Veg Tan vs Chrome Tan Leather: A Detailed Look

Unlock the key differences between vegetable tan and chrome tan leather! Discover how these tanning methods shape leather's characteristics, durability, and applications—from crafting saddlery to creating flexible, vibrant goods. Learn which is the perfect choice for your next leather project!

#leathercrafter #leathercrafter #leathercrafting #leatherworking #leathertypes #vegtanleather


TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:20 - What is Vegetable Tan Leather?
01:42 - What is Chrome Tan Leather?
02:31 - Vegetable Tan Leather History
04:10 - Chrome Tan Leather History
05:19 - Vegetable Tan Leather Top View
05:49 - Vegetable Tan Leather Bottom View
06:25 - Vegetable Tan Leather Section View
07:05 - Chrome Tan Leather Top View
07:21 - Chrome Tan Leather Bottom View
07:53 - Chrome Tan Leather Section View
08:59 - Vegetable Tan Leather Production Process
10:41 - Chrome Tan Leather Production Process
12:25 - Vegetable Tan Leather Production Volume
12:51 - Chrome Tan Lether Production Volume
13:20 - Vegetable Tan Leather Cost
13:44 - Chrome Tan Leather Cost
14:05 - Vegetable Tan Leather Pros
14:46 - Chrome Tan Leather Pros
15:13 - Vegetable Tan Leather Cons
15:59 - Chrome Tan Leather Cons
16:18 - Vegetable Tan Leather Uses
16:46 - Chrome Tan Leather Uses
17:08 - Vegetable Tan Leather Crafting Tips
17:37 - Chrome Tan Leather Crafting Tips
18:22 - Final Thoughts

[georgebenta]

Hi again. How different is burnishing of chrome tanned vs veg tanned? Is it true that for chrome tanned leathers, you would always need to use a burnishing agent unlike veg tanned where water is sometimes used? Also most sites I have read often say that chrome tanned leather can damage metal objects, I am wondering how corrosive it is? Most of the time there doesn't seem to be any problem with metal bag hardware like rivets, buckles, snaps, and buttons (maybe it comes down to the quality of the hardware). How long does it take for common metal hardware to react to the leather? Are there types of metal that don't react to chrome tanned leather? What types of metals should be avoided?Most sites just generalize "metal" as a whole.

[dalegaliniak]

Yeah, I know of exactly one jacket company that makes leather jackets/clothes out of veg tanned leather, and that's Tenjin out of Japan (one of their jackets is a grail of mine). But for the most part, it's a bad fit for clothes. As a leather crafting hobbiest who likes heritage style bags and wallets, 90% of the time, I'm using veg tanned leather, mostly for its stiffness and patina, but also durability. All leather is a bit self-healing, but veg tan really takes it to another level. Most dings and scratches just magically burnish themselves away. This is cool for the stuff I'm making for myself and friends, but I fully recognize economies of scale make it so that, if I were to try to sell my stuff, I would need to charge hundreds of dollars for something like a wallet.

[joelyamasaki]

Great information. Do you have any videos on making a patent leather finish?

[georgebenta]

Would you consider Chrome tanned leather, natural leather? Seems like veg tanned and Chrome tanned are at the ends of the spectrum in difference in quality and usage. Some said that these two type are both sides of the same coin, making them equal. Most say chrome tanned is inferior to veg tanned. What are the common qualities of these two types of leathers? What are the things you can do to chrome tanned, but cannot in veg tanned and vice versa? Some said that chrome tanned has a shorter life span, is it because of use? or does it just degrade faster? How short is short lifespan for a well taken cared Chrome tanned leather? I have been researching about more chrome tanned because there seems to be a pro Veg tanned bias in the information available online, and everything about chrome tanned leather is generalized and simplified. Sorry for all these questions.

[RasheedKhan-hexx]

Surely leather tanning is older than 800BC. People have preserved and worn animal skins sins pre-history (yes some if was brain tanning). And of course ancient India and ancient China had leather at least 5000BC.

[ahmedlotfy]

4 to 20 $ per foot you pay alot for leather I have it at much lower prices