What is leather tanning?
Leather tanning is the process of treating animal hides to make them more durable, flexible, and resistant to decay. This is achieved by using tannins, which are naturally occurring compounds found in plants, to bind to the proteins in the hide together.
How does leather tanning work?
During the tanning process, the hide is first cleaned to remove any hair, flesh, and other impurities. It is then soaked in a tanning solution containing tannins, which penetrate the hide and bind to the collagen proteins, stabilizing them and preventing decay.
Types of leather tanning
There are two main methods of leather tanning: vegetable tanning and chrome tanning. Vegetable tanning uses tannins derived from plants, such as oak or chestnut, while chrome tanning uses chromium salts to achieve a faster and more uniform result.
Benefits of leather tanning
Leather tanning results in a material that is strong, durable, and resistant to wear and tear. It also has a unique texture and appearance that improves with age, making it a popular choice for a wide range of products, from shoes and bags to furniture and everyday carry items like wallets and keychains.
Understanding the science behind leather tanning can help us appreciate the skill and craftsmanship that goes into creating this versatile material. Learn more about the leather tanning process from the tanneries we source our leather from in the videos below.
Hermann Oak
The Bear's Leather Company uses hides from the Hermann Oak tannery to make our Bear Belts and Dog Accessories. The hides we use are coming from a 5th generation tannery that continues to produces some of the world's best leather using techniques that are tried and true.
How Leather Is Made By Hermann Oak Leather from Mary Alt on Vimeo.
Badalassi Carlo, Conceria Walpier, and Conceria La Bretagna
The vegetable tanned leathers from the tuscan region in Italy have a long history and are revered for their quality. This quality is achieved using techniques that have been perfected over centuries and are now protected by the Italian vegetable-tanned leather consortium (Consorzio Vera Belle Italian Conciata Al Vegetale). We use the leather from these tanneries because of their exceptional quality and the sustainability. We believe these hides complement our ethos at Bear's Leather Company where we utilise modern leather hides with western tack and saddle fabrication processes to produce products that combine a classical modern and rugged western theme. This combination is best seen in our vegetable tanned Wrap Wallets made from Italian leathers, accented with Vernis edge paints, and constructed using a hand sewn saddle stitch technique.
video iniziale La Bretagna sito from Marco Angiolini on Vimeo.
SB Foot Tanning
The Bear's Leather Company uses hides from the SB foot tannery to make some of our accessories including the Leather keychain, our Japanese Fish Hook keychain, and our Valet Tray. In addition we use some of the high quality chromexcel leather from SB foot to make our Chromexcel Wrap Wallets. SB foot tannery started in 1852 and partners with the Red Wing Shoes company. We are proud to use the leather from SB foot because of its remarkable quality and consistency.