Tanning is one necessary step for refining leather, as it helps prevent the hide from putrefying and rotting. You would often find different tanning types, which further classify the different varieties of leather. But vegetable-tanned leather is one unique choice known for its firm, thick, and durable nature.
Vegetable-tanned leather is one luxurious material that has several distinctive features. This type of leather is subjected to vegetable tanning, the oldest form of tannage – a refining process that gives the leather its intriguing properties.
Despite its popularity, some people know little or nothing about vegetable-tanned leather; fun fact, you must have invested in such leather products in the past without an iota of knowledge about its refining process. Not to worry, this guide contains everything you should know about vegetable-tanned leather.
What Is Vegetable Tanned Leather?
Vegetable-tanned leather refers to leather that has gone through “vegetable tanning,” which means that the leather has been treated with tannin-rich plant extracts. It is a thick leather characterized by its robust and natural finish – you would find the hide’s natural fibers visible on the finished product.
Thanks to the gentle treatment this leather hide undergoes, it has a soft, comfortable feel and a long lifespan. This type of leather has been used for centuries in making several leather items.
Every leather item crafted from this vegetable-tanned leather has an unmistakable appearance, with distinctive features including its thickness, earthy smell, and silky feel. It is pretty durable and develops a rich-colored patina as it ages.
What is vegetable-tanned leather made of? This type of leather is sourced from the hides of animals, primarily sheep, and cows. Also, you can find various grades of top-grain and full-grain vegetable-tanned leather.
Vegetable Tanned Leather Explained
Tanning is a process of exposing raw animal hides to specific solutions that make them free from bacteria that could cause rot. Kindly note that there are two significant types of tanning; vegetable tanning and chrome tanning.
Vegetable-tanned leather is subjected to a tanning procedure that uses natural plant extracts, while chrome-tanned leather substitutes such natural solution by employing salts (mostly chromium di-sulfate).
Some tree species from which the tanning extracts are sourced include Oak, Willow, Chestnut, Mimosa, Birch, and Catechu. Vegetable-tanned leather goes through a process that occurs in five significant steps.
Sourcing the leather Hides
This step remains the most significant of all since you need the raw animal hide before moving forward to tanning. After the slaughtering of animals, the hides are removed with the aid of special machines.
It is imperative to note that hides are byproducts, and animals are not killed solely for their skins – the hides are often collected from animals slaughtered for food. Now, the sourced leather hide is taken to a section of the slaughterhouse or a separate building known as the “tannery.”
Pre-treatment
The hair and fats are removed at the tannery using a few simple procedures. However, the rawhide is first salted for pr