Why Vegetable-Tanned Leather Is So Expensive | So Expensive
Business Insider・2 minutes read
Artisans in Tuscany use vegetable tanning with natural agents like tannins from trees to create high-quality, durable leather that lasts longer than synthetically treated leather, involving a meticulous process to bind to collagen proteins for longevity and versatility. This traditional method involves soaking, de-hairing, and tanning in wooden drums for weeks, offering a longer-lasting alternative to chrome tanning, despite being a slower process.
Insights
- Vegetable tanning in Tuscany involves artisans dedicating weeks to each piece, utilizing natural agents like tannins from trees to bind to collagen proteins, enhancing leather quality, durability, and resistance to decay.
- The meticulous process of vegetable tanning, including soaking, de-hairing, and tanning in wooden drums, contrasts with chrome tanning's quicker method, highlighting the trade-off between speed and quality, resulting in softer but less durable leather.
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Recent questions
What is vegetable tanning?
Vegetable tanning is the oldest leather-making tradition using natural tannins.
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Summary
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Traditional Vegetable Tanning Creates Durable Leather
- Vegetable tanning, the world's oldest leather-making tradition, involves artisans in Tuscany spending four to six weeks perfecting each piece, resulting in higher quality and longer-lasting leather compared to synthetically treated leather.
- Genuine vegetable tanned leather uses natural tanning agents like tannins from cabracho, chestnut, or mimosa trees, which bind to collagen proteins in hides, protecting them from decay and bacteria, giving leather its longevity and versatility.
- The process involves soaking hides in water for 24 hours, de-hairing, and liming before tanning in large wooden drums for three to seven weeks, distinguishing it from chrome tanning, which is quicker but results in softer leather with a shorter lifespan.
