Seidel Oiled Congo Shrunken Bison Roughout

The leather uses full-grain American Buffalo hides from free-range animals. Natural scarring and marks from herd interactions, wire fencing, and environmental exposure remain visible in the finished product, contributing to each hide's unique appearance. Seidel Tanning processes the hides at their Milwaukee facility using chrome tannage as the primary tanning method, followed by the exclusive oil treatment that defines the Oiled Congo line.

The shrinking process involves heat treatment where the grain loses natural moisture and oils, causing the leather to shrink and bringing the grain structure closer together. This tightening enhances the already prominent natural pebbled grain pattern characteristic of bison hide. The process requires submerging the leather for 15 to 30 minutes while leather fibers swell from water absorption.

The leather measures approximately 2.2-2.5mm in thickness and exhibits a thicker, longer fiber structure compared to cowhide. This fiber composition provides approximately 40% more textile strength than bovine leather. The looser grain structure contains larger pores, allowing superior breathability relative to cowhide alternatives.

The material demonstrates a soft to medium temper, enabling it to flex and mold around the wearer's foot during the break-in period. Each hide displays unique heavy grain character with a natural, unembossed surface. The grain pattern features noticeably rugged texture with raised bumps, creating a bold natural pebbled appearance.

Roughout leather construction reverses the traditional orientation by exposing the flesh side (corium layer) as the exterior surface. The corium is the soft fatty layer positioned between the animal's skin and muscles. In this configuration, the smooth grain side faces the interior of the boot while the fuzzy roughout side provides the exterior surface.

The quality, temper, thickness, and strength of roughout leather remains identical to smooth leather using the same hide - only the surface orientation differs. The flesh side typically demonstrates greater abrasion resistance compared to the grain side, providing additional durability for the exterior surface.

The textured nap surface effectively disguises scratches, scuffs, and wear marks that would be more visible on smooth leather. The material maintains a relatively static appearance over time, not showing wear patterns as readily as smooth-finished leather. The roughout construction ages gracefully through natural accumulation of dirt, oils, and environmental elements that enhance its appearance through patina development.

The bold natural pebbled grain and rugged appearance result from the free-range lifestyle of American bison. Scars and marks accumulated during the animal's life become visible character marks in the finished hide rather than defects. This natural variation means no two hides appear identical.

Roughout leather requires gentle cleaning using saddle soap to remove surface dirt and debris. The textured nap allows for quick maintenance using a hard bristle brush to scrub out accumulated dust, dirt, and metal shavings. This brushing technique effectively cleans the surface without requiring extensive conditioning protocols.

The material benefits from conditioning with boot oil to replace moisture lost during wear and exposure. Following conditioning, a protective layer of leather grease provides additional water resistance and surface protection. These simple maintenance steps maintain the leather's resilience and water-resistant properties.

The shrinking and oiling process used for this leather means the hides tend to dry out faster than leather with surface finishes. The absence of pigmented topcoats or protective sealants requires more frequent conditioning compared to finished smooth leathers. Work boots constructed from roughout leather are prized for their resilience combined with low-maintenance requirements relative to high-gloss smooth leather alternatives.

Seidel Tanning Corp. operates from 1306 E Meinecke Ave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The facility has maintained continuous operation as a tannery since the company's founding in 1945. Milwaukee served as the world's largest leather manufacturing center in 1910, and Seidel remains the only major Milwaukee tannery continuously operating since World War II.

The company achieved Leather Working Group certification on February 21, 2024, with certification maintained through February 21, 2026. Current operations focus on full grain and suede leather production primarily serving the footwear and leather goods industries. Frederick Seidel Jr. serves as the primary contact for the fourth-generation family business.

Physical traceability of materials reaches 76.77% through Seidel's supply chain, with the remaining 23.23% of materials currently untraceable through their documentation systems. The facility processes cow hides as its primary animal source, with bison hides representing a specialty product line. Production uses chrome tannage methods categorized as "Tanned hide/skin to finished leather" under audit protocols.

The company has operated as a family-owned business through four generations, accumulating over 75 years of tanning experience. Seidel specializes in oil-tanned, pull-up, and waxed finishes across its product range. The Oiled Congo Shrunken Bison Roughout represents an exclusive development produced specifically for Oak Street Bootmakers.