Full Grain Podcast with Nick Horween and Phil Kalas

Hosted by Phil Kalas, Nick Horween

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Latest episode

Dec 2025

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EN-US

About the show

For leather nerds! The finest leather, boots, shoes, bags, raw denim, drinks, watches, and more. Leather tannery veterans Nick Horween (5th generation, Horween Leather) and Phil Kalas (Founder, Ashland Leather) cover manufacturing, leather, boots, denim, everyday carry and the talented people who are creating the world's finest products. Get the inside scoop and a greater understanding for high quality goods with a new episode released every week.

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60 recent

December 30, 20251 hr 12 min

Q&A Episode: How Horween Grades Their Leather

How do the world’s best tanneries stay consistent, and what happens when they experiment with things like squid ink?In this episode of the Full Grain Podcast, Phil and Nick pull back the curtain on the technical side of Horween leather. We dive deep into the confusing world of leather grading systems—explaining exactly what stamps like TR, SP, and Satra mean for the final product.We also tackle the manufacturing "nightmares" of one-piece shell cordovan belts, the risks of tying your entire brand identity to a single tannery, and why Phil is considering putting denim inside his next high-end leather bag.In this episode, we discuss:Squid Ink & Tanning: The weirdest substances used to dye leather.The Grading Secret: Decoding Horween’s internal stamp system (TR, SP, R, and Satra).Shell Quality Tracking: How individual "shaver stamps" ensure quality control at the tannery.The One-Piece Belt Problem: Why shell cordovan belts are so expensive and hard to make.Brand Strategy: The pros and cons of being "The Horween Brand" vs. an independent maker.Design Choices: Using denim liners in bags and managing dye transfer on Dublin leather.Bonus: Nick gives Phil a "Personal Trainer" breakdown on functional strength and weightlifting for longevity.Have a question for our next Q&A? Drop a comment below! We will be sourcing our next round of questions directly from the YouTube comments section.Get a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

December 17, 202547 min

The Business of Luxury Shoes: Inside Leffot with Steven Taffel

In this episode of the Full Grain Podcast, we sit down with Steven Taffel, the founder of Leffot—one of the world's premier destinations for fine footwear located in the heart of New York City.Steven shares the fascinating origin story of Leffot and how he curated a selection that includes legendary makers like Alden, Edward Green, and Joseph Cheaney. We dive deep into the nuances of footwear retail, the "lost art" of in-person sizing, and how Leffot is changing the secondary market with their unique pre-owned program.Steven also opens up about the difficult decision to close the Chicago location and what he’s learned about the evolving landscape of luxury retail.Topics Covered:The Origin of Leffot: How a passion for shoes turned into a Greenwich Village landmark.The Importance of Fit: Why Steven believes in-person sizing is still superior to online charts.Pre-Owned Luxury: Inside the Leffot Pre-Owned program and the circular economy of high-end shoes.The Chicago Chapter: The honest truth behind closing the Chicago operation.Curating the Best: What Steven looks for in brands like Alden and Edward Green.🔗 https://leffot.com/https://www.instagram.com/leffotGet a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

December 11, 20251 hr 15 min

Schott NYC Owner Reveals: Why We Can't Make Jackets Faster

Why does it take so long to get a premium leather jacket? In this episode, Nick Horween and Phil Kalas sit down with Jason Schott, the 4th generation owner of America’s most iconic leather brand, Schott NYC, to uncover the reality of supply chain bottlenecks, the struggle with Horween leather shortages, and the complexities of manufacturing in the USA.We go beyond the business logistics and dive deep into the technical details that leather enthusiasts care about. From resurrecting a "lost" calfskin tanning formula from 1949 to the nitty-gritty of the new 3sixteen collaboration, we cover it all. We also tackle the hard questions: dealing with color crocking, handling natural leather variation, and ultimately, whether the premium price tag is justified in today's market.In this interview, we cover:The Horween Crisis: Why the world’s best tannery can’t produce enough leather.The Lost Formula: The story of how Horween attempted to resurrect a 1949 calfskin recipe.Manufacturing Reality: Working with labor unions and American factories.The Details: Deep dive into the 3sixteen collaboration, color crocking, and leather jacket patina.🔗 Check out Schott NYC: https://www.schottnyc.com/Get a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

December 3, 20251 hr 18 min

Inside Carmina: 6 Generations of Shoemaking

In this episode of the Full Grain Podcast, we sit down with Carmina Albaladejo from the legendary Mallorcan brand, Carmina Shoemaker. With a history spanning six generations, Carmina has set the gold standard for high-quality footwear, but they aren't stuck in the past.We dive deep into how the family business started, the specific differences between constructing men’s and women’s welted footwear, and how they are using modern 3D scanning technology to make bespoke sizing accessible to everyone. If you’ve ever struggled with sizing or wanted to know what really goes into a $500+ pair of shoes, this episode is for you.In this episode, we cover:The 150-year history of the Albaladejo family.The technical differences between men's and women's shoe construction.How to actually get properly sized for dress shoes.Carmina’s new 3D bespoke technology.Why "Made in Spain" matters in 2025.Check out Carmina: https://www.carminashoemaker.com/us/enGet a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

September 30, 202539 min

Patina Thunderdome & The World's Best Boot Event BOOT CAMP 2025

Stitchdown Boot Camp is in CHICAGO this year! Ben Robison from Stitchdown tells us why to come and shares some updates about the Patina Thunderdome.https://www.stitchdownbootcamp.com/Get a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

August 6, 202541 min

Made for the NFL

Dan Rigele is the former plant manager of the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, where NFL footballs have been made for decades.Get a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

July 16, 20251 hr 36 min

AI, Architecture, & Craftsmanship: A Designer's Take on the Future - MAKR

Our most listened to guest is back! Jason Gregory from Makr disusses a wide range of topics from inspiration, AI impacts, architecture, creation, and more.This episode of the "Full Grain Podcast" features a conversation with guest Jason Gregory, founder of MAKR. The discussion covers a variety of topics, including the podcast's popularity and Jason's background in architecture and design. He shares details about a project to design a research facility for animals in Florida and his process of learning new software.The conversation also delves into the challenges of running a business, the balance between craftsmanship and profit, and the complexities of working with different materials like leather. Nick Horween, Phil Kalas, and Jason also speculate on the future of design and the role of technology like AI in the creative process and manufacturing.https://makr.com/Get a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

July 9, 2025Episode 631 hr 37 min

Wyatt's Favorite Grant Stone Boots

In this exclusive interview, Wyatt Gilmore, CEO and founder of Grant Stone, shares his honest opinions on various boots and shoes. He's joined by industry titans Nick Horween of Horween Leather and Phil Kalas from Ashland Leather for a deep dive into footwear preferences, from his absolute favorites to those that just don't make the cut.https://www.grantstoneshoes.com/Get a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

July 2, 2025Episode 621 hr 5 min

NEW Viberg NYC Store Opening Soon

Get the exclusive scoop! In this interview, we're joined by Brett Viberg and Nick Horween. Brett shares exciting details about the upcoming Viberg NYC store, a major milestone for the brand.You'll hear about the new location at 262 Mott St., New York City, and the anticipated grand opening in July 2025. Find out what this new space means for the brand and what you can expect when you visit.https://viberg.com/Get a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show

March 21, 2025Episode 611 hr 0 min

Q&A Oil-Tanned CXL & Curry Shell Cordovan

Nick Horween and Phil Kalas answer your urgent leather questions!Ashland Leather Everyday Belt in Black Illini Latigo: https://ashlandleather.com/products/everyday-belt-blackGet a wallet that is made for patina and is guaranteed for life. Ashland Leather has you covered. https://ashlandleather.com/The world's finest leather. Check our Horween Leather. https://www.horween.com/https://linktr.ee/fullgrainpodcastemail questions to fullgrainpodcast@gmail.comSupport the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055770/supportSupport the show