Craftsmanship · 5 min read
Leather patina and the beauty of careful wear
Vegetable-tanned leather darkens where hands touch it. A note on conditioning sparingly and letting time do the rest.
Patina is oxidation and oil — sunlight, skin, and use rewriting the surface of a hide that was tanned with bark rather than chrome.
Condition rarely. Over-fed leather goes limp and dark all over, losing exactly the contrast that makes an aged bag beautiful.
Wipe, rest, and let it happen. Careful wear is a form of design.