WHAT IS VEGETABLE TANNING?
Vegetable tanning means to process the hides in a pure and natural way without using harmful chemicals. It is a traditional, artisanal process that takes advantage of the tannic acids naturally found in some plants, by using the barks, branches, leaves or even some fruits in some specific techniques. It is taking up to two months to complete the vegetable tanning, which is why leather is more commonly tanned with minerals like chromium (tanning leather with chrome constitutes 85 – 90 % of all leather produced in the world).
Vegetable tanning can be proudly considered the most traditional tanning method known today.
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Due to the vegetable nature of tannins and the absence of any chemicals, vegetable-tanned leather is completely biodegradable, perfectly tolerated by sensitive skin, eco-friendly (the tanneries, which produce the leather I am using, are equipped with sophisticated wastewater treatment and recycling systems that allow them to respect the environment as much as possible).
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No animal is killed for its skin. The leather is a by-product of the food industry. After an animal is killed for its meat, the skin is discarded.
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âš“ While the names may sound similar, vegetable-tanned leather is not to be confused with vegan leather, which is not a real leather product.
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LEATHER CARE
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To keep vegetable-tanned leather looking it best and to protect its appearance, it is important to treat it with care:
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· Avoid letting your leather product get wet especially in the first month of use. After a month, the leather becomes more flexible and better at repelling water droplets.
· Keep the leather away from heat and never blow dry it, even if it gets wet.
· Use animal hair brush for cleaning, not the one made with synthetic bristles.
· You can occasionally wax your leather products to keep them in top condition. I would suggest using all-natural leather balm such as Smith`s Leather Balm (available in my online store), handmade from 3 ingredients: 100 % organic cocoa butter, 100% organic beeswax and 100% pure sweet almond oil.
· I highly recommend using the leather care products containing no chemicals (please try to avoid using any kind of waterproofing sprays).
Remember, the vegetable-tanned leather product is “unfinished” until it finds its owner (you). Only in your hands, the leather good starts its trip of a lifetime. By using your leather everyday carry soon you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous patina (a natural process of leather ageing), that makes your product one-of-a-kind.
LEATHER TANNERIES
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Nemo Leather Goods is proud to work with the vegetable-tanned leather coming from the world-known Italian tanneries. Currently, all the products presented in Nemo online store are made using the finest leather provided by two tanneries in Tuscany: La Perla Azzurra and Badalassi Carlo. Both of them are members of The Genuine Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium
SEWING THREAD
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Nemo leather goods are all hand stitched with 0,63 mm AU CHINOIS Spécial Cordonnerie waxed polyester thread, which has the advantage of being extremely strong and resistant to humidity.
FIL AU CHINOIS is high-quality thread made in France since 1847. It has been recognized as one of the best sewing threads widely used by professional craftsmen of fashion houses like Hermès, Louis Vuitton, etc.
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HAND TOOLS
Nemo leather goods are entirely handmade by a single person using the traditional leather crafting techniques. No machines or computers are involved.
It all starts with the design, then the pattern drawing. Next comes the cutting, stamping, gluing, punching the stitching holes, hand stitching using the traditional saddle stitching technique, edge finishing.
All the stages mentioned above are performed using the premium quality hand tools produced by talented craftsmen from all over the world.
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