The leather produced was then used to create primitive clothing to keep themselves warm and to provide camouflage for hunting, not to mention creating bags for carrying around their possession and spoils. This is of significance to our own investigations today, for the hides were soaked in water filled with mimosa bark and leaves. Some 5000 years ago in Sumer (modern-day Iraq and Kuwait), one of four main prehistoric tanning techniques were believed to have occurred regularly. The story of vegetable leather eschewing synthetic materials is one that is inherently tied up with the history of human development. Seeing as leather is one of the oldest materials that we still use and wear regularly today, it should be no wonder that it has a long and storied history behind it. The History of Vegetable Tanned Leather Production To produce leather does not necessarily mean you need to produce destruction too.

Vegetable leather is a decidedly vegan leather that, besides using raw animal skin, seeks to make the process as environmentally friendly as possible. When it comes to veg-tanned leather, however, tree bark, leaves, and roots are favored due to their exceptionally high concentration of tannin.Ī number of tree species boast a higher tannin concentration than others, including birch, catechu, chestnut, mimosa, oak, and willow trees, just to name a few. Tannins are also found in other fruits, plants, and seeds in varying concentrations and will be obvious when looking for a sharp taste of some sort. Wine aficionados amongst you will be rejoicing at the mere mention of tannins as tanning agents, for this is precisely the chemical that influences the distinct taste of each bottle of wine, as found in the grapes therein. Through the tanning process, the tannins serve three major functions to preserve, strengthen, and give color to a piece of hide. The process specifically involves using natural vegetable tannins to alter the protein structure of a given piece of hide which in turn causes it to become leather. The environmental impact of such a process is quite gargantuan considering how popular leather products are. In this process, chromium sulfate takes the place of the vegetable tannins to prevent decay and rot in the animal hide. In fact, around 10% of all leather produced today will come about through the vegetable tanning process.įor argument's sake, an alternative method of tanning exists which produces chrome-tanned leather. One of the main methods by which to do this is through vegetable tanning. The process of turning animal hides into leather is usually referred to as tanning. Are you vegan? Do you want to know the most environmentally-conscious way for leather to be tanned? What is vegetable tanned leather? Are they making leather from vegetables now? Has political correctness gone mad?Īll this and more today as we explore the process of tanning leather with vegetables tannins, hopefully quelling some of your misconceptions along the way.

Veg tan leather hides