The Leather
Although leather is made from many different animals, the most common is cowhide, which we use at Legacy Brand Leather. Originally, we purchased imported veg-tanned leather from Brazil and were dying it by hand with some waterstain to achieve the desired colors, but we soon learned that our strengths relied on the designing and crafting of the goods, and left the tanning and dying to some of the best tanneries in the world.
Vegetable Tanned leather, or veg-tan for short, is a very old technique where the leather is tanned using tannins found in vegetable matter like tree bark, wood, fruit, or leaves. The process allows the leather to become supple, and depending on the veg mix can affect the shade of the leather, most commonly a light skin tone.
We source our leather from some of the best tanneries in the world. Horween Leather Company in Chicago, IL has been around since 1905 and has been producing some of the best leathers with some of the 100+ year old techniques still in use. We primarily love their Dublin line of leathers for most of our products due to the "pull-up" effect that imbues a rugged look to the leather. Pull-Up is when stresses are put into the leather, giving it a marble look. Here are the specifics on what make's up Horween's Dublin leather:
- Full Grain: Leather that has its surface left completely intact, showing all natural characteristics of the hide.
- Vegetable Tanned: A tanning method that employs vegetable liquors derived from tree barks. This method of tanning is very traditional and takes longer to achieve than chrome tanning.
- Aniline: Dyes and finishes that contain no pigment. When used on leather they provide a rich, clear stain that allows the natural character of the article to be seen.
- Fat Liquored: Leather that has been nourished and conditioned with emulsified oils.
- Pull-up: The temporary lightening of certain leathers when folded. This is caused by displacing oil and waxes.
Horween Leather Company website
"More rustic than our base Essex line, Dublin is a veg tan infused with a rich blend of natural waxes and then hot plated. It has all the supple characteristics of Essex with a darker surface color that showcases the natural grain.” - The Tannery Row
Wickett & Craig is another source for our leather products. Due to the great customer service and consistent quality of leather, we're excited to work with them and have them apart of our product line. Founded in 1867 in Toronto, Canada, the tannery has since moved to Curwensville, Pennsylvania, USA and ensures their company utilizes an "eco-friendly process that produces durable, exquisite leathers recognized for their depth of color and rich patina. Simply put our leathers not only endure, but get better with age." - wickett-craig.com
The Thread
Our thread is sourced from Maine Thread Company out of Lewiston, Maine, where they make some of the best waxed polyester cord we've gotten our hands on. This medium weight polycord is then used to sew the item together with what's called the "saddle-stitch" or "double-stitch", where two ends of the thread are passed through the same hole twice, allowing for a stronger stitch than a common lock-stitch sewing machine. How? When a lock-stitch from a sewing machine breaks, the rest of the thread will start to pull apart, but if a thread breaks on a saddle-stitch, the other thread in that same hole keeps the stitching together, allowing your item to keep from falling apart.