How to care for vegetable tanned leather

What is vegetable tanned leather?

               Typically it's an unfinished cow hide that has been treated (or tanned) with tannin and other ingredients that are commonly found in vegetables. Vegetable tanned leather is usually light tan in color but can vary greatly depending on the tanning solution that a particular tannery uses. It is the most suitable type of leather for leather crafters to use for tooling (some call it carving or embossing). Vegetable tanned leather is very porous and susceptible to staining from water and other liquids since it is not sealed or finished.

Unfinished Vegetable Tanned Leather

Note the light tan color and smooth supple finish, free from scars from the open range where the cattle grazed or blemishes from the tanning process. The hide pictured (left) is a top quality vegetable tanned leather that was raised, processed, and tanned in the U.S.A. These types of hides are often far superior to one imported from Asia. The tanning process in the U.S. is more meticulous and closely monitored to produce a higher quality product rather than a mass produced low grade product.

Unfinished Vegetable tanned leather with tooling

Cleaning Vegetable Tanned Leather:
               There are many home made solutions and suggestions floating around the internet these days. But BE WARNED, many of the "home remedies" will do more damage to a vegetable tanned leather than good. These are often recommended for leather that is chrome tanned or one of several other processes and DOES NOT do well with vegetable tanned leather. For cleaning vegetable tanned leather use a good quality Glycerine Saddle Soap. Fiebing's makes a great product called, Fiebing's Liquid Glycerine Soap, for this and is used by leather crafters and proffesional leathersmiths worldwide. I prefer the liquid version to the bar type saddle soaps because it is easier to apply and much more user friendly and forgiving if a mistake is made. To use it simply spray it on to the area to be cleaned and wipe off any excess. Pretty Simple!

             (As with any cleaning product be sure to read the label and follow any manufacturers instructions) 

Dry brittle leather that needs to be conditioned

Conditioning Vegetable Tanned Leather:
     Once the piece of leather is cleaned and has had time to dry it will need to be conditioned. Conditioning replaces the natural oils found in the leather and gives it that soft supple feel that we all love. When looking for leather conditioners for vegetable tanned leather it's imperative that you read the labels on the products and stay away from ones that contain waxes. These work fine for other leathers but will not absorb deep into the pores in your vegetable tanned piece. Try a product like Aussie Leather Conditioner or    Dr. Jackson's Leather Conditioner. For either of these products use a soft lint free cloth applicator . Apply the product in a thin coat, it is MUCH better to use several light coats on this type of leather than one or two heavy coats, allow it to dry and wipe away any excess product. Repeated coats may be necessary to restore a really worn out piece. But be aware that the conditioner will darken the piece of leather slightly as it restores the oil's to the hide.



Protecting Vegetable Tanned Leather: 
       Once the piece has been cleaned and conditioned it will be looking a lot better and will have that soft supple feel again. Now it's time to protect it and prolong the life of the leather. This is especially important if your piece of leather will see outdoor conditions such as a motorcycle seat, horse saddle and tack, etc... To protect it, look for a product that offers weather proofing or a water repellent but it MUST be safe for use on vegetable tanned leather. Fiebing makes one called Snow Proof Paste that does a great job of sealing and protecting vegetable tanned leathers. It's not just for use in snow, but if it will hold up and protect in the rigors of that harsh of an environment and quantity of water then the abuse the leather gets from a little sweat or light rain is no big deal at all.

A finished and well maintained vegetable tanned leather

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