Ashland Leather’s Shell Cordovan & Chromexcel Polishing Steps

This is a syndicated article from the blog of Ashland Leather.

Shell cordovan has always been an amazing leather choice for footwear. Because of its beauty and durability it’s also the ultimate leather for a wallet. When used in a wallet, shell cordovan experiences a natural polishing effect from the rubbing action of being frequently pulled from your pocket. Furthermore, any moisture from your body will actually expedite the patina process. Developing a great looking wallet is as simple as just wearing it – it’s best to not over-think this one!

The process for polishing Shell Cordovan is identical to polishing Chromexcel.

Ashland Leather’s Shell Cordovan & Chromexcel Polishing Steps

1) Take a fine horsehair brush and brush the wallet for a minute or two to remove dirt and liven up the natural greases and oils within the leather. (Note: this may be all you need to do if the wallet looks great at this point!)

2) Take a very lightly dampened soft cloth and quickly rub down the entire wallet. This will remove more dirt from the wallet. We like to do this step to even out some of the color and help activate the grease and oil in the skin. This step is how we create the base luster in the shell cordovan.

3) Get your fine horsehair brush out again and brush your wallet thoroughly for about 5 minutes. This step is important to bring out the deep luster in the leather.

4) Take your favorite neutral polish (Horween uses Venetian cream for every piece of shell cordovan – at Ashland we use Venetian Cream to finish every wallet) and apply only a very small amount. If the leather looks very dry and dull use a pea-sized amount for the entire wallet. We prefer to apply this with a finger as it gives more control of where the polish goes. Apply evenly to a cloudy haze.

5) Let the wallet sit for 10 minutes or more.

6) Buff off the polish with a dry cloth.

7) You can give a breath on the wallet to apply a small amount of moisture, give a quick, final brushing and enjoy your freshly polished wallet!