Skip Horween is a fourth generation owner of the leather tannery in Chicago, IL that bears his last name. Ben and Skip roll up their sleeves to discuss the nitty gritty of tanning baseball glove leather and even set straight the record straight on a few baseball leather terms that are commonly used, but rarely understood. They even go off the rails to discuss the Horween family's indelible link to the NFL!
00:00: Introductions
1:16: Skip Horween, President of Horween Leather Company in Chicago, IL
2:05: What is Horween Leather and what does your factory do?
5:10: How baseball glove leather is made
7:00: What happens within the beamhouse phase for preparing leather?
10:53: Infield vs. outfield glove leather requirements
11:50: Ozzie Smith's glove leather story
12:50: Nokona's vegetable tanning process
14:08: Chrome tanning process
16:01: The percentage of leather hides that Rawlings accepts for its Heart of the Hide gloves
18:14: The dying process for leather gloves and the "Code 5" colorway
21:45: Preparing the final shipment of leather hides to manufacturers
23:07: What is "genuine" leather?
25:00: Top grain vs. full grain leather
29:04: Steerhide vs. cowhide vs. kip
34:40: Gloves vs. Purses
35:35: Skip Horween's special glove story
38:44: Arnold Horween's NFL career and the connection to producing NFL footballs
41:27: What's your most cherished item made in the Horween factory?
41:53: Chicago-style pizza or hot dog?
42:04: How do you get to work each day?
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