I take a short drive from Chicago's city center and arrive at a weathered red brick building that is the Horween Leather Company factory.
Relatively unchanged from when it was built in the 1920's, the building is a symbol of the Horween legacy and a point of pride for the 140 artisans working under its roof.
Standing before me is Arnold Horween Jr., the fourth-generation CEO of Horween who is lovingly called "Skip" by all his employees, and his son and eventual successor Nick. Skip is giving a lecture on one of Horween's leather tanning processes.
1 inch closer to examine one of the steps, and look around to observe the lively, sweat-soaked faces of leather artisans perfecting their craft against the backdrop of these history-steeped walls.
The Horween tanning process is painstakingly long. First, the necessary sections of the original animal hide are cut, and soaked in a pit for 30 days. The hides are then dried and rubbed with oils and dyes, and are put back in the pit for 30 more days. They are then stuck to a large metal board to dry, and are once again rubbed with oil. After this, the hides are hung from hooks and stored in the factory for an additional 90 days. When the 90 days are up, the finished leather is cut to standard sizes and finally sent out into the world to one of Horween's many clients. Each step requires a tremendous amount of skill and patience, and the whole process takes at least half a year to complete.
In the words of Skip, "A product's value is born through actual use. As craftsmen is our own right, in order to work together to make great products we both need a mutual respect and appreciation for what the other does. Products that you can be proud of that is how they are born."
Visvim
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기