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 Leather can be water resistant

As much as we hate walking in the rain with our brand new leather bag, shoes or jacket, most of the leather used commercially are treated for water resistance to some degree. It is commonly treated with oil. However, if your leather good is in contact with water or liquid for a long time, not treating it right away will leave water spots which can't be removed easily.

Italian Leather is the crème de la crème

There are articles saying Italian leather is the most long-lasting leather, it can withstand daily wear and tear and it reduces the drudgery. We agree. But the key to note here is not the "Italian" leather that is the best, it is their tanning process and the standards set by the Italian tanners that made their leather the best. Over time, this process was learned and taught in many other countries, which is why we can't really say Italian Leather is the best.

 One of the processes of leather tanning requires animal brain 

"Braining" is a traditional leather tanning process where it uses the animal's brain and water to make a mixture to soften the hide and make it pliable. But why use the brain of an animal? The brain of an animal is used traditionally as a source of emulsified oil. However, some tanners use eggs or a mixture of oil and soap, which can also achieve the same result as an animal brain.

Handmade leather products are so expensive! Why?

Handmade leather bags are more durable than machine-made because of its stitching technique, commonly known as saddle stitch. Saddle stitch uses 2 needles going through the leather on both sides, locking each stitch as it goes. Hence, if the thread broke on any side, it will not affect the whole line, maintaining its strength to hold the leather together. A good saddle stitch usually appears to be slightly slanted. 

Though it may sound simple, a certain amount of training and practice is needed to perfect the stitch.

Not all leather is DEAD

Have you ever had a leather purse that appears darker in color  (usually a shade darker) over time? We are not talking about the oil stain or dust stains that got caught onto your leather bag over time, which can be cleaned or washed away with a chemical solution. 

What we are saying is, the leather changes its color beautifully over the time of usage, without looking dull and old. Vegetable tanned leathers are natural leathers that is not processed, hence it is "alive" at which it changes color when it's exposed, unlike chrome leather and Saffiano leather that doesn't change its color over time.