Vacquetta Leather, What Is It?

At LeatherPaKs.com we are known for our vacquetta leather briefcases, duffles, backpacks, handbags and waist bags by Cape Cod Leather. Which are all made in South America from rich vacquetta leather that looks better and better with use. Vacquetta leather is known for its durability and the rich patina it develops over time. The Vacquetta leather used in creating our leather products makes for the perfect leather bag to give as a gift for the college student, career person, your favorite family member or friend. In addition LeatherPaKs offers man bags, unisex bags, messenger bags, tote bags, women’s purses and fanny packs. All of our leather bags from Cape Cod Leather are constructed completely of this luxurious vacquetta leather including the straps. Besides the natural tan color and a rich dark brown known as cafe, these stylish leather bags also come in red, white and the classic black. This rich vacquetta leather is also available in a buttery soft pebble grain leather that you‘ll just love. In addition at LeatherPaks we carry rolling duffle bags, wheeled briefcases and rolling backpacks in this beautiful vacquetta leather, as well as laptop briefcases and travel bags. All of our leather luggage and handbags comes complete with solid brass or silver colored metal hardware. The natural, supple, richly burnished Vacquetta leather creates a timeless style you‘ll never grow tired of. The distinctive styling and the many versatile shapes and accessories will accommodate all of your travel and lifestyle needs. Cape Cod Leather products are lightweight, stylish and durable, while offering extraordinary value and elegant simplicity in design.

Caring For Your Leather Handbag

How should you care for a leather handbag? Although leather handbags are extremely durable, a little attention goes a long way in enhancing their beauty. Wipe off spots and spills promptly with a slightly damp cloth. About four times a year, apply a coat of neutral (colorless) leather shoe polish to your leather handbag and buff back to mint condition. (Before applying any, polish test a small area on the bottom of the bag to ensure it is colorfast.) Gently brush suede handbags with a soft suede brush to loosen dirt and restore luster. When was the last time you cleaned out the inside of your leather handbag? It pays to purge your handbag at least monthly. Remove unnecessary items and gently vacuum the lining with a small vacuum hose attachment. Leave the empty bag open and to "air out" for a day two. Finally, never store leather handbags in plastic bags. Leather needs to breath. Store your leather handbags in lightweight cotton bags.

Leather

Vegetable tanning

Vegetable tanning is an artisan tradition that the tanneries associated to the Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium have handed down from father to son for over 200 years, using both antique recipes and state-of-the-art technology.

The transformation from raw hides into a material that will resist throughout time is a process that slowly happens into wooden drums, in full respect of man and the environment. An astonishing process based on the use of natural tannins extracted from chestnut or Argentinean quebracho trees, on modern technologies and machineries and, mainly, on the slow passing of time... all the time necessary. Nearly forty days are actually needed to transform raw hides into unique vegetable-tanned leathers. Among the various tanning methods, the vegetable tanning is still nowadays the most classical, the most traditional, the most recognisable, the only one able to give leather unique characteristics, the most natural, the most environmental-friendly. It is able to join comfort and look, fashion and tradition, uniqueness and versatility of the product. For all these reasons, the vegetable tanning belongs both to the past and to the future of mankind.

The vegetable tanning process is based on the use of tannin, active ingredient responsible for the transformation of the animal hide into a compact and resistant material durable through the years, properly called cuoio (vegetable-tanned leather). This natural substance can be found in many different trees and vegetables, in variable concentration according to the different species. It is sometimes contained in the bark, others in the leaves, in the wood or in the fruits as well as in the roots. These natural tannin extracts (namely chestnut- and quebracho tree-) make the vegetable-tanned leather unique, immediately recognisable and easily distinguishable from leather tanned with other methods: also the scent of vegetable-tanned leather is something inimitable. It perfectly combines with that of the human body generating a feeling of confidence and naturalness in a person's mind that unconsciously tends to prefer it among other materials. The modern tanning industry uses tannin extracts in liquid form or in powders. The most common and antique of them is the quebracho tree extract, a tree indigenous of Argentina. From its bark a characteristically red-coloured powder can be obtained that gives the leather un unmistakable warm and brilliant shade together with a compact texture more resistant against water and atmospheric agents.

Vegetable-tanned leather absorbs the traces of our living, it becomes older without ruining. The natural ageing does not compromise its resistance and gives it a vintage look with warm colour shades showing evidence of being a natural product. No leather looks like any other, its peculiar characteristics offer a wide range of possible interpretations in shape and design. Designers can find a material able to add value to a project of fashion, consumers can find a product overcoming fashion and trends and gaining value with the passing of time.