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Leather Care GuideUpdated a month ago

We source our leather from two tanneries: Chicago's Horween Leather Company and Danish tannery Ecco. Both leather options are top-quality, but they have a few distinct features. 

Nomad x Horween

Our search for quality and craftsmanship brought us to Horween Leather Company, one of the oldest continually operated tanneries in the United States. Horween’s commitment to detail matches our own dedication to quality and craftsmanship. 

We use Essex leather from Horween, which is minimally treated to preserve the natural characteristics of the hide. Instead of covering up blemishes or color variations, the Horween team embraces these features as marks of authenticity and individuality. Their Essex leather is tanned the traditional way, a process that can take up to two months per batch. This craftsmanship is reflected in Horween's slightly higher price point.

Chromexcel

Starting with iPhone 16, we introduced Horween's Chromexcel leather, shorthanded to CXL, in Green Chrome. It’s been hand-tanned the same way since the early 1900s and requires 89 separate processes over the course of 28 days. The result is rich, shiny leather with beautiful tonal variations and the unique ability to rapidly patina.

Your Green Chrome Chromexcel gear may arrive with a thin white film on its surface. This is called bloom and it's the rich waxes infused in the leather rising to its surface. You can easily buff it out with a cloth and, as your leather patinas, the waxes will reincorporate into the leather for a more even look. 

Olde Dublin

We also introduced Horween's Olde Dublin leather to our iPhone 16 collection. Dublin leather undergoes minimal, natural tanning that brings out the hide’s distinct colors and tonal variations. With a richer concentration of oils, it offers more shine and develops a deep, beautiful patina more quickly than most other leathers.

Each piece of Olde Dublin is totally unique so you can expect variation from case to case. Differences in color, tone, and texture are normal and part of what makes each case so special. 

Nomad x Ecco 

In 2022, we started working with Ecco, a renowned Danish tannery. Ecco utilizes modern tanning techniques that are adaptable, efficient, and innovative. It looks and smells like authentic leather and will still develop a patina (though it is slightly less susceptible to scratches and marks than our Horween leather). 

The Patina Process

Both Horween and Ecco leather will develop the same rich patina. And what exactly is patina? Patina refers to the process of leather absorbing oils, marks, and scratches over time to develop a rich and lustrous finish totally unique to you. 

When you first receive your leather gear, it will mark and scratch easily. You can rest assured that this is totally normal - and, in fact, a very good thing - and that treating it with care can help reduce the appearance of scratches and marks. 

Learn more about patina in this Nomad blog post

Caring for Your Leather

When you first receive your leather gear, be gentle with it! Avoid sharp surfaces, objects, and any exposure to moisture, and be sure to treat it regularly with a high-quality leather conditioner. Inventory permitting, we strive to include a sample leather conditioner packet with every order for our leather gear. Beyond that, we recommend using the Leather Conditioner made by Ashland Leather Co.

Watch our instructional video below on caring for your leather. 


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