Care Guide · 5 min read
Caring for vegetable-tanned leather
Four habits that decide whether a bag looks ten years old or ten years loved.
Tomás Bregha · December 14, 2025
Chrome-tanned leather is sealed; vegetable-tanned leather is not. It takes on oil from your hands, deepens in sunlight and marks when wet. Every one of those reactions is reversible or desirable, provided you know which is which.
Patina is not damage
The first four weeks are the fastest change. A bone-coloured hide will move toward honey; a tan will move toward cognac. Expose a new piece evenly — leaving it half in sunlight on a windowsill will tan it unevenly and permanently.
Water
Blot, never rub, and let the piece dry away from heat. If a spot mark remains, lightly dampen the whole panel with a barely wet cloth so the tone evens as it dries.
Balm
Twice a year is enough for daily-use pieces. Use a neutral, wax-light balm and a pea-sized amount for an entire tote. Over-conditioning saturates the fibre and dulls the surface permanently.
Three things never to do
- Never use saddle soap on unfinished veg-tan — it strips the tannins.
- Never dry near a radiator; the collagen shrinks and the panel cups.
- Never store in plastic. Cotton dust bags let the leather breathe.
