We visited NIWA LEATHERS in Kashiwa,Chiba.
We talked with NIWA LEATHERS representative Hajime Niwa about cordovan.
LEDER OGAWA Tobita (T) Hello.
NIWA LEATHERS Niwa (N) Hello.Thank you for your visit.
(T) Thank you for your valuable time today.
So,Today, I would like to ask you a little about what Niwa is about, what kind of material is cordovan.
(N) Yes
(T) First of all, I would like to have a frank opinion, so I would like to ask you a bit about where Niwa-san feels about the cordovan.
(N) Yes, that's right. I think that the person who handles cowhide is usually about 90%, but after all I started a leather craft with a cordovan, for example, about 20 years ago. It was
(T)Oh
(N) Of course, there is a rarity, and again ... I want it but I can't get it! There is also a special feeling, and after that, it is a little different from now, but at that time the price was completely higher than cowhide at that time
(T) Yeah
(N) After that, after all ... The most special thing for the maker is that when bending ... wrinkles will or will not enter? What should I say (bitter smile) After all this cow leather and other leathers are completely different ... Wrinkle is a difficult place to say, but when I fold it like this ~
(T) Oh, is there a so-called silver float??
(N) Yes, say almost zero ...
(T) Yeah
(N) Isn't it about zero?
(T) No.
(N) Yeah, what do you mean ... leather, what should I say? It ’s leather, and it ’s a completely different dimension from our concept leather.That's true even when making it.
(T) Yeah
(N) After a few years, our job will surely come back.
(T) Yeah
(N) Well, for example, for repairs, or for example, repeat customers sometimes use this when they make their next order and show me this.
(T) Yeah
(N) At that time, especially when it's bent, it's aging, it's aging, it's cracked a little, and it's wrinkled. However,
(T) Oh
(N) Is there almost no such thing about cordovan?
(T) Oh ~ I see
(N) That's right. Yes
(T) haa ~ (interest)
(N) In that sense, yes, in my case, do you place more emphasis on the texture than the appearance? Well, that's probably different depending on the person making it or using it,
(T) Yeah, yeah
(N) ... And in that ... After all ... What is it? Like me and regular cow leather, I don't use a lot of leather that doesn't have an expression on the surface.
After all, I've always loved the natural finishes .... and ... that ...
(T) Yeah
(N) I like it very much and let me use it ... So it looks like that. I liked the transparency and the transparency.
(T) Oh yes. Yes. I see, i see. Has our leather reached the passing line? Are you okay?
(N) Ahaha ~ Of course! Yes! I thought it was really easy to use
(T) is haha
(N) But what about LEDER OGAWA in me at all? It ’s really mysterious, it ’s close to Nagareyama, but it ’s far away. That ’s why I ’m really happy to get closer now.
(T) No, no, this is it. Thank you very much. I'm happy
(N) Fufufu
(T) Our cordovan is a so-called tannin spear ... well used as a spear, but the edge of the business card holder that I saw before is very beautiful.
(N) Oh, is that true?
(T) No, it ’s true! It was so beautiful that there was such a beautiful thing
(N) Thank you
(T) As you have certainly said, in order to make the most of the taste of the ingredients, it is clear that unpolished should be clearly more beautiful than applying that paint and polishing. I really felt
(N) Oh yes. Thank you
(T) That ’s amazing.
(N) Then, what is it, good leather, this-our craftsman, than what I saw on the surface ... I don't think it's more, but I'm curious about this cross section.
(T) Ah, yes yes yes yes
(N) For example, the surface is good, but what should I say? For example, there may be some leather.
After all, you can't make good things.
(T) Ah ...
(N) If that happens, it will eventually lead to things like trying to mislead ink and try to put it on ink. After all, if you try to finish it as naturally as possible, you can't do it without good materials.
(T) Oh, I see
(N) To put it the other way around, it would be a natural finish and show it to customers
(T) yes yes
(N) After all, that's what you can't do without the quality of the material. It's not from this (surface), but from the side ... the beauty of the layer ...
(T) Yes, I see
(N) You can just cut it with a knife. What does that leather mean? ** This leather is good, this leather is ...
(T) Oh ~
(N) Something that feels good ... So what is it? I try to give it to customers
(T) Isn't a cordovan quite thin? It ’s the same with Uchi, but is this a good and comfortable category?
(N) Oh, enter. enter
(T) Is that true? (Relief)
(N) Of course, this isn't done with a single piece, so after all ... Well, I think that there are also combinations in the sense that the material is good.
(T) Oh, hoho
(N) Of course, you can't make it with this one piece. So, to bring out this goodness, you can combine it with colors and materials. It ’s really good ... what do you mean? I wonder if it will improve when it is completed, or something like that ...
(T) Oh ~ (interest)
(N) Yes
(T) Is it a clogged eye? I also had a lot of commitment there.
(N) Oh, yes
(T) The work of adding oil and stretching, as I said earlier, is done with a machine that puts it in a roller with a sponge and pulls it out. but
(N) Yes
(T) In the case of a house, if the eyes are not clogged, the surface gloss cannot be seen.
(N)
(T) If you stretch it out by hand and stretch it as much as you need and clog your eyes tightly, it may be a good clog in case of tannin stretching
(N) Oh, yes. I think so. That ’s really the kind of quality that ’s a little while ago.
(T) Oh ~
(N) Because there are quite a lot of people in the world around that area
(T) Oh, I see
(N) But what do you say there? To the general user, this is what ... Isn't it difficult to convey it because it's so hard to push? Something……
(T) Certainly difficult (bitter smile)
(N) If you use it, you will feel that it's different, sometime, and even if you don't realize it, the people around you say something good. Why do I ... later, rather than telling the customer about my feelings at that moment ...
(T) Oh ~
(N) Wow! I want to know if I can understand
(T) The cordovan is quite good, and the one in the house is a water-based dye.
(N) Oh, yes
(T) Have you ever consulted something like that? Um ~ ... For example, it seems like a customer has changed this way
(N) Well, that is ... tanning, if any. For example, after all small items have been dropped into water
(T) Oh yeah
(N) I think that there are some types that are used naturally, and certainly bought something without knowing it and didn't expect it to change over time. That kind of person
(T) Yeah, yeah
(N) Saying that it will surely change. That's why the ones here are really 10 years old, and that's what happened, so I said that it would be like this, so in my case I said that the color has changed so much But ... I think there are more people who are happy with my customers.
(T) Thank you very much for telling me a wonderful story today.
(N) Thank you very much
(T) Please continue your favors toward LEDER OGAWA.
(N) Thank you
NIWA LEATHERS
〒277-0071
1-3-48 Toyosumi Kashiwa Chiba JAPAN
