Horse leather (Cordovan leather)

Horsehide in General

Horse leather is not as common today, as horses have been replaced by tractors in the fields and by motor vehicles on the roads. As a result, not much horse leather is produced at slaughterhouses anymore.
Horse leather is processed into smooth leather for shoes and clothing. It is referred to as Rossnappa when it is ironed, soft aniline leather.

Pferdeleder

Cordovan leather

This leather comes from the hindquarters of heavy draft horses. A few millimeters below the skin’s surface are two round pieces of connective tissue. This has a highly compacted fiber structure and is also called butt, shell, or horse mirror. This leather is particularly durable and strong in this area. Since Cordovan leather contains a lot of fat, it is water-repellent.
The pieces of leather are usually between the size of an A5 and an A3 sheet, which is why it is very expensive. The supply is very scarce, as there are no longer any heavy draft horses, and horses from breeding or sports operations cannot replace them.

Cordovan

Production of Cordovan Leather

The leather is vegetable-tanned and therefore takes about six months to complete production. It is only during the tanning process that it becomes clear which leather can be used for shoes and which is better suited for wallets, keychains, and belts. After 60 days of tanning, the hides are dried on glass panes and then rubbed with oil by hand.
This oil, known as “smear,” is fully absorbed into the leather during the subsequent 90 days of storage. At the end of the production process, the so-called “glanzstoßen” (polishing) step gives Cordovan leather its distinctive sheen. Cordovan leather is most widely used in the United States, where the manufacturing process was perfected some time ago. This is evident in the fact that the flesh side is processed to face outward, yet the leather remains very smooth and glossy in the end.

Cordovan-Leder