Why You Want Veg-Tanned Leather for Your Biker Masks
You probably already know that the qualities and appearance of leather can vary depending on the type of hide used in its making. For example, rattlesnake boots are going to look significantly different from boots made with cowhide. The properties of the various hides can determine how those hides will be used. Some types of leather are better suited for accessories like our biker leather face masks while others are prized by furniture makers.
The qualities and appearance of leather can also vary depending on the type of tanning process used in its making. The majority of leather products that you’ll come across are made using a chrome tanning process. The skilled artisans at Biz Levanten who produce the handcrafted leather accessories available for purchase through Balance Headwear prefer to work with vegetable-tanned leather – what some refer to as vegetan leather.
Vegetable Tanning VS Chrome Tanning
Chrome tanning offers manufacturers some significant benefits. First and foremost, it is fast – much faster than vegetable tanning, in fact. Because the tanning process can be done quickly, chrome tanning can deliver more product at a lower cost. On the downside, using minerals like minerals like the chromium sulfate that gives chrome tanning its name can be harmful to the environment.
Vegetable tanning, on the other hand, produces high quality-leather without the use of harsh chemicals. This process goes back thousands of years. (Historians estimate that tanning was first developed around 6000 BCE.) Vegetable tanning is also the most intricate and, therefore, the most time-consuming process.
While the name may you think that the vegetable tanning process involves broccoli, carrots and perhaps squash, it really draws on tannic acids naturally found in the bark, branches or leaves of certain plant species.
Why We Use Veg-Tan for Our Leather Accessories
- Veg-tan leather is safer for the environment – and safer for you!
- It produces leather with beautiful colors and textures.
- Offers long-lasting quality you can see.
- And we believe that you deserve the best.
So, if you’re considering the purchase of one of our incredible biker leather face masks, handcrafted leather postman shoulder bags or any of our other leather accessories, know that you can buy with confidence.