Chromexcel is hot-stuffed with oils and waxes, so these straps are soft from the first wear and pull up lighter wherever the leather bends.
Horween hides from Chicago, lined over a vegetable-tanned backing. It looks rich from the first day, and the pull-up keeps changing as the strap bends.
Chromexcel is combination-tanned at the Horween tannery in Chicago, IL, then hot-stuffed with oils and waxes. It's a heritage leather with the traditional classic American leather look and feel: soft and supple from the first wear, rich in the hand. We cut it lined, over a vegetable-tanned backing that keeps it from stretching.
Hot-stuffing is what gives Chromexcel its pull-up. Bend or stretch the leather and the oils move with it, so lighter tones surface wherever it flexes. On a strap that shows up first at the two points that fold every day. It isn't damage and it doesn't need correcting: left alone, the marks blend back as the oils redistribute.
Light scuffs buff out with your fingers or a soft dry cloth. Keep it out of prolonged sun and heat, and if it gets wet let it air-dry. Condition sparingly with a neutral conditioner, and only when the leather starts to feel dry.