Vegetable tanned leather is obtained from raw animal skins soaked in a mixture of shredded plants, that are rich in tannins, and water. During this tanning process, the tanning substances attach to the leather fibers to create the vegetable tanned leather which can be used as such or subsequently processed with plant or animal oils to create an even more versatile leather. Vegetable tanning is the oldest leather tanning process known. Since the process only uses natural substances, the vegetable tanned leather is considered an ecological leather, which does not harm the people or the environment.
In our atelier we apply a thin layer of mink oil on the finished product. Regular leather creams or mixtures of vegetable, animal, and mineral oils can be used as well to improve the resistance to water and maintain the appearance of your leather product. The oils may slightly darken the original color but, overall, they add to the rich feel and the beauty of the leather.
“Vegan leather” is an artificial product that imitates leather. While these products are more and more refined, they involve the use of polluting processes and raw materials derived from petroleum. The vegetable tanned leather is the most ecological product and, unlike the “vegan leather”, it is fully biodegradable.
We only source our leathers from North American and European tanneries that process the skins as byproducts of the food industry.