Overtime Clothing, Horween Leather, and Your Old Baseball Glove

The Legacy of Horween Leather

Professional baseball gloves, game-day footballs, basketballs, high-end dress shoes, and Overtime Clothing - all of these have one thing in common: Horween leather. Founded in 1905, the Horween Leather Company has been producing some of the highest-quality leather in the world for over 100 years. This legacy is no accident. From the beginning, the founder of Horween Leather Company, Isidore Horween, knew from inception that their focus was quality, famously saying: 

“We should take the best of everything; the best hides, the best oils, the best dyes and finishes - then we do whatever it takes to make that leather the best. The price goes on last, and if we cannot sell it for what it is worth, we should not make that leather.” (Horween Leather Co.). 

The Horween Leather Company focuses on traditional techniques, enhanced with modern knowledge, and always crafted by hand just as they were over 100 years ago. As a true family business, the Horween Leather Company has been in the family since founding and is currently run by its fourth President, Arnold “Skip” Horween III, along with Vice President, Nick Horween.

 

Made in Chicago: An American Tannery Capital

You can’t mention the Horween Leather Company without saying Chicago in the same breath, as the history of leather, the Horween Leather Company, and Chicago are so deeply intertwined. Chicago was a massive center of leather production beginning in the mid 1800s, thanks to its central location as a rail hub, easy access to water, and of course, the massive meat production of the city. While Carl Sandburg described Chicago as “hog butcher for the world,” the Union Stockyards were no strangers to cattle as well, and with cattle stockyards came animal hides.

Leather production was so prominent in Chicago that there was an entire tannery district stretching along the Chicago River’s north branch. But as the city evolved, there were slow consolidations of leather tanners and the loss of the profession and industry. Through the mid to late 1900s, the city shifted its focus and only a few jobs in leather remained. The Horween Leather Company, of course, not only survived, but thrived, as the last remaining tannery operating in Chicago today - maintaining its status as one of the greatest and most iconic leather companies in the world.

From the Diamond to Your Door: Horween Leather in American Homes

While those who are interested in leather working may be more familiar with their iconic leathers such as the original pull-up leather Chromexcel® and their Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan®, which have been used to make some of the highest-quality leather goods ever made, Horween Leather Company has stretched into the hearts and homes of almost every American family through baseball, basketball, and football. Horween Leather Company has produced the leather for some of the most famous professional footballs, basketballs, and baseball gloves. 

A Natural Choice:  Why Overtime Clothing Uses Horween Baseball Glove Leather

For Overtime Clothing, this passion for perfection and the connection to American history made our decision simple. For our initial product, there was no other choice than Horween Leather Company. Overtime Clothing is not yet purchasing thousands of hides of leather, so we had the absolute pleasure to work with The Tannery Row, a Chicago company which provides access to high-quality leathers from the Horween Leather Company and beyond. 

The Tannery Row is the exclusive US retail partner of the Horween Leather Company, founded in 2011 from the Horween Leather Company shipping room with one goal:

“To make high quality leather and leather products accessible to a diverse community of artisans and small businesses. Seeking freedom and opportunity for creativity and self-expression, our high-quality leathers allow them to develop and make unique, detailed, hand-crafted goods.” (About | The Tannery Row | Leather Distributor). 

The Inspiration: Your Old Baseball Glove

It is a common picture in many minds: the old, worn in baseball glove from your childhood. The glove that is molded to the hand, that acts as more of an extension of the body rather than a separate piece of equipment, the memories, years, backyard catches, and baseball practices that it holds in its weathered, patinaed leather. This is what we had in mind when we were choosing our leather. We chose Horween X Baseball Glove - Caramel leather; described by Horween Leather Company as: 

“a straight chrome tannage and is designed to meet the demanding expectations of professional athletes. This tannage is specifically formulated to yield the strength, durability, and temper that are ideal for repetitive use. Only the very finest full grain hides are selected for this fully aniline, oiled leather.” (leathers — Horween Leather Co.). 

The Tannery Row expands on this by adding: 

“Horween X Baseball Glove Leather is the traditional leather Horween has provided for the past 60 plus years. This leather is a firmer temper glove tannage that has been widely used in the top leagues around the world. This leather will yield a firm glove that will be broken in by the player to their liking.” (Horween X Baseball Glove Leather | The Tannery Row | Leather Distributor) 

While we were inspired by the ‘old baseball glove,’ the characteristics of the leather described above solidified the choice. Like the rest of the product, we wanted leather that was going to get better with age and last long enough to Work Twice as Hard. This leather was tested for us, over years and years, by professional baseball players and everyday players alike, and if it can last years on the diamond, it can last even longer in your home.

Of course, as not every baseball glove is the same color, there were several dye options to choose from. We landed on Caramel. The Caramel dye gives us the classic leather baseball glove look while providing that rich deep color that perfectly walks the line between professional and casual. 

Our focus is on Clothes that Work Twice as Hard, clothing you can wear to the office that last long enough to work overtime in your day-to-day. So we needed a leather that was going to start with a cleaner, more professional look, and like your ‘old baseball glove,’ gets better with age. As the leather ages, it becomes more unique to you, gaining a beautiful patina, and wearing into that ‘old baseball glove’ look. 

When you wear this leather, you not only wear the amazing history of Horween Leather Company, the passion and durability of Overtime Clothing, and the iconic moments of American baseball, but as the leather ages with you, you wear the memories and history you create with it. Much like your ‘old baseball glove,’ this leather will become more you as you wear it, creating a truly unique piece of history - your history.

 

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