Let’s Talk Leather

Leather is a durable and flexible material created by tanning animal rawhide's and skins. Cows are more commonly used to make leather because of their size, availability and the exceptional quality of their hide. However, depending on the use, leather can be sourced from yak, pigs, sheep, deer, horses, and kangaroos. More exotic leathers come from alligators, ostriches, elephants, snakes, frogs, and stingrays.

Leather is made by putting rawhide through a process called tanning. The tanning process stabilizes the proteins of the raw hide so it doesn't putrefy, making it suitable for a wide variety of end uses. Tanneries than apply complex coatings onto this non-perishable product , we know as leather increasing its stain and wear resistance. These coatings applied on top of the putrefaction process is what makes leather the durable flexible product we use today .

Leather is a natural material and therefore inconsistencies of colour and texture is a unique characteristic. Leather is designed to age with wear, and may fade and soften over time.

At FMT we use only top-grain leathers.Good leather care is about maintaining the coatings applied during the tanning process. These coatings can be broken down by a build-up of grime, dust, body oils and food stains which may change the condition and appearance of your leather item.

The softer the leather the more prone it is to stretching over time and extra care should be taken with these types of bags.

Lighter coloured leathers are more prone to absorbing other dye stuffs they might encounter, such as denim or makeup dyes.