Chrome Tanned vs. Vegetable Tanned Leather, Explained

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A deep dive into the differences between chrome and vegetable-tanned leather: https://gentl.mn/chrome-vs-vegetable-tanned #chromeandvegtanned #leather #notsponsored SHOP THE VIDEO: → Dark Havana Brown Calf Leather Belt: https://gentl.mn/32ZTL7n → Jasper Silver Solid Brass Belt Buckle: https://gentl.mn/3hFI5eg → Brown and Blue Peccary Gloves: https://gentl.mn/3g65Coj → Black Shoelaces Round: https://gentl.mn/3hFJe5y GUIDES YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS: → Does “Made In” Matter?: https://gentl.mn/3f6qJ8G → How High-End Leather Gloves Are Made: https://gentl.mn/30Rm7OK → $30 vs. $300 Leather Gloves: https://gentl.mn/2P0WchV → Belstaff Trialmaster Jacket: Is It Worth It?: https://gentl.mn/2X2L6gH VIDEO CREDITS: → Script: Sven Raphael Schneider & Teresa C. Schneider → Camera & Editing: Chris Dummer → Pelle → Galen Leather → Ashland → Shoepassion → Ashland Leather Co. → Euroleathers IMAGE CREDITS: → Town of Diana Historical Museum → Horween Want to stay updated? Sign up here for free: https://gentl.mn/2D8IcjE Want to see more videos? Subscribe to our channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/thegentlemansgazette Become a part of the Gentleman's Gazette community - support us on Patreon! https://gentl.mn/patron ________________________________________________________________________ Gentleman's Gazette https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/ https://gentl.mn/3jOm6DC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gentlemansgazette FREE EBOOK: https://gentl.mn/2D8IcjE 00:00 Introduction Like many things in fashion, the word "leather" is overused and underexplained, which leaves most consumers in the dark about what they are really buying. Sofas, gloves, car seats, and shoes are all typically made of leather, but these materials only bear a passing resemblance to each other once the details are examined. There is a common misconception that vegetable-tanned leather is ALWAYS better than chrome tanned leather, but that isn’t necessarily true. The average veg-tanned is higher quality than the average chrome tanned leather, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t very high-quality chrome tanned leathers out there. We’ll talk about why this is true. 01:40 What is Leather and Why Does It Need to Be Tanned? Leather is an animal hide or skin that has been tanned, which is the process of preserving the hide. Without tanning, raw animal skins will dry out or rot, depending on the conditions in which they are kept because it is an organic material. Tanning, which derives its name from the traditional use of wood tannins, is a process that treats a raw animal hide to improve the durability, flexibility, and longevity of the skin. 04:12 The Tanning Process 13:26 Advantages vs Disadvantages * Chrome tanning allows for really thin glove leathers that are also quite stretchy and flexible. * Without any additional treatment, Chrome is more water resistant than veg tan leather. * Chrome leather generally holds dyes better than veg tan leathers, and you also get a much larger range of colors. * Chrome also endures heat better than veg tan * Burnishing, the process of using wax and heat to finish edges takes longer and is more difficult on most chrome tanned leathers. * Veg Tan leathers generally develop a nicer patina. Not to say that an aniline dyed chrome tanned leather cannot develop a patina, but the veg tan patina is usually nicer. * Generally, chrome tanned leathers yield soft, supple, and durable leathers, while vegetable tanned leathers are round and full feeling, patina well, and are easy to coax into shapes using heat and moisture. 16:56 How to tell the difference between chrome and veg tan leather? Generally veg tan is a bit stiffer and not as smooth, but Italians have perfected the finishing and can produce very soft veg tan leathers too that are good for shoes or bags, but not for gloves. An easy way to find out if leather is chrome tanned or veg tanned is the burn test 19:04 So Which Tanning Process is Better? Neither and Both, Depending on the Purpose. Vegetable tanned and chrome tanned leathers are different, and they serve different purposes. They aren’t easily interchangeable; you need to select the leather for the purpose. 19:31 Outfit Rundown