MehereThis is a really great question. In the tannery we have been making color #8 shell cordovan since 1905. This color was originally named for the amount of dye it received in the mix. If you look around you will also see color #4 (half of the dye of #8) and color #2 (half of the dye of #4).
Color #8 is a classic "cordovan" color -- a dark brown/burgundy shade. It is beautiful and the most popular color of shell cordovan. I assume this is because it has an amazing depth of color and luster that is impossible to translate in these photos.