The end result? A special hide that is not only beautiful, but also tremendously durable. It stands up to water much better than cowhide does, so the material is perfect for those rainy days. It’s also great for winter shoes and boots because cordovan, due to its non-porous nature, wears warm. And if the weather is particularly bad and your shoes are covered in grime, the maintenance can be as simple as a wipe down with a wet cloth and couple of swipes from a horsehair brush (shell is packed with so many oils that conditioning is rarely necessary). And for those of us who prefer leather to metal bracelets, cordovan is a great material for watchstraps. It takes to sweat much better than most leather straps, and it maintains its color and luster much better than calfskin so that it is the perfect accompaniment for a dressier timepiece (though it won’t look out of place on a casual watch either).

As I mentioned before, other leather is sometimes masqueraded as shell, so it’s important to keep a vigilant eye when shopping around. The easiest way to tell if what you’re dealing with is shell cordovan is to observe how the material creases. Shell doesn’t crease the same way most leathers do. Calf tends to have small, sharp creases; shell does not. Instead, it “ripples,” creating soft, wide, wave-like bends. You won’t see this rippling effect on watch straps, but it will be visible on footwear after the first wear.

Options

Now that you know what Chromexcel and shell cordovan are, you have to ask yourself if the product is worth the price. I would personally pay a premium for straps made of genuine shell cordovan and Horween Chromexcel because I know that I am getting some of the best leather out there. I also know that it can be difficult to drop a lot of money on a leather strap–especially if that strap takes away from future watch purchases–so here is a quick rundown of what’s available.

With regard to shell cordovan, there are a lot of options out there, three of which are Leffot, Hodinkee, and us. All three are American-made, though we’ve opted for shell hides from a small tannery out of Italy due to its impressive array of colors. Nomos also offers another option for Horween shell as does the German strap maker Fluco. On the slightly cheaper end, you can get a German-made Rios strap in a couple of different colors, though I am fairly certain they use a stiffer shell sourced from Japan.

There are also a number of options out there when it comes to Chromexcel, from craftsmen and women on Etsy to countless Ebay options. The worn&wound shop also has a collection of American-made straps featuring Horween leather uppers, like our Model 1, Model 2 Premium, and our most recent High Craft – Vintage series. Now that you know what’s what, go out there and make some smart purchases. For those of you who have some nice shell Cordovan or Chromexcel products, show them off in the comments section. A picture is worth a thousand words.