As the name indicates, Saphir Cordovan cream is specifically for shell cordovan leather, and Creme 1925 is the default shoe cream from Saphir M’dor used mainly on calf. But are they interchangeable? What is the difference?
Saphir always guard its ingredients like top secret, the only open information is they are both made of pigment, grease and solvent. According to some enthusiasts digging deep, Cordovan cream is water based while Creme 1925 oil based.
What is the difference which layman can understand? Water based means water is more than oil and oil based means oil is more than water although both products contain water and oil.
So Cordovan cream is lighter, and Creme 1925 is more sticky and dense.
Furthermore, the oil in Cordovan cream is Neatsfoot oil and Creme 1925 Shea butter. What do these two oils have effects on shell cordovan leather?
My personal experience is that Cordovan cream gives more smooth and hydrated sheen while Creme 1925 more sticky and not well spread on the surface. The reason is shell cordovan is very tight and pores don’ take oil easily.
The legendary tannery Horween is world famous for its shell cordovan and it recommend to use Venetian Imperial to care its leather. They also mentioned Saphir Cordovan cream, but they think it has better aesthetical function than conditioning.
