Introduction (and summary at the same time)
owhide is a by-product of the meat industry. Cows are not bred to obtain only their skin. The less people eat meat, the more expensive products made from leather will become. Leather is tanned (processed to obtain the form of the material) in two ways, commonly called vegetable and chrome. The main difference in processing method is related to sustainability. The vast majority of leather products are made of chrome-tanned leather. Vegetable tanned leather has nothing in common with the so-called vegan leather (e.g. from pineapple leaves or cactus). Vegan leather is nothing more than a material containing plant fibers mixed with plastic. The natural leather is brown-beige. The colors and patterns are given to the leather during the tanning process. Natural leather is matte and is covered with natural waxes or oils to make it shiny. Natural leather does not crack and is difficult to cut. Natural leather becomes more noble over time, patinas, does not crack or tear.
From cowhide to leather
ach cow hide is the story of an animal's life. Wrinkles, scars, abrasions, bites, or signs of the interaction of nature. If they are not visible on the leather, it was either heavily corrected during the tanning process, or during the creation the leatherworker left a lot of rejects from his work. Correcting the leather during the tanning process means abrading its upper part to remove unwanted marks. This process makes the leather uniform, but at the same time it becomes less durable. Such leather is called top-grain. Leather with visible signs of nature, the most durable, of the highest quality, uncorrected, is called full-grain. Leather before processing is between 4 and 8 mm thick. Leather used to create products is usually less than 2 mm thick. Therefore, in order not to create rejects, the remaining approximately 6 mm is also called leather, but it is not as durable and long-lasting as materials of top-grain or full-grain quality. An example of leather that does not have a grain is suede. Material of animal origin, which does not have the durability attributed to leather products. And the last type of leather, the lowest layer is called genuine leather - an undurable material, chemically refined, often coated with plastic polymers to imitate natural grain.
Tanning process
he rapid increase in total consumption in the world, and the resulting increase in meat consumption, made cowhide, as a by-product of the meat industry, very accessible. Due to the availability of cowhide for the industry, methods were invented that allowed the leather tanning process to be shortened from 30 days to 1 day. This brought the possibility of introducing a greater number of leather products at more affordable prices in stores. In other words - greater meat consumption caused greater consumption of poor quality leather products, made of a material that introduces harmful chromium into the environment during the tanning process, and makes natural and biodegradable animal leather obtain the status of plastic, or even a composite product, so it is practically impossible to dispose of it. Throughout this crazy time of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, there were people who couldn't believe what was happening around them, but fortunately they stayed calm and sensible, keeping up their work with naturally tanned leather using oak bark, quebracho, mimosa, chestnut, acacia. After years, in each country you can find one or two places that still tan leather naturally, saving water, not polluting the environment, producing leather that remains biodegradable and neutral for the environment after the entire process. The center of such tanneries is Tuscany, where the oldest places are associated in the group Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata Al Vegetale
Colours and structure
he natural color of tanned but undyed leather is light beige. Tanned leather is smooth, with visible wrinkles or scars in some places. These places are often avoided when creating products, unless it causes a very large loss of material. Leather can be any color and any structure. Leather is dyed through or only to the grain side. Leather can be embossed with any pattern, both geometric and imitating the skin of an animal other than a cow.
Aging, durability and care
eather acquires a patina with use. It becomes more shiny and full-bodied. It can be scratched, but this is easy to correct with proper care. It is rather difficult to pierce or cut without using sharp tools. Vegetable-tanned leather does not crumble, does not fall off, does not wrinkle, and cannot be torn. We can say that leather is very alive, it remembers shapes over time, remembers where it has been lying, remembers whether it has been in the sun or has been lying in water. It remembers in a way that gives it nobility. Leather should be cared for once every 3-6 months. It is not a complicated process, just a warm cloth and one of the natural cleaning products such as mink oil, sweet almond oil, or saddle soap.