LEATHER & CARE
All tanneries follow strict regional and European legislations.
In addition, all follow European REACH certification on restricted substances. All hides used are by products of the meat and dairy industries and are of European origin and all water used in production is treated and cleaned before reutilisation or releasing.
Regarding certification different tanneries have started the audit process with internationally recognised auditors such as the Leather Working Group (LWG).
This covers social, environmental and traceability of production and raw materials as well as energy usage, chemical treatment, etc and tanneries are awarded a medal at the end of the process or rated simply audited.
With proper care, vegetable tanned leather can last many decades, and will only become more valuable and unique with time. Most vegetable tanned leather does not come pre-treated with oils and waxes, so the fibres will react to water by stiffening and shrinking. Therefore, you should keep it away from water for at least the first month or so of use, to allow the leather fibres time to soften and absorb oils to increase its natural water resistance.
Additionally, vegetable tanned leather is sensitive to high heat and can crack if heated to extreme temperatures. Make sure to not use a blow dryer or heat gun on the leather, and do not store your bag in an excessively hot area.
We recommend that you apply a small amount leather balm to your bag every few months or so - rub it in with a soft lint-free cloth and your fingers. A little goes a long way, and you can work it into the leather with soft circles. This will nourish the leather and restore its lustre, as well as replace essential oils and waxes to keep it flexible and resilient.
We also recommend a full cleaning of the leather once a year, using a leather oil & cleaner kit to remove any accumulated dirt, deeply refresh it and fully restore the leather to its natural beauty.