Chicago, Ill. Since 1905
 
 
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since 1905.

about

Horween Leather Company was founded in 1905. For more than 100 years and five generations our goal has been to make the world's best leather. Making the best means doing lots of little things right. It means never mistaking fastest or cheapest with the best. It means always using formulas that do not cut corners, and choosing components strictly for their quality.

Horween Leather offers an unparalleled blend of quality, consistency, responsiveness, and innovation. Through the years, we have cultivated our experience to offer dynamic lines of leathers. Our products include traditional, old world tannages and techniques, carefully updated with modern applications. Today, our leathers are still made by hand, the same way as generations ago.

 

 
 
 
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Chromexcel®

Chromexcel is the original pull-up leather; using time honored techniques and formulas that were developed nearly 100 years ago.  Chromexcel is still produced in the United States using a bark retannage from a proprietary recipe, and then genuine hot stuffed with our secret blend of natural oils and greases. Chromexcel is characterized by a rich pull-up in full aniline, hand rubbed finishes.  Made to this day with old world craftsmanship, modern Chromexcel carries on a long history of superior comfort and durability.

Chromexcel is available in a full range of weights – including 2 – 3 oz (0.8 – 1.2 mm) horsefronts and side (cowhide) leather from 3.5 – 4 oz (1.4 – 1.6 mm) up to 9 – 10 oz (3.6 – 4.0 mm).  There are many variations of Chromexcel, including versions that are cementable and waterproof. Please contact us for more information or for a full list of tannages.


Football

This specialized leather is treated with our own proprietary tannage and extracts, giving it the high performance characteristics demanded by professionals and amateurs alike.  Our unique Tanned in Tack® provides excellent grip in all conditions, and can be revived by simply brushing the ball. 

Official Football leather is a very important leather to us.  This leather was developed and produced by Arnold Horween Sr. after playing football professionally and head coaching the Harvard football team.  We’ve produced football leather continuously for more than 70 years.

We’re proud to produce the finest football, basketball, and ball glove leathers.  We extend to this line the tradition of excellence and quality that all of our products are founded upon.  We have had the opportunity to work with top sporting goods manufacturers to develop these leathers.  Our philosophy that the best leather is part of the best product translates very well into a market where skilled athletes view their equipment as precision tools.  We’ve been diligent and thorough in producing these special leathers where no detail has been overlooked.

Genuine Shell Cordovan

Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan® is the art of tanning at its finest.  More than just a color, it is a very specific leather, from a particular part of a horsehide.  The irregular oval shaped shells are tanned, stuffed, shaved, and then polished – a process taking at least six months.  Each shell is slowly steeped in gentle vegetable liquors. The shells are genuine hot stuffed then slicked onto glass frames to dry.  Each shell is hand curried and shaved by highly skilled artisans to expose the shell. Dyes are hand rubbed on for a deep aniline finish. Finally, the shells are hand glazed to achieve the rich, glossy look and feel prized by fine craftsmen.


Essex

Essex is a vegetable tanned side leather that utilizes the same traditional tanning extracts as our Genuine Shell Cordovan.  Essex, and its waxed versions, Dublin and Derby, took us nearly three years to develop and perfect.  This tannage is marked by a high oil content and ages beautifully over time. The Essex family of leather is very versatile and can be used in a wide variety of products.

 

Baseball Glove

Our ball glove leather is a straight chrome tannage and is designed to meet the demanding expectations of professional athletes.  This tannage is specifically formulated to yield the strength, durability, and temper that are ideal for repetitive use.  Only the very finest full grain hides are selected for this fully aniline, oiled leather.

“We should take the best of everything; the best hides, the best oils, the best dyes and finishes – then we do whatever it takes to make that leather the best. The price goes on last, and if we cannot sell it for what it is worth, we should not make that leather”
— Isidore Horween, Master Tanner and Founder, 1905 - 1948
 
 
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Making the best means doing a lot of little things right. To ensure top quality finished goods, we start with top quality components. That means using native hides for the best grain and yields, premium grade oils, dyes, and retanning agents. Our formulas cut no corners, and we are one of only a handful of tanneries in the United States that still processes hides from their raw, cured state to finished leather.

 

The Horween Name

Horweens
"We should take the best of everything; the best hides, the best oils, the best dyes and finishes – then we do whatever it takes to make that leather the best. The price goes on last, and if we cannot sell it for what it is worth, we should not mak

"We should take the best of everything; the best hides, the best oils, the best dyes and finishes – then we do whatever it takes to make that leather the best. The price goes on last, and if we cannot sell it for what it is worth, we should not make that leather."

- Isidore Horween, Master Tanner and Founder, 1905 - 1948

“ We always felt there was a right way and a wrong way to make fine leather. It takes us at least six months to make a cordovan shell. Our cordovan could probably be made faster, and people might not even be able to tell the difference… but I can.

“We always felt there was a right way and a wrong way to make fine leather. It takes us at least six months to make a cordovan shell. Our cordovan could probably be made faster, and people might not even be able to tell the difference… but I can.”

- Arnold Horween, Sr., President 1949-  1983

 

“As tanneries go we’re not the biggest, the fastest, or the cheapest, which means we need to be the best.  Our business is built on doing things other people don’t, won’t, or can’t.” - Arnold Horween, Jr., President 1983 - 2003

“As tanneries go we’re not the biggest, the fastest, or the cheapest, which means we need to be the best.  Our business is built on doing things other people don’t, won’t, or can’t.”

- Arnold Horween, Jr., President 1983 - 2003

“Quality must be more than a word.  It doesn’t belong to one company or one country, it doesn’t happen by chance, and it requires constant attention.  It’s a contract between seller and buyer – an agreement that something is good and wor

“Quality must be more than a word.  It doesn’t belong to one company or one country, it doesn’t happen by chance, and it requires constant attention.  It’s a contract between seller and buyer – an agreement that something is good and worth having.  Our greatest enemy is the phrase ‘it’s good enough’.”

- Arnold "Skip" Horween III, President 2003 - present

“Our mission has always been to produce the highest quality product for our customers.  It’s an honor to continue that tradition by making the best leather we can.  When you put your name on something it has to be exactly right.” -

“Our mission has always been to produce the highest quality product for our customers.  It’s an honor to continue that tradition by making the best leather we can.  When you put your name on something it has to be exactly right.”

- Nick Horween, Vice President 2008 - present

 
Looking north into the liquor yard. These rows of tanks/pits extend about six feet below the floor and are used to tan our shell cordovan.
Looking over Preacher’s shoulder as he rolls shell cordovan. This rolling jack uses a steel roller to smooth and flatten the leather - glazing is accomplished on another piece of equipment with a glass rod.
Venetian Shoe Cream has finally been restocked in the SHOP section of the site. My personal favorite leather conditioner, and suitable for almost all of our leathers. Each and every piece of Shell Cordovan we produce gets a light coat near the end of
After and before, first polish after 18 months of hard wear. Happy New Year!
It takes a lot of shell cordovan to make a pair of engineer boots.
Genuine Horween Shell Cordovan tees are in stock and ready to ship! Please visit the SHOP section of our website.
One of the wooden drums on the third floor. This is a “dry mill” that is used to add texture and/or soften leather. The longer leather is milled, the softer snd more textured it becomes.
A side of leather drying in the toggle room. Toggling yields a product with less stretch than regular air-drying, since the toggles hold the leather and limit the amount it can shrink. This method results in a finished product with pronounced grain.
📷 by @clarksoriginals - the vegetable tanned leather used in this boot is processed utilizing byproducts of the production of olives. ・・・ The @horweenleather tannery has spent 115 years perfecting their craft. Which is why we've teamed up with them
Shell cordovan hanging to air dry after receiving a dye coat. The shells are hung from sticks and move very slowly down a conveyor while warm air is blown from above. Once they reach the end they are stacked and brought back for another coat - depend
The post before last shows the working end of the glazing jack - this is the back pulley system that drives the arm. There’s a single motor that drives a shaft (not pictured) and with long handles we can slide the belts from an idle pulley to a
New shell cordovan wallets and key cases available in the SHOP section at www.horween.com.
Up close on a glazing glass. We glaze many leathers, including shell cordovan. The glass is held in an arm that moves back and forth rapidly across the leather. The smoothness of the glass and the pressure and heat generated yield a high gloss. We c
Turner shaving machines for shell cordovan on the 4th floor. All buttoned up for the end of another day. Have a good weekend.
Football leather waiting for color. The embossing process utilizes heat and darkens the leather. We apply dye after the pebble pattern is added in order to successfully color match each order.

Contact Us

2015 North Elston Avenue  ||  Chicago, IL 60614  ||  Tel. (773) 772 2026  ||  Fax (773) 772 9235