 |
|
Upper leather CRU – Calf Crust This specialist term is used to denote leather after it has been tanned and dyed in the vat but before it has been finished (“prepared”). The “preparation” consists to ironing the crust, embossed, waxed or shined so that it receives its final characteristics and appearance. Our CRUST IS 1.2mm thick. It is tanned from raw skins of milk calves, usually polish. Their colour is a matt white-grey. Blemishes are completely untouched. All preparation takes place in our workshops. For obvious reasons we cannot give precise details of the process here, though in essence the crust is treated—in a number of steps—using colouring tinctures and waxes until a deep, transparent shine with the typical antique effect is achieved. CRUST is surface-sealed with wax alone so that its suppleness and high degree of wearing comfort is maintained. Since most of the work stages are carried out on the finished shoe, slight differences of colour cannot be avoided. For shoe care, generally available shoe polish is needed. We offer CRUST in 12 shades from black through dark brown to light beige. VND - Aniline Calf This classic calfskin of French provenance is produced from alpine raw material. The skins are slightly larger than those for our CRUST and 1.4 – 1.6mm thick. As the name suggests, this leather is dyed with aniline colouring and brought to a shine in a process involving a number of steps. Finally it receives a casein treatment to seal the surface. Casein is a protein that only dissolves in water with difficulty and it has been used for around 100 years to seal high quality leather. VND shows less antique effect that CRU, feel a little more brittle. It ages very well with careful use of shoe polish. French aniline calf is the classic men's show upper material. We offer it in five shades of brown, black and Bordeaux. MOO – Moon Calf - Napa Our Moon Calf is mainly used to make soft slippers (with and without lining) but also for all our classic models. Moon Calf is particularly appropriate for pressure-sensitive feet. The leather is lightly embossed lending it a “casual” character. Moon Calf comes from Italy and we offer it in two shades of brown and in black. ROO – Kangaroo The cutter says “The kangaroo is a beast”. These skins from wild animals are covered in grain faults, are very different sizes and are extremely expensive. Kangaroo is very thin, around 0.4 – 0.5mm, extremely wear and tear resistant, wonderfully supple and has a fine grain when shined. We use it for slippers without lining but also for smoking shoes. Kangaroo is also useful for the middle parts of golf shoes. LAC Patent High quality patent leather is poured. Chrome-tanned split skins from larger calves serve as the base material. The grain is split off in order to guarantee adhesion between lacquer and leather. The liquid lacquer is then, in a number of layers, poured onto the leather and spread. Keeping to the intervening drying times and judging the proper consistency of the lacquer for the suppleness of the leather requires long experience. Poured patent leather can be recognised by the occasional air bubbles that can be seen. We only offer it in black and always recommend red Chevreaux lining to go with it. CROC – Crocodile Crust Both our crocodile flanks as well as our bellies come from farmed caymans in Venezuela . Trade and processing of this leather is controlled by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). We get the skins as white crusts and process them further as with our crust calf skin. (see CRU) Crocodile bellies display a square scale while the flanks have oval scales. Models such as our “Seamless” can only be made out of bellies because flanks of the requisite size are not available on the market. Flanks are thus used only in models that can be cut from a maximum number of small pieces. Bellies are significantly more expensive that flanks. STR – Ostrich Crust Similar to our crocodile crust colours and finishes as well as to the leather itself. Since ostrich skins are not delivered flat we have to place them in water and then stretch them on boards to dry before we cut them into sections. HRS – Deer Chamois The New Zealand raw material for our deerskin is tanned to chamois in Austria . Tanning agent is pork fat. The skins are washed after tanning and bleached in the sun. After that the dye is brushed into the skin. The colours we offer correspond to the various colours of traditional Austrian and Bavarian dress. Deer chamois is an extremely tough but nevertheless sensually soft leather that can be worn right next to the skin (see HRS lining). The comfort in wearing shoes made of chamois is incomparable and corresponds to wearing a Cashmere pullover. The part of the skin used for shoes can be up to 3mm thick. Deer chamois is remarkable for having a high degree of permeability to moisture while at the same time insulating very well. That means warn feet in winter and dry, cool feet in summer. The deer skin's resistance to abrasion is also remarkable though the surface can become greasy when worn intensively as one can see from old chamois riding breeches and Tyrolean lederhosen. BCK – Velour – Calf Our calf velour comes from England and belongs in the category of split leathers. This means that the grain is split off down to a deeper level of the skin. This deeper layer of skin is significantly harder than the grain and can be abraded so that a short-haired surface results without any marks becoming evident. The Italian term for this surface is “rasato”. It is only with “shaved” velours that decorative perforations are visible as, for example, with brogues. BUF – Buffalo embossing – Calf This embossed calf leather from Alsace is notable for its beautiful two-tone colouring. Before the embossing the leather is dyed a light colour, after the embossing a dark layer of colour is applied by hand, tamping with a cotton ball. The lighter colour remains visible in the deeper-lying parts. The leather keeps its lively character even on the smooth, stretched toe caps. As with our VND this classic leather also is casein treated. It is, however a shade grainer because of the impaction from the embossing process. TCK – Tcherkess embossing – Calf In principle this is the same leather as BUF but from another tannery in the Masif Central in France. REV – Reverso Russian – Cow leather The term Russian leather normally mean a strongly greased cow leather or one treated with cod-liver oil. Because of the high fat content the leather becomes supple and water resistant. Russian leather is used for mountaineering, military and work shoes/boots. Our Reverso Russian turns the flesh side outwards as with a velour leather. The surface on the tip can be polished to a shine with shoe wax/polish. Russian is up to 4mm thick in places and is practically indestructible. Scrapes on the surface can be removed with wax. Lining HRS Lining – Roe Deer Chamois Chamois lining is tanned from roe deerskins and has very similar qualities to red deerskin (see HRS). Real chamois can be worn directly on the skin and is particularly suited for moccasins worn barefoot. We also recommend chamois lining for those with a chrome allergy. RED Lining – Chevreau Goat red Red Chevreau is vegetable tanned and usually only used for black evening shoes. STA – Standard Calf lining Our standard calf lining is yellowish-beige in colour and semi-vegetable tanned. That means that the chromium salt tanning follows a vegetable tanning process in order to combine the characteristics of both. The chrome tanning keeps the lining supple while the vegetable tanning increases its ability to absorb moisture. The forefoot area is also lined with a complete insole of this leather. |
