Vegetable tanning and chrome tanning

November 3rd is
"Good Leather Day (1103 Good Leather)"
Today I want to share with you, leather lovers,
We will tell you some trivia about leather.
History of Leather
Leather products have a long history, dating back to the Paleolithic period.
To protect themselves from the cold, our ancestors processed the leather of the animals they ate and used it to make clothing.
At that time
From "skin" which is the skin of an animal,
"Leather that has had the hair removed and is ready to be used as a product"
This processing has led to the current tanning techniques.
Vegetable tanning and chrome tanning
The word "nameshi" means to make leather soft.
This is a technique in which leather, which would rot and harden if left in its original state, is tanned to make it less susceptible to deterioration and soft enough to be used as a material.

This tanning process can be broadly divided into two types: "tannin tanning" and "chrome tanning".

・Tannin tanning

The type of leather we often use at Third is tanned leather.
Tannins are astringent substances found in the bark of plants.

Tannins are the component that gives us the astringency we experience when drinking green tea or wine.

The leather is soaked in a solution made from this extracted ingredient and tanned slowly all the way to the core over a long period of time, which puts less strain on the leather.

However, it is a costly and time-consuming tanning method, requiring more than 30 steps over a period of more than a month.

The resulting leather is firm and resilient, and the more it is used the more lustrous it becomes, resulting in a finish that is full of the unique charm of leather.

・Chrome tanning

Chrome tanning is a tanning method that uses a chemical called basic chromium sulfate .

At Third, the thin leather used as the lining is chrome-tanned leather.

This tanning method was developed to improve on the challenges of tannin tanning, which is that it takes a long time and is a labor-intensive processing method.

Compared to tannin tanning, it takes less time and can be mass-produced, which has reduced costs and allowed it to become more widely used around the world.

It is said that 80% of the leather produced today is chrome tanned.

Its characteristics include its flexibility, beautiful color, and resistance to water and scratches.

Why does SARD use tanned leather?

Each material has its own merits, and leather products are made taking advantage of the characteristics of each material.

The reason why Third uses tanned leather is because we want to enjoy the pleasure of developing the leather together with our customers.

Leather that has been painstakingly cared for will develop more character the more it is used, and its lustrous appearance has a unique beauty.

This is one of the reasons why SARD continues to use tanned leather, as it is a leather that changes in appearance with use.

List of leather
View shop

November Event Information

The market is held at the Sea Schoolhouse in Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture.
This event will be packed with attractions, including food, drink, and workshops, with 52 exhibitors.
Leather Studio Third will be setting up a booth on the 5th (Sat) offering event-exclusive products and workshops.
Please come and visit us.
Sea School Website

We are running a 15% off campaign to celebrate our 15th anniversary until December 30th.
This is a special offer only available in store, so please take advantage of this opportunity.
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