Most leather produced today is chrome-tanned, yet vegetable tanning remains one of the oldest and most respected methods in leathercraft. Many industry leaders make little distinction between the two, but not all leather is created equal—this is largely due to the variation in tanning methods used across the leather industry. Durability, speed to market, and sustainability sit at the center of the ongoing conversation about what makes leather truly exceptional.
But what exactly is vegetable tanning, and how does it differ from the leather tanning processes commonly used today?
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the vegetable tanning process and explore what it truly takes to produce exceptional leather — because it all begins with how leather is tanned.
Tanning is the process of treating animal hides in preparation for leather production while preventing decay. Without tanning, hides would rot and be unusable as leather for common applications such as footwear, clothing, handbags, car seats, and saddlery.
The process involves soaking cleaned hides in a bath containing tanning agents that stabilize the hide’s collagen fibers. This stabilization prevents the penetration of moisture, chemicals, and bacteria that would otherwise cause the hide to break down. The result is durable leather that can move on to the dyeing and finishing stages.
The fundamental difference between vegetable tanning and chrome tanning comes from the type of tanning agent used at this stage of the process.
For thousands of years, vegetable tannins derived from plants were the only way to preserve animal hides. Chrome tanning did not emerge until the mid-19th century with the rise of industrial chemistry.
Vegetable tanning is the oldest method of preserving animal hides, with the practice dating back to prehistoric times. Ancient civilizations used various natural tanning agents such as tree bark, berries, and leaves to produce workable leather. The modern process remains essentially unchanged from its ancient roots.
Plant materials like wood bark, leaves, fruit seeds, and roots contain compounds called tannins (or tannic acid), which, when combined with water and natural oils, create a solution that penetrates the hides and initiates the collagen stabilization process. The raw material inputs of vegetable tanning are natural, sustainable, and renewable.
During tanning, hides are placed in large vats or drums filled with a tanning solution. The hides are slowly rotated to allow the solution to penetrate the hide’s layers. Each drum contains solutions of varying strength, and as the tanning process progresses, the hides are transferred to drums with higher concentrations.
This process can take up to three months to complete. The result is leather that is firm, durable, and richly developed in both color and character.
Because vegetable tanning takes time, the leather develops characteristics that faster industrial tanning methods simply cannot replicate:
It is estimated that more than 85% of leather produced worldwide is chrome-tanned. Modern innovations in both machinery and chemistry have enabled the use of chromium to speed up leather production.
Chrome-tanned leather goes through a tanning process similar to vegetable-tanned leather. Instead of vegetable tannins, chrome salts are used in tanning solutions, producing a different set of leather properties.
Up to 50% of the chromium used in the commercial tanning process ends up in the local environment. Exposure to tannery waste containing chromium can cause a range of health issues. Improper waste disposal can result in the transformation of relatively stable trivalent chromium (Cr III) into hexavalent chromium (Cr VI), a toxic compound that, when improperly managed, has been shown to cause dermatitis, respiratory damage, and cancer. This can negatively impact the lives of workers and the communities where tanneries operate.
Some leathers are marketed as vegetable-tanned despite being predominantly chrome-tanned. Vegetable-finished leathers begin in a chrome tanning solution and are tanned up to 90% to gain the properties of chrome tanning, such as pliability and color consistency, before being finished with a vegetable tanning solution and promoted as an eco-friendly product.
Promoted as “chrome-free” tanning, aldehyde tanning employs compounds from the aldehyde family, particularly formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde, to produce leather with specialized performance properties. This type of tanning typically requires more chemical inputs, and the leather produced is used in specific applications, most often automotive interiors.
Using 100% vegetable-tanned leather is at the heart of our operation here at BED|STÜ. We take pride in providing our customers with products made from materials that are environmentally responsible, unique in presentation, and made to last.
Waste from our tanneries can be safely returned to the earth, including use as compost. This is possible because we rely on natural vegetable tannins rather than heavy metals or other chemical agents, reducing the risk of toxic exposure for both the workers in our tanneries and the communities around them.
Working with our leathers has taught us the beauty of embracing the honest imperfections of the natural world. Instead of resisting the natural shifts in color, we make our products with the leather aging process in mind. Every BED|STÜ product is made with the intention that it will change and age with its wearer.
Our pursuit of creating the highest quality, longest-lasting shoes, bags, and accessories has led us to accept the challenge of working with vegetable-tanned leather. Our skilled artisans and traditional methods set us apart from other leather companies, enabling us to combine heritage, craftsmanship, and longevity into products you will pass down to the next generation.
The various tanning methods used across the leather industry give consumers many options to choose from in terms of price, quality, longevity, look, and feel. If you’re looking for leather that is sustainable, ages beautifully, and is built to last, vegetable-tanned leather is the right choice.
If you’re curious to learn more about leather, vegetable tanning, and traditional methods we use, visit Our Materials page to explore further.
