LEATHER
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Leather is sustainable and is a natural by-product of the food industry and without the ability of the leather industry to transform the hides into leather, over 7 million tonnes would go to landfill with huge environmental and biological impact. Leather makes a sustainable contribution to a society that needs to consume less, reuse more and recycle everything.
Well made leather goods last a long time and unlike most man-made, or synthetic materials it gets better with age, acquiring a depth of patina and wear pattern that is individual to the user - much like a favourite pair of jeans.
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Leather needs very little in the way of life-time maintenance and it is easy to do at home, it does not draw heavily on resources for laundering and drying, for example, and we increasingly see the revival of artisan skills/offering repair services for treasured leather goods. (Leather Naturally UK)
VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER
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Vegetable tanned leather is used exclusively by Raeleen Gladwell. It is the oldest tanning method still used today. It uses extracts from wood, and nuts of trees and shrubs from sustainable sources. It usually takes longer to tan leather using this method, but the result is a leather with distinctive aesthetic and handle that ages beautifully.
LEATHER CARE
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Leather is a skin and just like our skin there are things we should do to protect it. Here are some tips to keep your new piece in good condition for years to come.
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Keep it away from sharp items that could scratch it. If it does scratch it is unlikely that you will be able to remove it completely but if you use your hand to bend it over the scratch and bend it back and forth a few times gently and then rub with a small amount of conditioner then you will likely minimise it.
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Don’t overload your item, for example too many cards in a pocket. It is likely to stretch the leather and it will then appear to be misshapen.
Avoid getting your bag wet but if it does let it dry naturally- not near a heat source and not in direct sunlight.
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Dust your bag regularly with a soft cloth or brush weekly to prevent the build up of dirt. It does become dirty you can clean it with a wet soft cloth that has
had as much excess water squeezed out as possible and then rub gently using a circular motion. Let it dry overnight and then condition it using a good quality leather condition. Evenly apply the conditioner using circular motion. It will darken the leather slightly. Let it ‘dry’ for an hour or so then buff it using a soft cloth.
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Under normal circumstances your leather bag should only need to be conditioned every 6 months. Card holder and notebooks may not every need conditioning as there absorb the oils from your hands.