The Product
Rhubarb leather is a high-quality leather which is vegetable-tanned using substances found in the rhubarb root. The advantage of this is that no harmful chromium salts are used in the tanning process.
The result is a leather with natural properties that reflects the individuality and origin of each of the skins. On top of this, it is free of heavy metals, low in harmful substances and chromium-free. The non-coated and natural surface of this leather is guaranteed to be breathable and very kind to the skin.
Until now rhubarb leather has been available as Nappa leather in two colours (champagne and anthracite) and in various thicknesses (from 0.8 mm to 1.8 mm).
Tanning
The tanning agent used for this special type of tanning process is produced from a rhubarb root cultivated especially for this purpose. The substance is obtained through an innovative extraction process. Unlike with most conventional tanning processes, no harmful and environmentally questionable chromium salt is used throughout the entire process. The conscious effort to use renewable raw materials and recycling and returning “waste products” to their natural cycles means that the plant-tanned leather meets the highest standards without putting unnecessary strain on the environment.
Dyeing
Not only tanning the leather, but also dyeing the leather can be problematic for the environment as dye containing heavy metals is still used.
Rhubarb leather has so far only been available in anthracite and champagne. The champagne colour is the result of the leather tanning process and no other additives are used. To dye the leather anthracite colour, we only use products that are low in harmful substances and in accordance with established international guidelines (e.g. the hessnatur guidelines, the IVN guidelines (International Verband für Naturtextilwirtschaft - International Association for the Natural Textile Industry), and the Ecopell guidelines.
Various test series on further colours are schedule in the near future so that we can soon offer a wide variety of colours as well as custom-dye the leather to meet customer requirements.
The Finish
The final processing steps, like “dewatering”, drying and fulling the material, are very important in terms of the quality of the end product. The rhubarb leather skins are carefully placed on the tenter frames and gently dried so there is little stretching. This means the leather retains its shape for years to come. Careful fulling leads to an extremely soft texture and the special feel that is characteristic of rhubarb leather.