Leather wares has always been in high demand due to its durability and special texture. The technology able to create synthetic leather, which look similar to natural leather, but natural leather can always a class apart due to their natural, rich and elegant finish.
Natural leather or real leather is made of animal hides, such as cow hides, ox hides, kangaroo hides, crocodile hides and even more. Natural leather doesn’t just look alike. Their textures and looks is quite depending on the hides used and the process done through.
Leather hides can be tanned by vegetable tanning or chrome tanning.
Vegetable Tanned Leather
Natural Vegetable Tanned Leather is tanned using an age-old process that utilizes tannins and ingredients found in vegetation such as tree bark and wood. Vegetable tanning is an ancient and traditional craft process. Without any chemical used, vegetable tanning is the most environmentally friendly way to tan leather. Vegetable tanned leather is usually light tan in color. However tanning solution uses by the tannery has great impact on the color, tone and darkness. The process of vegetable tanning produce supple leather with unique characteristics; a true luxury leather.
Vegetable tanned leather is the most suitable type of leather for handmade leather products. Vegetable tanning allows the leather to continue to absorb water and oils throughout its lifetime, as it is not sealed or finished. Over time, it will develop a rich dark patina with use.
Chrome Tanned Leather
80-90% of leathers in the world today, are produced by chrome tanning which is using chemicals. Most of these factory are using chromium sulphate, that is why the process been called as chrome tanning. Chrome tanning is a very quick process which taking about a day to produce a piece of chrome tanned leather from a piece of animal hide.
Chrome tanned leather is usually with water resistant power. It is soft and supple to touch and it is also possible to obtain leather with a stable color. It has also higher degree of thermal resistance and also cheaper to buy compare to vegetable tanned leather. Chrome tanned leather often with smells of chemicals and lacks of charmed and warmth.
