TAKING CARE OF FULL-GRAIN LEATHER VEGETABLE-TANNED BAGS
Developed in the most highly reputable craft tanneries, full-grain vegetable-tanned leather is used in the making of most Bleu de Chauffe bags. Soft to the touch, it is a living material that develops an exceptionally beautiful patina as it ages.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR BAG
Cleaning and moisturizing your full-grain vegetable-tanned leather bag is easy. As a first step, dust your bag off with a moist cloth, then let the leather dry out completely. Next, apply our natural leather wax with a impregnated cloth, which will allow you to clean and moisturize the leather. Repeat this up to two times a year.
Applying the natural leather wax too often will make your bag too supple.
If your bag is subjected to rain, wipe the water off with a damp cloth in order to prevent the raindrops from staining the leather, and then dry your bag out completely, always keeping it away from heat (such as a radiator or direct sunlight). Afterwards, apply our natural leather wax with a damp cloth. In order to revitalize your leather bag, use a Bleu de Chauffe restoration cream of the corresponding colour and a soft brush or cloth, and rub it in by making concentric circles. This cream will revitalize the leather and give it back its former shine.
BLEU DE CHAUFFE LEATHER CARE PRODUCTS
Bleu de Chauffe offers a complete array of leather care accessories and natural products that have been created specifically for full-grain vegetable-tanned leather.
Our complete bag care kit includes a polishing brush, restoration cream (available in all colours), natural leather wax, and a chamois polishing cloth.
The polishing brush is a brush made in France with silk bristles which is to be used with the natural leather wax to put a gleaming finish on your bag.
Our restoration creams exist in each colour of our Bleu de Chauffe bags. Thanks to the cream’s intense colouring properties, it will restore damaged leather, get rid of marks and scratches, and bring back the leather’s original complexion. This cream is to be used on parts of the bag that have become worn over time. It should be dabbed on in small quantities and used with Bleu de Chauffe’s natural leather wax. Our creams are made with beeswax and almond oil.
Our natural leather wax is made from natural shea butter and beeswax.
To avoid stains, our array of care products also includes a waterproofing spray to protect your bag from adverse weather conditions.
WHAT IS FULL-GRAIN VEGETABLE-TANNED LEATHER?
Unlike the leather from exotic animals, even those which are farm-raised, cowhides are taken from animals that are also used for their meat.
The lower layer of the hide closest to the flesh is the split leather. This part of the hide is the least valuable, of an inferior quality, and less supple. It is also the part of the hide that is the most commonly used as it is also, needless to say, the least expensive.
The outermost layer of the hide, which is the most valuable, is the full-grain leather. This leather is considered to be the highest quality, and therefore the most expensive, and the one selected for making high-end bags. It conserves its suppleness and the durability of the hide. Each and every Bleu de Chauffe leather bag is made entirely with full-grain leather.
The vast majority of leathers undergo a process of mineral tanning. The imperfections are covered up with pigmentations, and artificial grains are pressed into the hides. This process allows the colours to set quickly and is consequently less costly. Nonetheless, for this process, chromium, and other heavy metals and chemicals are used. These elements are extremely polluting and potentially toxic. Although infrequent, they can produce allergic reactions when they come in contact with the skin.
The ancient process of vegetable tanning, which is much more natural and ecologically safe, makes use of natural dyes from plants and trees (oak, acacia, chestnut, mimosa, etc.). This process takes more time and is more laborious. However, it gives the leather a more authentic appearance and allows it to develop a beautiful natural patina and an incomparable texture as it ages.
Bleu de Chauffe is a company concerned with reducing the ecological footprint of its activity at every stage of production. Naturally, we have made the choice to only use vegetable-tanned leathers, as much for environmental reasons as for their superior quality, unique appearance and the natural patina they develop with age.
By purchasing a leather bag by Bleu de Chauffe, you have the guarantee that only the best full-grain and vegetable-tanned leathers have been used. Furthermore, you can be confident that each bag is a unique hand-made article, and that, contrary to mass produced bags, each Bleu de Chauffe bag is produced in our workshop in France by a single artisan who signs every bag he or she makes. For us, It is important that each and every Bleu de Chauffe bag is exceptional, made to last, and ages beautifully with time.
HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR CANVAS BAG
