Vegetable Tanned Leather - Process, Benefits, And Why It Matters

Vegetable-tanned leather is a popular material in the world of selvedge denim, quality goods, and leatherwork. Known for its ability to earn a rich, deep patina, vegetable-tanned leather is a versatile material that is more natural than mass-produced, chrome-tanned leather due to its use of natural tannins during the tanning process.

If you’ve seen the term ‘vegetable-tanned’ when looking at leather products and scratched your head, this article is for you. In this primer, we’ll cover what vegetable-tanned leather is, how it’s made, what products it appears in, and answer a range of common questions about the material. Spoiler alert: No vegetables are actually used in the production of vegetable-tanned leather!

What is Vegetable-Tanned Leather?

Horween’s Vegetable-Tanned Dublin leather via The Tannery Row.

Vegetable-tanned leather is a natural material produced by tanning animal skins with natural tannins like bark, plant matter, and other vegetation. It differs from mass-produced leather, which is ‘chrome-tanned’ with heavy minerals such as chromium salts.

Often seen in its ‘natural’ undyed color, which is a bright manilla/beige color (pictured at the top of this article), vegetable-tanned leather can be made in practically any color, and is made into a wide variety of products, including belts, wallets, shoes, boots, and more.

Pros & Cons of Vegetable-Tanned Leather

Pros

• Traditional approach (detailed in the next section)
• Leathers are thick and hard-wearing
• All materials are biodegradable
• Natural feel and “earthy” smell
• Develops a patina with use and age
• Easy to care for

Cons

• Commands higher prices
• Water marks it easily, especially in lighter colors
• Strong leather smell is off-putting to some people
• Can become brittle and crack if not cared for
• Can scratch easily

How is Vegetable-Tanned Leather Made?

Vegetable-tanned leather in production via Wickett & Craig.

Vegetable-tanning is one of the oldest and most intricate leather production methods, dating back to approximately 6000 BCE. The basic steps of the process are as follows:

1. Salting – After the source animal is killed and skinned, the skin is salted to preserve it until it is shipped to its destination tannery.
2. Liming – Upon arriving at the tannery, the remaining fat or flesh is scraped off, and the skin is placed into a lime pit full of lime-based alkali solution. Among other outcomes, this dissolves the hair, removes fats, and primes the collagen proteins within the skin for the rest of the tanning process.
3. ‘De-liming’ – To neutralize the skin’s pH level prior to tanning, they are further treated using a natural acidic solution to counteract the alkali of the lime.
4. Tanning – Once the skins are prepped for tanning, they are placed in vats full of natural tannins. In the case of vegetable-tanned leather, these tannins come from plant matter like tree bark and/or plant matter. Tannins from trees such as oak, chestnut, or mimosa are popular, but hundreds of tree types and other plants are known to have been used. These tannins change the protein structure of the skin into what we can call ‘leather’. This part of the process can last up to 60 days or more, and the hide may be moved into different tanning solutions to achieve different results.
5. Drying – the leather is then dried for a few days.
6. Splitting – The leather is then ‘split’, to even out the thickness, typically by being run through a machine with a revolving knife.
7. Dyeing – If the leather is being dyed, the dyes are applied at this stage, prior to finishing.
8. Treatment – The leather is then ‘finished’ to restore its suppleness to the desired level. This is done by treating it with oils, waxes, or fats, and/or using heavy machinery to press and roll the leather.

Oak bark drying before it can be used for tanning at J & FJ Baker Tannery, Devon, England. Image via carreducker.blogspot.ca/

Vegetable Tanning Leather Vs. Chrome Tanning Leather

A leather tannery in Kanpur, India, where workers treat buffalo leather hides with lye and chromium. Image via National Geographic.

Vegetable-tanning is an expensive, time-intensive process that requires knowledgeable and skilled craftspeople a minimum of 30 days to produce leather. Conversely, Chrome tanning, which uses trivalent chromium salts and chemicals to tan animal hides, can be completed in as little as 1 day. This dramatically lowers production costs while accelerating output to far higher levels. As such, chrome tanning is responsible for somewhere between 80 and 95% of all leather production worldwide

Chrome tanning generally produces a supple leather that reacts well to water and keeps its finish throughout its “life”. The use of heavy metal minerals, however, is more damaging to the environment. Chromium salts can contaminate waterways and damage aquatic ecosystems, as the safe trivalent chromium used in leather tanning can oxidize and become the highly toxic hexavalent chromium under certain conditions. This is a much wider topic, but it does mean that vegetable-tanning is categorically more ecologically sound than chrome tanning. 

Chrome Tanning	Natural Vegetable Tanning
Tannins	Chromium salts (trivalent chromium)	Tannins from plant matter, such as tree bark
Environmental Impact	Contaminates wastewater with high levels of chromium, which can oxidize and become toxic to many life forms. Cannot entirely decompose due to the presence of heavy metals.	Uses a lot of water, but the wastewater is much cleaner. Typically compostable due to the absence of metal
Price	Mostly cheap	Expensive
Time to produce	1-2 Days	30-60 Days
Production	Mass-produced, making up between 80 and 95% of leather production	Less widely produced than chrome-tanned leather. Requires skilled and knowledgeable craftspeople.
Durability	Fairly durable, water-resistant, but not as long-lasting as vegetable-tanned leather	Durable, long-lasting, but sensitive to moisture and heat
Feel / Texture	Supple and flexible	Stiff at first, but softens with age and use. Has visible pores.
Color Retention	Holds dyed colors well and evenly	Develops a natural patina over time; will darken with use and age.

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Billykirk Natural Vegetable-Tanned Leather Valet Tray, available for $50 from Billykirk.

How Does Vegetable-Tanned Leather Age?

Vegetable-tanned cowhide leather begins stiff and uniform in color, but softens and develops a unique patina with use. As seen above, natural, undyed vegetable-tanned leather will darken as it is exposed to sunlight and absorbs oil/moisture from your hands and the environment. This results in a rustic patina that is totally unique to its owner

Image via Friday & River.

As you can see from the images below, the chrome-tanned leather on the left still has its uniform ‘finish’, and some creasing that is giving rise to cracking despite clearly being oiled. The Horween natural vegetable-tanned leather on the right has developed a much deeper patina, with healthier creasing and visible pores.

Patina comparison between Chrome leather (left) and veg-tan leather (right). Images via Reddit & Stitchdown, respectively.

Notable Makers of Vegetable-Tanned Leather Products

Accessories

• Billykirk
• Bleu de Chauffe
• Tanner Goods
• Bradley Mountain
• Obbi Good Label
• Iron Heart
• Pigeon Tree
• Hollows Leather
• Brave Star Selvage
• Cordobes
• Craft & Glory
• Blackthorn Leather
• Kingfisher Leatherworks
• Happy Patina
• Friday & River
• Loyal Stricklin
• Vasco
• Rose Anvil

Footwear

• Crown Northampton
• Chisos
• Meermin
• John Lofgren
• Viberg
• Unmarked
• Lennertson
• Drew’s Boots
• Grant Stone
• Bordon
• Dievier
• Parkhurst
• CP Slippers

Caring & Maintaining for Vegetable-Tanned Leather

Vegetable-tanned leather is easy to care for and maintain. The typical things you want to look out for are:

• Dryness – vegetable-tanned leather is prone to becoming dry if it is not conditioned when required.
• Cracking – If vegetable-tanned leather becomes too dry, it can become brittle and crack, especially in points of stress such as the flex point of a boot
• Water marks – These are more of an aesthetic concern, but vegetable-tanned leather is known to be easily marked by water
• Scratches – Vegetable-tanned leather scratches easily, but you can buff these out by rubbing the leather with your thumb or by buffing aggressively using a horsehair brush.

“Vegetable-tanned leather need a bit of TLC every now and then, but by and large I like to just wear it and see how it develops — scratches ‘n’ all. I tend not to fret about watermarks, as these come out easily when the leather is cleaned and/or conditioned. I tend to only clean or condition my vegetable-tanned leather goods if they are dirty, covered in water marks or scractches, or if they look or feel excessively dry. I try and leave it a good few months between treatements, though, as I like to develop an unfussy, authentic patina.”  – James, Heddels

3 Golden Rules for Vegetable-Tanned Leather Maintenance

1. Avoid fully submerging your vegetable-tanned leather in water.
2. Never put wet or damp vegetable-tanned leather near a radiator to dry.
3. Don’t use alcohol-based leather protector, it will dry it out.

How To Clean Dirty Vegetable-Tanned Leather

Otter Wax Saddle Soap in action.

1. Remove dust and debris from the vegetable-tanned leather with a horsehair brush or clean, dry microfiber cloth. (If cleaning footwear, remove the laces and clean them separately using soapy water)
2. Dip a long-handled horsehair brush into some  clean, cool water and flick off excess. You want a wet but not soaking brush.
3. Grab some saddle soap and work up a lather by working your damp brush in a circular motion on top of the hard saddle soap. You want a shaving foam/ foamy toothpaste consistency coating your brush.
4. Work the saddle soap lather into the vegetable-tanned leather using circular motions. Go in small sections so you don’t spread the dirt unnecessarily.
5. Dip the brush back into the water to remove excess dirt and dirty soap. Work up some more lather if you need to.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 until you have worked a decent amount of soap into the leather.
7. Using a clean microfiber or cotton cloth, remove the remaining soap residue.
8. Grab another clean, lint-free cloth and moisten it using clean water. Work this cloth over all of the leather to remove the soap residue you can’t see.
9. Leave for 24 hours to fully dry.
10. Use steps 2-3 from the conditioned guide below if you feel the leather needs conditioning. Saddle soap has some nutrients in it, so this may not be necessary.

How To Condition Vegetable-Tanned Leather

Images via Otter Wax.

Conditioning your vegetable-tanned leather helps to put natural oils and fats into the leather. This prolongs its life, reduces the appearance of dry areas and water marks, and softens the leather. Choosing a conditioning product depends on the condition of your leather and your goal:

• If you want a “maintenance conditioning” with minimal darkening, consider Cobbler’s Choice conditioner or other leather conditioner, and avoid creams. Creams are typically heavier and lead to more darkening. Saphir Lotion is good stuff, too.
• If your leather is excessively dry, or if you’re restoring a piece of vintage vegetable-tanned leather, draw for some cream, such as Saphir Renovateur.
• If you want more waterproofing and don’t mind a bit of darkening, consider something like neatsfoot oil or Huberd’s Shoe Grease.

1. Inspect your piece of vegetable-tanned leather prior to conditioning and work out what is needed. Very dry leather will probably need some shoe cream, which is a heavier treatment. Most of the time, you’ll just need some leather conditioner.
2. If the leather is dirty enough for a cleaning, use the cleaning guide above before proceeding with conditioning!
3. Brush the vegetable-tanned leather down with a horsehair brush or clean, dry microfiber cloth.
4. Apply leather oil or conditioner (see below for guidance on which product to choose) as per the manufacturer’s instructions, typically with a lint-free rag or cloth. The choice of product should reflect how you want the leather to look, post-conditioning:
5. Once the conditioning product has been evenly distributed, leave the vegetable-tanned leather in a warm place for 12-24 hours.

How to Reduce the Appearance of Water Stains on Vegetable-Tanned Leather

1. Using a clean cloth or sponge, dampen the entire piece of leather using circular motions.
2. Once damp, use a clean brush in a buffing motion. This will help to distribute some of the oils in the leather.
3. Wipe any excess water away with a clean, dry cloth.
4. Leave to dry for 24 hours.
5. If the leather feels dry, use the conditioning guide above.

Is All Vegetable-Tanned Leather 100% Natural?

Not all leather sold as vegetable-tanned is 100% natural. Some leather is vegetable retanned, whereby the animal skin is initially chrome-tanned, and is then treated with vegetable tannins afterwards. This process is a form of combination tanning.

Caswell Boot Co. Garrett Boot in Wicket & Craig oiled Latigo (Vegetable Retanned) Leather, available for $600 from Caswell Boot Co.

This isn’t always something to sniff at from a quality point of view, as combining these methods can give the leather properites of both – i.e., the water resistance of chrome-tan with the patina potential of veg-tanning. A common leather that is vegetable retanned is Latigo. Notably high-quality latigo is produced by Wickett & Craig and Horween, among other tanneries.

Vegetable-Tanned Leather FAQs

Question	Answer
Is vegetable-tanned leather real leather?	Yes! Although the shortened term ‘veg-tan’ is one letter away from spelling ‘vegan’, vegetable-tanned leather is real leather and is made by tanning animal skins.
How long does vegetable-tanned leather last?	Vegetable-tanned leather can last a lifetime or more, if cared for properly. This, of course, depends on how the piece of leather is used, but there are examples of vegetable-tanned leather still being usable for generations with proper care.
Can vegetable-tanned leather get wet?	Vegetable-tanned leather can get wet – it won’t damage it unless it is completely submerged in water. It will, however, leave water marks on the leather once dried. This can be addressed with cleaning and conditioning, described in the above section.
Does Louis Vuitton use Vegetable-Tanned Leather?	Yes, Louis Vuitton uses vegetable-tanned leather for certain parts of its iconic monogram bags and more. However, the brand’s monogram-printed leather is not vegetable-tanned, only handles and straps.
Why is it called vegetable-tanned leather?	It is called vegetable-tanned leather because it is tanned with natural ‘vegetation‘, i.e., tree bark and other plant matter.
Is vegetable-tanned leather more expensive?	Typically, vegetable-tanned leather is more expensive than mass-produced chrome-tanned leather, due to longer production times of over 30 days.
Does vegetable-tanned leather smell?	When new, vegetable-tanned leather has a woody, earthy, and slightly sweet ‘leather’ smell. The aroma of a piece of high-quality veg-tanned leather may fill a room when it is new.
How do you soften vegetable-tanned leather?	Vegetable-tanned leather will soften with use, but you can expedite its softening by conditioning it with leather conditioner and putting it somewhere warm overnight.
Is vegetable-tanned leather non-toxic?	Yes, 100% natural vegetable-tanned leather is non-toxic.
Does vegetable-tanned leather use formaldehyde?	No. Formaldehyde is used in different, less environmentally friendly tanning processes.
Can you dye vegetable-tanned leather?	Yes, vegetable-tanned leather absorbs dye very well and can be custom-colored using water-based or oil-based dyes.
What color is natural vegetable-tanned leather?	Natural vegetable-tanned leather starts as a pale beige or tan color and darkens over time, developing a unique patina with use and exposure to sunlight.
How to tell if leather is vegetable-tanned?	The best way to check if leather is vegetable-tanned is to check with the producer or retailer it was purchased from.
Should you oil vegetable-tanned leather?	Yes, when it feels dry, apply a coat of oil or conditioner (see section above on how to maintain vegetable-tanned leather)

Lead image via Billykirk