Why Leather Gets Better With Age?

What happens as leather is used?

One of the things I like most about leather is that it doesn’t remain exactly the same throughout its life.

A new piece has its own character, but once it starts being handled and used, the surface gradually changes. The colour can deepen, the leather becomes softer and the marks created through everyday use begin to form part of its appearance.

This is what we generally refer to as patina, and it is one of the qualities that makes leather particularly interesting as a material.

For some people, the first scratch on a new leather item is something to be avoided at all costs. I understand that, but I tend to look at it differently.

The marks are evidence that the object is being used.

Over time, they can become part of its character rather than something that needs to be hidden.

An object begins to tell its story

Think about a leather bag that has been carried for ten years.

It may have travelled to places you don’t know about, sat on café tables, been carried through rain and accompanied its owner through countless ordinary days. The leather has been handled thousands of times, and gradually those experiences have changed the appearance of the bag.

The marks on the leather are no longer simply imperfections. They are evidence of a life being lived with the object.

This is particularly noticeable with vegetable-tanned leather, which we use on our courses. It is a traditional leather that is well suited to hand stitching and can develop a distinctive character as it ages.

The leather becomes a record of use.

Made to be used

There is something slightly strange about owning a beautifully made object and being afraid to use it.

Of course, there are situations where we need to take care of things, but leather is a material that can respond beautifully to regular handling. The more it is used, the more individual it can become.

This is one of the things that separates leather from many synthetic materials. It can show its age without necessarily looking tired.

A well-used leather item can actually become more interesting as the years pass.

A different idea of value

We live in a culture that often values newness. New can mean clean, perfect and untouched.

Leather offers another perspective.

Sometimes an object doesn’t become less valuable because it has been used. The use is part of what gives it value.

A good leather item shouldn’t necessarily look new forever. I think it should look as though it has lived.

The scratches, changes in colour and softened edges can tell us something about the relationship between an object and the person who owns it.

And perhaps that is the real appeal of leather patina.

It isn’t simply ageing.

It is history becoming visible.

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