Wellington Report post Posted January 1, 2021 Hello, all, I would like to make a one-off wallet out of Horween shell cordovan. In the past, I've purchased wallets made from water buffalo hide, but the last one only lasted me 14 years, whereas I have shell cordovan shoes that have been resoled almost that many times! Although I have been reading this forum occasionally for a few years (largely for sewing machine information -- I bought an Adler 67 GK373 walking foot machine a few years back; thank you for the great info, Uwe!), I have not done all that much leatherwork other than repairing boots with a jerk needle (and the Adler is used mainly for upholstery). All that said, I was considering trying to make a shell cordovan wallet like this one: https://ashlandleather.com/collections/johnny-the-fox/products/w-fox-cordo-black100 since I believe I can make it for less $ than they're selling them for, and it would be a good learning experience, I hope. But I have a few questions for folks who know much more about this than me: 1. Use cutting dies, or cut pieces by hand? I see that I can buy a set of dies for cutting the pieces for a wallet for $50 to $75 on AliExpress. Is it worth buying these dies for cutting shell cordovan, or could I use a sharp knife like an Xacto knife or something like that? Again, this will be mainly a one-off project (unless it turns into a disaster) so I'm not sure whether buying the dies will be worthwhile...but if cutting the pieces by hand will be extremely difficult, then maybe it will. 2. Sew by hand or machine? Although I have an Adler 67, I'm thinking I should stitch this by hand since the shell cordovan is so expensive and since I've never really sewn much leather. Do you think I can get a decent stitch by hand with a bit of practice? 3. Stitching material -- nylon or polyester? For my upholstery work, I've been using mostly polyester thread in Tex 69 size. What would be appropriate size/material for stitching a wallet? Would nylon be preferred over polyester, since I believe it's stronger and UV resistance isn't that much of a concern in a wallet? 4. Are there any special concerns related to using shell cordovan that I should be aware of? I was thinking of buying a piece of Horween shell cordovan for about $150 for something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Shell-Cordovan-From-Horween-USA-Black-5-check-pictures/133550647976 Thank you for reading my long-winded post, thank you in advance for any advice, and Happy New Year to all! W. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
battlemunky Report post Posted January 1, 2021 I made a wallet from shell cordovan and it is amazing. Holding up well after a year and developing some great character. If you are skilled enough to do the leather justice, I say hand sew it. Same with cutting by hand. If you can't do it well enough the first time to satisfy yourself then it'll get awfully expensive. I think with labor and materials I probably have about $120 into mine, not counting the process of making wallets that led up to the one I made out of shell. As far as working with shell, its a damn dream. It is nice and firm but still pliable, smells amazing, and will burnish with hardly any effort. I'd recommend watching Little King Goods' video on YouTube where he makes a wallet out of shell just so you can see it before you do it. The stuff is almost magic but it is soooo expensive. Please keep us updated. It is a lovely material. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wellington Report post Posted January 2, 2021 Thanks for your reply, Battlemunky. I will for sure look for Little King Goods' video on Youtube. I appreciate your help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tsunkasapa Report post Posted January 2, 2021 18 hours ago, Wellington said: In the past, I've purchased wallets made from water buffalo hide, but the last one only lasted me 14 years, whereas I have shell cordovan shoes that have been resoled almost that many times! If you got 14 years out of a wallet, that was an amazing wallet. I guarantee everything I make for life, EXCEPT wallets and belts. They just take too much abuse. Maybe it's just us construction workers, but the average lifespan of a wallet is 4-5 years amongst anyone I know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrisash Report post Posted January 2, 2021 There are a lot of people on here that though £75 for a leather belt was expensive, and spent many times that before they were happy with the one they made, after all a leather 38mm strap is only £12 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
