Materials
The Leathers
Every material is chosen for how it will look in twenty years. Not how it photographs today. The leathers have names worth knowing.
Chevre Sully
What it is.
Goatskin from Alran, a tannery in the South of France. Operating since 1903. Each hide goes through 23 steps over four weeks. The last critical step is hand boarding. Every hide worked individually. The result is the tight, distinctive grain the leather is known for.
Why we use it.
Chevre Sully is a staple of the top luxury houses for the same reason it anchors 1155 club commissions. It rewards careful work at the bench and daily carry. The grain holds a clean edge without internal structure. Color is consistent across the full hide. Forgiving to cut. Precise at the stitch.
How it ages.
The surface develops a burnished depth with time. Cognac becomes richer. Natural develops character where it contacts the hand. After three years it looks intentional in a way new leather never does.
Where we use it.
Signature tier across Writing & Desk and Small Leather Goods. Standard for club commissions when color accuracy matters.
Horween Dublin
What it is.
Full-grain pull-up leather from Horween in Chicago. The tannery has operated since 1905. Dublin is finished with oil and wax that migrates through the hide with use. Press a thumb into the surface and the oil moves. The mark is visible. Then it slowly fades.
Why we use it.
No other leather responds to handling the way Dublin does. After six months of carry it has a surface specific to how it was used. No two Dublin pieces age the same way.
How it ages.
Color deepens uniformly. High-contact areas develop a natural burnish. Scratches heal with a thumb and warmth. A Dublin piece at five years is better than it was at purchase.
Where we use it.
Foundation and Signature tier across all collections. Standard for club scorecard holders when a traditional American aesthetic is the brief.
Shell Cordovan
What it is.
A membrane from the hindquarter of a horse hide. Not a leather in the conventional sense. Dense. Non-porous. Requiring more time to tan and finish than any standard hide. Horween, Chicago. Same process since 1905.
Why we use it.
Shell Cordovan does not break in. It reveals itself. The surface polishes with every handling. Deeper, richer, more luminous with each year of carry. It is the most demanding material to work at the bench. Most makers never touch it.
How it ages.
Year one: beautiful. Year five: extraordinary. Year ten: irreplaceable. The depth it develops cannot be replicated by finishing. It has to be earned through use.
Where we use it.
Master tier. Available in limited Ready to Ship runs and as the primary material for master bespoke commissions. Built to be carried for decades.
Vachetta Luxe
What it is.
Vegetable-tanned calfskin from France. Chosen by luxury houses for its patina. Vachetta Luxe carries a special coating that controls the rate of aging. The honey patina develops gradually, at the right pace, producing the deep golden-brown finish the leather is known for. Soft grain. Finished flesh side. Burnishable edge.
Why we use it.
Vachetta begins pale. No surface treatment. Nothing hidden. It takes color from handling and oil from the hand. For a client who wants to watch a piece become entirely their own, there is no better starting point.
How it ages.
Dramatic and personal. No two Vachetta pieces age alike. They reflect their owner.
Where we use it.
Foundation tier across Writing & Desk and Small Leather Goods. The entry point into 1155 craft for a client who wants to understand what the materials do.