Renowned for its exceptional durability, leather has earned its place as a timeless material and played a role in the development of many civilizations. In fact, did you know that the earliest records of leather artefacts date back to 1300 BC? Peoples devised various preservation techniques to prevent hides from decaying. As populations advanced and became more sophisticated, the scale of manufacturing and the methods for producing leather evolved accordingly. Nowadays, there are two main techniques that tanneries use to preserve leather: Vegetable tanning and Chrome tanning. Both yield distinct products with unique characteristics that can be utilized for various types of projects. Why is the leather being tanned? Raw animal hides are composed of collagen, which is susceptible to...
In the past three years, I’ve spent quite a few week-ends attending various public markets and artisan fairs as a vendor. There is something very special about gathering local farmers and growers, artisanal food producers, artists and craft artisans, community organizations, topped with food trucks and live entertainment. I enjoy taking part in these markets, they are bursting with tasty local food, unique products, friendly people and great music. As a vendor, they provide wonderful opportunities to acquire feedback on my products and earn new customers. People are really curious and they like to ask questions about the craft, the leather, the tools, they want to touch the products (smell it too!), observe how it’s made (I always bring my...
As far as I can remember, I always loved art work. To me, the craft store was the definition of true paradise. Little girl, my drawing book and my box of Prismacolor pencils would follow me everywhere (iPads didn’t exist back then…). As I grew up, it was only logical for me to build a career that would stimulate both my artistic and my analytical mind. Studies in architecture and wood engineering led me to Switzerland and Germany, where I lived for 6 years. I discovered leather crafting in 2020, as I was seeking for a creative occupation to pursue in my free time. Thanks to Youtube, I came across very talented artisans that shared their knowledge about the craft and...
