Our Leather

Leather is a beautiful, strong, and durable material.  I primarily us two types of premium leather, Buffalo and Cow. 

Shoreline Crossbody (Cow)

 

Buffalo

I use a variety of buffalo leather called Korba in a variety of colors. Not only is there a wide selection of colors.  The characteristic that I love is and feels truly sets this leather apart is the degree to which it will burnish. The leather will burnish through use and handling which causes the oils to come to the surface making it shiny and lustrous and become buttery soft.

 Cow

I primarily use cow leather from Newbury Leathers which is a family owned tannery here in the USA using USA hides.  Cow leather is highly beautifully durable and flexible leather. 

I love the Newbury Crazy Horse, South Street, and Latigo lines of leather and each has its specific characteristics.  Crazy Horse Crazy has a strong pull up, smooth and heavily waxed grain, and a truly rugged and distressed Wild West appearance.  Latigo is an oiled leather and is more flexible, durable, and water resistant and holds up over time.  South Street is another Newbury leather I love, the key characteristic is the addition of a Lanolin coating and the leathers minimal bounce back, meaning that the leather it holds it shape.

Treatments

Lanolin, also called wool yolk, wool wax, or wool grease, is a wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals. A lanolin coating adds both a waxy texture to the surface, but also provides a natural oil to the leather protecting it from drying out.

Oil tan leather where the product comes in contact with hard surfaces or where durability is needed.  These leathers are hot shot stuffed with waxes and oils giving the leather a rich pull up and smooth feel. For products that need flexible, durable, and water resistant leather that holds up over time

Tanning

There are two main methods of training chrome (chromium) and veg (vegetable) tan and these processes largely differ in which chemicals are used in the tanning liquor.

Chrome Tan Leather

Chrome (chromium) tanned leather is one of the most common types of tanning. It refers to the chromium used in the tanning process. It's a popular method of tanning because it's quicker than vegetable tanning and results in a softer, more pliable leather. Chrome tanning is a relatively new approach, dating back to 1858, as tanneries looked for ways to expedite the process and save money and can take as little as two weeks to process and costs considerably less than vegetable tanning.

Benefits

• Fairly water-resistant making it best for products that may be subjected to heat or humidity.
• Can produce a wide variety of colors from black to bright pink and teal.

Veg (Vegetable) Tan Leather

Veg tan or Vegetable tanned leather refers to the method of tanning a hide into leather. It's called “vegetable” because of the all natural tannins used in the tanning process like tree bark. Vegetable tanning or veg tan as it's sometimes called, is one of the oldest methods of tanning known to man.

Benefits

• With proper care, vegetable tanned leather can last for many decades.
• Known for deepening the natural colors and fibers of the hide and with time and use the leather caramelizes with a beautiful patina that only enhances its rich, natural beauty.

Pocket Cruiser (Buffalo)