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Technical description

Category: M10
Thickness: 1.2 – 1.4 mm
Leather type: cow shoulders
Origin raw material: francia cow hide shoulder
Tanning: vegetable tanning
Dyeing: drum dyed through
Finishing: water finish
Grain type/look: smooth matt & waxed

The tanning

The process of tanning, that is the transformation of animal skin into leather, is called “concia al vegetale” (vegetable tan) because of the exclusive use of vegetable tannins to perform this change. It is an entirely natural process. These tannins exist in the bark and trunk of trees such as chestnut, quebracho and mimosa. The tannins are extracted from the by-products of the woodworking industry, thus without depleting forests.

Biodegradable and hypoallergenic

Vegetable tanned leather is completely biodegradable and indicated for anyone particularly sensitive to metals and synthetic chemical products. Our leathers are free or chrome, pentachlorophenol, benzidinici and azo-colorants. All the colors used in our production are strictly to legal norms.

Color-fade resistance

Oils and waxes are essential to our tanning process, but it is very hard to fix and isolate them during the aniline finishing process. Treatments “a vacchetta” may sustain natural color-loss through wet or dry rubbing.

Difference of colors

Another typical characteristic of the vegetable tanned leather is the slight variation of color from skin to skin which is due to the presence of natural oils. Also, on the same skin, one can immediately notice the classic bi-color effect of the “puntina nera”, where the uppermost part of the leather appears darker than that underneath.

Perfume

Vegetable tanned leather, treated and enriched with special oils, has an unforgettable perfume that brings us back in time, to when our fathers crafted these refined, rich leathers. To maintain this distinctive perfume, the leather must not be treated with solvents, pigments or resins.

Climate

In certain conditions of humidity and temperature the natural oils and creams used in the “nourriture” (the emollient phase) may resurface giving the leather a whitish patina called “repousse.” Vegetable tanned leathers behave differently than other leathers that present the same problem, as they return to their original state of suppleness and shine by simply rubbing them with a wool or cotton cloth. The repousse on vegetable tanned vacchetta leathers must not be considered a flaw or defect but rather a natural process. Time and use enhance the very quality and beauty of the leather itself.

Lightfastness

Another distinctive characteristic of vegetable tanned leather is the change in color it undergoes when exposed to a natural (sun) or artificial (electric, neon) source of light. Ultraviolet rays and the air itself are the principle agents in the oxidation that gives a yellowish hue to the cellulose of the tannins and determine this natural process called “viraggio di colore” (veering of color). The darker colors are not very affected by the change in hue. Meanwhile the natural colors, or the very light ones, are sensible to the veering and move towards a reddish hue.

A word of advice:

In order to avoid unpleasant surprises we advise all our client to take small precautions in view of their merchandise; rotate the objects, keep them away from direct sunlight. One must always remember that vegetable tanned leather is a natural product and thus subject to change in time.

Conclusions

Vegetable tanned leather is such a natural product that one can recognize and appreciate all of its minute qualities, its perfume, veins, marks and nuance of color. All these