An eye opening and wonderful first experience with shell cordovan

This cardholder was used almost everyday throughout the Thunderdome and it was the only wallet I used. It was well taken care of - but not babied. When I wore it I used it in the same pocket as my car/house keys, so it was subjected to some scratches. Care included semi-frequent brushing, 2 light applications of Saphir cordovan cream, and 1 polishing with water and a spoon.

The Amaretto shell turned out to be my favorite of the 3 leathers on this wallet. I still can’t get over how smooth it is. There is wonderful grain variation and it is incredibly classy looking. My only disappointment is I could never figure out how to get a mirror or semi-mirror shine on it. I’m sure it’s my fault but I suppose I expected it to be a bit easier than it was.

The reverse UV shell side was the wild side of my wallet. I chose it as it had both the Horween stamp and some really cool color die marks. It darkened quite a bit, but honestly not as much as I was worried it might. The slightly fuzzy texture picked up the oils from my hands almost instantly, and soon matted down. Light cordovan cream application played the biggest part in the color darkening

I had no previous experience with this leather, but it was wonderful. It was buttery smooth, incredibly soft, and had a lot of grain character. Some high wear spots turned darker green, and some spots showed more yellow hues with frequent flexing. The Olive color lived up to its name, and I highly recommend this leather in any color for a full wallet build

The design was simple, but that’s what I wanted. Just a few pieces of high quality leather stitched into a 3 pocket cardholder. The simple design let the cordovan be the star of the show. The edges were nicely burnished, cuts were clean, stitches were straight. Excellent craftsmanship and I would (and likely will) buy again from this seller on Etsy!

My 3 biggest takeaways: - I couldn’t believe I could get a shell cordovan cardholder for what I paid. I’m very impressed by the quality materials and craftsmanship by this seller. Also the seller let me pick out the exact cuts of the cordovan to use for my wallet. It was a full custom design and I truly received much more value than I paid for. Part of the value was in the design. The wallet was designed so that 75% of the visible material is shell cordovan, but less than half of the leather used was shell. It’s a great way to maximize value while reducing the cost I pay. - I discovered I really like a small cardholder instead of a traditional wallet. It takes up a lot less space in my pocket but I don’t feel I have to make any sacrifices in limiting what I carry. Also the feel of a thin but dense cardholder definitely beats a thicker and squishier wallet - I started this most excited about the reverse UV shell side, but fell in love with the Amaretto side. As this is my only shell cordovan wallet, I’ve never had a wallet where the leather feels as smooth as glass. I love reaching into my pocket and getting to feel the shell, it’s weird to explain but it’s wonderful.