What is Vegetable Tanned Leather?
Did you know all 1974 leather goods are made from veg-tan (vegetable tanned) leather? Some might confuse this with vegan leather (pleather) which is man-made & can be made from polyurethane, plastics, cork or even bananas, pineapples & mushrooms.
If that is your jam... then go for it. If not... keep reading.
Here at 1974... all accessories are made with vegetable tanned leather. This means that the by-product animal hides are tanned with various tree bark/plant based tannins instead of toxic chromium or chrome tanned leather (remember Erin Brockovich?). It can take up to two months for this process to take place where as cancer causing chrome tanned leather can happen within a day or so. This is also one reason why veg-tanned leather is more expensive… and I think, a bit more beautiful. It patinas (ages) like a dream and shows all the character from you and your journey. It also should last you a lifetime and beyond overall reducing the amount of "things" one can possess. Quality over quantity.
The leather I source comes from any of these three companies with ethical and sustainable practices in place. You can read more below:
+ The Tuscan Italy Conceria (tannery), La Perla Azzura, I buy leather from is apart of the Consorzio Vera Pelle Consortium... one that upholds/regulates many truths I believe in especially #4. This sustainability manifesto is a quick one-page read...Hope you'll take a second to glean and learn from.
+ Here in the United States, I am using leather from Wickett & Craig. "Founded in 1867, Wickett & Craig is a world premiere vegetable tannery. A labor-intensive method that requires skilled workers, veg-tanning is a natural, eco-friendly process that produces durable, exquisite leathers recognized for their depth of color and rich patina. Simply put our leathers not only endure, but get better with age."
Source: https://wickett-craig.com/about/
Wickett & Craig Sustainability Info-Graphic
+ From Mexico, ChahinLeather® is committed to supporting responsible leather manufacturing across the globe and that is why we are proud members of the Leather Working Group/LWG. The Leather Working Group/LWG aims to improve the leather manufacturing industry by creating alignment on environmental priorities, bringing visibility to best practices and providing suggested guidelines for continual improvement.
In the meantime... what 1974 leather accessory can I make for you? Check out why you'll love 1974 Leather Goods & explore a bit >
• • •
Want to know more? Here are a few other resources to check out.
+ Learn more about Consorzio Vera Pelle on Instagram
