[hbecklin]

Sirs,
I recently purchased a pair of BB Alden-made tassels off of eBay (which have not yet arrived). I have not yet received them, but I have been looking on AAF for a while and can't get any concrete answers. They don't claim to be shell. For those of you who are Alden professionals, could you give me your two cents? While I have no expectations, and for what I paid for them, they are still a very good deal if they are calfskin. I know little to nothing about Alden-made cordovan shoes, but I do know the creasing is key. Maybe there's some visual clue that's very obvious- I don't know.

Pictures:

 

[hbecklin]

Thanks for your responses. Just for my own personal edification, what is your rationale behind your judgement? Or is it a "blink" thing?

 

[hbecklin]

Thanks to all for your responses- I too haven't ever seen this much variation in responses. However, I guess that's the same problem I had when I was looking at them on eBay. I'm thinking calf- LeatherSOUL has lots of experience on this front, so I'll defer to him.

Just couple more questions, though. Can I call Alden when I recieve the shoes and give them the model number, and then they'll tell me the content? Or do I call Brooks? Or do I ask you?

Also, how should I go about getting them repaired (assuming they're well worn)... If they're calf, should I Restore them, or should I just live and let live (and wait for a Brooks sale on Cordovan). Does Alden restore the BB shoes?

 

[hbecklin]

Alright. Once they arrive, I'll take another picture with a better camera and make sure to include the picture of the interior stamps. Thanks to all.