 New Cypress Leather

10:50 Leather We Don’t Like

15:00 Horween’s Austin Leather

13:13 Most Common Belt Size

18:44 Steerhide vs. Horsehide

24:37 Size of Viberg and Ashland and Horween

31:44 Drum Dye and Aniline Dye

34:45 Teacore Leather

38:19 Does Every Horse Contain a Shell

45:32 Removing Finish from Shell Cordovan

52:50 Leather Conditioning

55:55 Wooly Chromexcel

58:27 Indonesian Bootmakers

1:04:25 Favorites

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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Josh Sirlin lives in chaos and it is the chaos that has created the products for Black Bear Brand. He tells the story of how he has awoken the bear and his adventure chasing smiles.

https://blackbearbrand.com/

https://www.instagram.com/blackbearbrand/

0:00 Next to the tannery everyday

4:35 Kevin Costner Jacket on Yellowstone

12:43 Black Bear Origin

18:58 A Weekend in Whistler

28:39 Vintage cars and motorcycles

33:30 Design Process and Inspiration

45:31 Chasing the Smile

48:17 First Black Bear Brand Product

51:05 Sobriety  

55:47 Calling Skip Horween

58:57 Boro Patchwork Textile

1:05:53 What Makes Leather Special

1:09:25 Wesco Boots and Most Popular Items

1:15:37 Who is Black Bear Brand For

1:20:30 Favorites

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast

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Sean Moran from Dashing Chicago. Sean used to work for Haberdash and Leffot in Chicago. He has carried his relationships forward with Alden and Edward Green and sells their footwear, and other brands, in his downtown Chicago store.

https://dashingchicago.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dashingchicago

0:00 Sharp Dressed Man

2:42 Sean Dashing Chicago

5:21 In-Person Shopping

7:42 Midwest Style

14:35 Leather Color Challenges

21:01 Rare Shell Cordovan Colors

25:08 Price Bias

29:05 Alden and Edward Green Special Makeups

35:13 Edward Green Style

40:00 Proper Shoe Fit

46:06 Water Spots on Shell Cordovan

56:59 Leather Care and Conditioning

1:00:58 Last Shapes

1:06:15 Alden Stock Challenges

1:12:00 Alden Indy Boot Rose Anvil Controversy 

1:21:07 Price Increases

1:25:50 Fitting Based on Age

1:32:35 Favorites

Need a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life?  Ashland Leather has you covered.

Want the world's finest leather? Check our Horween Leather.

https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcast
Watch on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
email questions to [email protected]

Support the show