Our Leather

LeWhisper obsess about each material and component of our product. This obsession extends to our leather selections – we only use vegetable-tanned leather, sometimes along with oil-tanned leather, which are natural material and every single piece is unique. We only select high-grade leather and work with expert to obtain the finest products.

 

Full Grain & Top Grain

We always use Full Grain Leather to ensure the finest product, which is the strongest and most durable leather. The name of full grain leather comes from the fact that the animal hides retain their entire grain (top layer), which is the part just belw the hair. It gives the leather a natural look, texture and durability. Since the grain is so tight, it resists moisture very well. You will also find full grain leather changes with time, just like everything else in the nature. As leather ages, it will look nicer, darker and develop a rich and soft patina from being used.

However, even as the highest quality leather, full grain leather will still have small defects, from insect bites to minor wrinkles. We respect these slight irregularities as marks of life, which are incorporated into our products to showcase each product’s natural individuality and crafted nature.

The next best and second strongest leather is Top Grain Leather, which is similar to full grain, except that the top couple millimeters have been sanded or buffed to take away imperfections such as scratches, moles or even freckles. Top grain leather have a more uniform finish and doesn’t look natural. It won’t be as strong as full grain leather and will break down much faster. The leather still can be good quality , but its strength and durability is not even close to the strength of full grain.

 

Tanning

Tanning is the process that treats animal hides into long-lasting chemically stable leather. It uses chemicals and mechanical processes to produce finished leathers with various appearances and properties. Once an animal skin has been turned into a hide by being de-greased and having all its hair removed, the tanning process can begin.

There are two main processes that tanners use: vegetable tanning and chrome tanning.

We use Vegetable Tanning, which is a traditional craft process that exists for long time, using both ancient recipes and modern technology. Among the various tanning methods, the vegetable tanning is the most classical, natural and environmental-friendly. The process is complex and the hides require multiple treatments over a period of up to 2-6 months. Only 10% of leather is made using this process, as it is more time-consuming to produce and relies on experienced craftsmen to create.

Chrome Tanning uses synthetic chemicals to tan the leather. The whole process can be automated and finished in only one day. It is usually regarded as the most popular and efficient leather treatment methods, which was invented in the 19th century allowing for the mass production of leather goods. Comparing to vegetable tanned leather, chrome tanned leather is thinner and softer, with less natural look. Its production process is less environmental friendly than vegetable tanned leather.