Of all the various types of tanning, vegetable tanning is still the most classic. Traditional and recognizable, it is the only one capable of imparting unmistakable properties to leather.
Vegetable tanning is the closest to nature, the most respectful of ecology, the most suitable for combining comfort and aesthetics, fashion and tradition, versatility of use and uniqueness of the product.
It is with this method that we at Old Angler work the leathers to create leather bags and accessories that are unique and handmade.
Vegetable-tanned leather absorbs the traces of our lives
It ages, but it doesn't spoil. It is precisely the changes and personalizations that occur over time and with use that testify to the naturalness of the product.
The colors of the tannins give the leather warm tones over time, which tend to resurface with use, customizing it in a completely unique and unrepeatable way for each individual user.
Just as with our own skin, the product tends to transform depending on how it is used, to show its best side.
Choosing a product made with this leather means owning an item that is the expression of a philosophy, a lifestyle, which is unique and unrepeatable.
Vegetable tanning in history
Vegetable tanning is an articulated and complex process with ancient origins. This method of treating hides is older than history itself...
Prehistoric man and vegetable tanning
The origins of vegetable tanning date back to prehistoric times when humans learned to use and work animal hides to transform them into clothing and tools. Vegetable tanning, like most of prehistoric man's inventions, happened almost by chance.
The problem with using animal hides was that, if left untreated, they would quickly rot…
But what happened if animal hides came into contact with wood?
Almost by chance, prehistoric man realized that if the hides came into contact with the fumes of burning wood, or if they were immersed in water with leaves and branches from trees, the decomposition process would be sharply slowed down.
This happened, and still happens today, because woods are high in tannins, just as tree branches and leaves are rich in aldehydes.
Almost certainly, prehistoric man did not understand the chemical process behind vegetable leather tanning, but he had learned that wood, fire, and water were fundamental elements for the processing and preservation of animal skin.
In addition, prolonged immersion of hides in water containing flint made it much easier to separate the skin from the animal's hair.
Vegetable tanning in ancient history
The first documents on leather processing come to us from the peoples of Mesopotamia.
Throughout ancient history, almost all populations with a certain degree of social organization began to see tanners as true industry professionals, starting to create what can be defined as the ancestors of modern tanneries.
The methods of leather processing of the populations who saw the dawn of human history were perfected by the ancient Romans. They included in their cities buildings specifically for vegetable leather tanning. With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the great culture and studies dedicated to leather tanning suffered a sharp slowdown.
Vegetable tanning in the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages are a truly complex era, just think that it extends from the fall of the Roman Empire until the 15th century, so we are talking about a thousand years of history.
While it is true that the High Middle Ages corresponds to an era of socio-cultural regression, the same cannot be said for the Late Middle Ages, which instead saw a continuous flourishing of art, literature, culture, and craftsmanship.
It is no coincidence that already starting from the 12th century, true guilds of artisans dedicated to making their craft a true art were born in many medieval societies.
In Florence, the home of artists and artisans, the Arti (Guilds) were established: 7 major guilds and 14 minor ones, each with its own statute. 21 guilds in total that were the hub of the economy of the Renaissance city. Among these, we find the Arte de' Cuoiai, dedicated primarily to the vegetable tanning of leathers.
Vegetable tanning in the modern era
Throughout modern history, leathers have remained extremely important for the creation of everyday accessories and coverings. Until the mid-19th century, leather processing techniques continued to progress and refine.
A significant turning point in vegetable leather tanning occurred in the mid-1800s, at the dawn of industrialization, with the introduction of the drum: a machine capable of tanning large quantities of leather, accelerating the vegetable tanning processes while respecting tradition.
Vegetable tanning today
And this is what vegetable tanning means for Old Angler: a prodigious process based on the use of natural tannins from trees and the slow passage of time.
In fact, about 40 days are needed to transform raw leather into an inimitable material.
Why is it called vegetable tanning?
Vegetable leather tanning involves the use of natural materials of animal and plant origin.
The leathers used are generally of bovine, ovine or caprine origin.
The term "vegetable" refers to the type of leather processing where, with this type of tanning, the hides are treated with plant-based products from trees and plants, whose tannins create a chemical action that blocks the decomposition process of the leather and also makes it waterproof.
Vegetable tanning, respect for the environment and animals
Exactly as in antiquity, vegetable leather tanning does not involve the killing of animals. The hides used are material from the food industry which, if not tanned, would be waste material.
The procedures involved in this type of tanning are also completely natural and eco-sustainable.
How vegetable tanning works
The active ingredient that triggers the transformation of animal dermis into a compact and resistant material is TANNIN.
This substance is found in varying concentrations in numerous types of trees and plants. It can be present in the bark, leaves, wood, or even in fruits and roots.
It is tannins that give tanned leather that unique characteristic that makes it so special: the same "leather smell", for example, is something unrepeatable, indicative of an unmistakable sensation.
Tannins in leather processing
In current tanning practice, liquid or powdered tannic extracts are used.
The most well-known and ancient is chestnut extract, obtained from the trunk of the eponymous tree.
Equally widespread in vegetable tanning is Quebracho extract, a tree that grows predominantly in Argentina: from its bark, a powder with a characteristic red color is obtained.
This powder gives the leathers an unmistakable warm and brilliant hue, as well as greater consistency, making the final product more resistant to water and atmospheric agents.