If you are always trying to make conscious decisions, you might have asked yourself these questions before: Is vegetable-tanned leather a sustainable choice? Should I go for the vegan alternative? Or maybe you are confused about what vegetable-tanned leather is. Either way, we got you.

What is vegetable-tanned leather?

Vegetable-tanned leather is an animal product mostly made from the hide of cows, sheep, and goats. We only use leather hides, which are a by-product of the meat industry. Only 10% of all leather is vegetable-tanned. It’s called vegetable-tanned because only natural tannins, like tree bark, are used in the tanning process. Vegetable tanning has a centuries-long heritage of artisanal craftsmanship and is the traditional way of curing hides. It gives the leather a distinct appearance and durability. The more popular chrome-tanned leather often uses heavy metals and is hazardous to the environment and the people working with it. Vegetable-tanned leather, on the other hand, is biodegradable and hazardous chemical-free!

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How is vegetable-tanned leather made?

The first step of vegetable tanning is curing, which means the hides are salted to battle bacterial growth. The tannery soaked the hides in limewater, which separates the hair from the hide. To reduce the pH level, they’re then de-limed in another soak. Now, they’re ready for the tanning process. This process takes up to 60 days in various baths with different tanning agents, like selected tree barks, nuts, and seed pods. The combination of these baths defines the characteristics of the final leather, like colour and softness. Afterwards, the hides must first be dried out and then lubricated with oils and waxes to keep them soft and flexible. They’re now ready to be made into any leather product.

Why do we use vegetable-tanned leather?

We focus on making durable, timeless products that can become your favourite. We use vegetable-tanned leather for our belts. The material allows us to offer you durable products that will only become more beautiful over time and can be discarded safely. We’re committed to decreasing our dependence on virgin petroleum-based material to move to a fossil-free world. Therefore, plastic-vegan leather is not a good alternative for our belts. By tracing our leather through the supply chain, using environmentally friendly production processes, and choosing durability and quality, we are sure our belts bring you an animal-based product that will last for years. In the meantime, we keep an eye out for natural vegan leather alternatives.

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Where does our leather come from?

We source our leather from our tanner, Montana, in Italy. They are a member of the Leather Working Group and audited on social and environmental criteria, with a transparent EU-based supply chain. Montana is also part of the ‘Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale’, committed to genuine Italian leather named Vachetta, produced following traditional vegetable tanning methods.