21
July
2022

mold bag

MOLD ON LEATHER BAGS

Mold on leather bags: Useful tips and how to treat it effectively.

MOLD ON LEATHER BAGS: SOME USEFUL TIPS, HOW TO TREAT IT? 

One of the main enemies in our house is moisture, due to mold that can attack the walls, the cabinets but especially our leather bags.

In fact, leather bags, easily attract moisture and therefore are inclined to mold formation. The bags are covered with many small stains of dirt and the proliferation of annoying spores, which make the accessory wearable.

Often we tend to leave the bags in a slightly damp and dark corner of the house and it is right there that it happens that a small mold stain appears that then quickly extends into most of the bag.

Don’t let the mold ruin your favorite leather bag!

To prevent mold from spoiling the bags, you need to know how to store this accessory properly. In this article of our blog, we at Florence Leather Market, will give our readers some useful advice to avoid this unpleasant phenomenon.

Let’s see what are the effective remedies to eliminate moisture and mold and wear our favorite bag as if it were new.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT IT?

To prevent or somehow prevent mold from forming in the leather bag, especially when we know we don’t have to use it for a long time and place it safely in a closet or other, a useful tip is to insert inside it sachets containing silica gel or mothballs that are used to protect products from moisture because they have a dehumidifier function.

After inserting one of these two anti-humidity products inside, to have more care is also recommended to insert the bag in a dust bag.

These are two useful indications to try to prevent the unpleasant formation of mold, but if the “damage” is already there?

 

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO ELIMINATE IT?

Removing mold from the leather bag is a process that can also be done at home quickly, if you do not have specific detergents, thanks to the use of household products.

If it is a genuine leather item, with a little care and patience you can get your bag back in its total beauty!

Just follow the process…

  • Surely, the first thing to do, will be to empty the bag from any object inside it, then you can proceed to clean the skin with a very delicate brush or with a soft microfiber or cotton cloth.
  • At this point you must immerse the cloth in the chosen product to eliminate mold, that is, a detergent, which can be vinegar or lemon juice diluted with water and you must rub all the areas of the bag, even those where there are no mold or moisture stains. The cloth should be well wrung out of excess water, the bag should not get soaked with product.
  • After having carefully cleaned with the help of the cloth, leave the bag a few hours in the open air so that the sunlight dries the product.

I recommend: do not leave your favorite bag under the direct rays of the sun, prefer the morning or late afternoon, so you do not risk to discolor or dry the leather!

After performing all these steps, to ensure that the skin returns to its original state (soft and smooth) it is advisable to apply a specific nourishing cream for leather that will return the natural shine to the accessory.

HOW TO REMOVE THE SMELL OF MOLD?

Once you have done all the steps and removed the stains from the bag, there is still the problem of the typical unpleasant smell of moisture and mold.

The advice of Florence Leather Market is to spray inside the bag an air freshener or a specific spray and let it air for a while. Avoid leaving the bag to dry at night because the humidity level tends to rise and this would lead to frustrate the work done.

It is however advisable, at least a couple of times a year, to leave open the doors of the closet where we store our bags, to let light and air through and thus prevent the formation of mold and bad smells.

Take care of your favorite leather bag, so it will last over time!

14
July
2022

history of the bag

HISTORY OF THE BAG

 

The bag is now an icon in the fashion world: the accessory that no woman can do without, which over the past fifty years has taken on a role of real status symbol, style sign that reflects the personality of a woman and the self-image she wants to show the world.

However, before becoming an essential accessory for every woman, the idea of bag has had various changes…

How did the bag come about?

Despite the few documents of the case, it is thought that the origins of the bag, from the Greek “byrsa” (leather), date back to those of the appearance of money: the first ancestors of it were just small bags, made of leather by workers of the time, usually tied to clothes.

During the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries there were changes made by the introduction of the pockets of men’s clothing. This invention changed the habits of man, who stopped using the bag.

Women in this period began to travel, thanks to the spread of transport, and this gave rise to the need for luggage with more feminine and refined finishes and details.

The bag went from being a purely professional and male accessory, to being an accessory in common use.

In this period, the bag began to assume an aesthetic value and no longer just practical!

SYMBOL OF WOMEN’S EMANCIPATION

Throughout the period of the First World War, the search for aesthetics was lost a bit (obviously); the bags were used to move around, so they were very capacious and made of sturdy leather.

With the end of the war, also to leave behind the horrors experienced, there was a great propensity and attention to worldly life and fashion.

Women began a slow process of emancipation: they began to work outside the house, to go dancing in the evening and to occupy spaces previously reserved for men.

This period brought back the use of the bag as a chic and essential accessory.

history bag

MORE AND MORE MODELS

There was the birth of the clutch: square and rectangular in shape with or without shoulder straps (made of various materials) were very well suited to accompany the ladies in their outings and were combined with the new clothes tighter and shortened to the knee.

By now, the bag had become an essential accessory to complete the feminine outfit, it was no longer a simple container but became part of the image of an elegant and refined woman.

A STYLE ICON

Today the bag is now a stable icon of the fashion world. 

The sixties were the emblem of the novelty: rigid and structured bags were introduced such as trunks and briefcases or practical bags with many pockets, zippers or bellows to wear even over the shoulder.

Various materials were experimented to build bags such as plastic, straw… but, even with the passing of the years, the only true timeless must remains the genuine leather bag: high quality accessory that guarantees a long life.

The master craftsmen who have made the history of the bag still keep the secrets of leather processing, committed to preserving and handing down an ancient and precious knowledge.

At Florence Leather Market every leather item is carefully hand-crafted by Florentine artisans so as to guarantee high quality Made in Italy products at an affordable price.

All the products on sale are constantly revised and updated to follow international trends!

Visit our website and discover the wide selection of leather items suitable for any occasion such as travel bags, messenger bags, clutch bags, hand or shoulder bags and all other accessories to complete every look.

7
July
2022

Summer sale

SUMMER SALE 2022

Finally, we are there! 

The long-awaited period is coming… It’s time for summer sales!

Florence Leather Market has made available many items with interesting promotions.

SUMMER SALES 2022 | QUALITY ON PROMOTIONS

Of course, all our bags are the result of the best craftsmanship Made in Italy. Each item is carefully handmade in Florence, the city that represents the excellence for the production of leather items, so as to guarantee our customers a product beautiful to look at but also high quality.

I would advise you not to miss the opportunity to buy high quality items at discounted prices up to half!

summer sale

Starting from the bags, Florence Leather Market offers several models in promotion, in this article we will list some:

 

Timeless bag

One of the best sellers, is a shoulder bag available in 12 different colors in genuine calf leather (inside lined with suede) ideal for shopping days thanks to its capacity. Now you can find it discounted at more than 40%! A real investment for those who want to be trendy without spending staggering amounts. If the idea is to invest in a more classic timeless model that can complete any daytime look, Babila is definitely your chance!

The artisanal city bag

Hand sewn and made in Italy by skilled artisans, the City model is the perfect accessory for walks in the city! 

A bag in genuine calfskin, lightweight and durable, characterized by a shoulder strap and embellished with gold details; also equipped with zip pockets both front and back. The various colors available will make you fall in love, especially after you have noticed the super promotion applied!

Iconic bag

One of the iconic bags of Florence Leather Market is definitely Adina, a mini handbag made of shiny genuine leather with contrasting dyed edges and buckle closure. 

An accessory with a young and fashionable style, it will match perfectly to your every look thanks to the wide range of colors available.

Thanks to the summer sales you can buy it at a very attractive price!

Flower lover

Indispensable for this season is Emily, the handbag in shiny leather crust, characterized by modern and original details that go well with different outfits. The peculiarity of its floral-themed canvas will represent a wild accessory in the summer wardrobe of all women! 

The high quality of the materials used in its construction also make it resistant to time and wear.

If I were you, at this price, I wouldn’t let her get away…

BUT NOT ONLY BAGS…

Florence Leather Market for these summer sales has decided to also promote eight different models of wallets, with different colors and models, all combined with a quality design and an irresistible price! For men we find Saffiro, Lino, Gianni and Salvatore; while for women Rina, Iris and Emilie will be colorful accessories in perfect harmony with the season!

The sale didn’t end here…

We decided to include at an affordable price also our famous business bags such as the handmade briefcase Zenobi, ideal for those who want to bring a few small things and the Zenobi handbag that represents the comfort for travel and office days thanks to its large and robust structure.

In this article of our blog we have presented only some of those articles that are on sale by Florence Leather Market, if I were you, I would immediately take a look in the “promotions” section of our site!

We wish you a good summer shopping!

28
June
2022

LEATHER PRODUCTION PROCESS: FINISHING and RETANNING

FINISHING and RETANNING

As we have already seen in the previous article of our blog, the artisanal processing of leather requires a lot of attention and care and therefore we rely on many steps of processing.

We focused on the first two processes that leather must face, that of preparation and tanning.

After these two steps we move on to retanning and other intermediate operations until we arrive at the finishing.

The leather tanned up to here, as we read in the previous article, is not yet usable to produce articles. 

The leather must be subjected to further chemical and mechanical treatments: 

  • Pressing: thanks to this mechanical operation, most of the water that is present in tanned leather is eliminated. It is, in fact, a pressing that is carried out by crushing the leather between two cylinders.
  • Shaving of the leather: with this important operation the whole surface of the leather acquires a uniform thickness.
  • Retanning, dyeing and fattening of leather: all these operations are aimed at giving the first aesthetic characteristics to the leather, since it is attributed the chosen color, flexibility and softness. 
  • Drying of leather: as we have already explained in the previous article of our blog, there are various drying techniques and the choice between these depends not only on economic factors but also on the type of article that you want to get.
  • Staking of leather: this operation restores to the leather the softness that is lost after drying operations.

LEATHER PRODUCTION PROCESS: FINISHING

Finishing is the final operation, but also the most complex of the processes.

This is the set of all the operations carried out on dry leather. The aim of finishing is to improve the appearance and characteristics of the leather so as to enhance all the beauty and natural quality. This procedure eliminates all defects, both existing and workmanship, in order to guarantee the perfect aesthetic quality.

 

The finishing also consists in the application of chemical substances that form a sort of “film” on the surface, which must have different characteristics depending on the aesthetic result that you want to achieve.

LEATHER PRODUCTION PROCESS

The finishing of leather can be mechanical or chemical… let’s see in more detail:

 

Mechanical finishing of leather 

Mechanical finishing of leather can be done for:

  • Polishing” of the surface thanks to the use of a velvet wheel
  • Ironing and plating” for a flat, smooth surface
  • Pressing” with a relief plate (if it is intended to impress sign)
  • Bottalatura” by quickly rotating a dry bottale so as to obtain a moved surface.

 

The chemical finishing of the leather: it consists in covering the surface of the skin with a kind of film and varnish thanks to the use of rollers, glazers and sprays.

The ironing of the leather

The ironing of the leather: essential step to obtain a shiny leather

The leathers that, at this point, have received one or more applications of “protective films”, are ironed hot or with variable pressures in order to create a homogeneous and smooth surface both by sight and touch. The plates used to iron the leather can be heated for electrical systems or steam.

All the processing steps listed refer to a path that changes depending on the result you want to obtain. Although starting from the same point for all the processing of different articles, some leathers need to carry out more or less treatments than others.

This is, therefore, because some leathers, although starting from the same starting line, depending on the different paths of tanning, retanning and finishing, in the end are clearly different from each other and with different final prices.

Many of the operations that are part of the processing are optional, so the choice of the realization is made based on a matter of cost and the final result that you want to get for that particular article.

At Florence Leather Market we devote care and attention to every operation of the processing of our items, to ensure our customers a unique product that represents the Made in Italy quality in every detail!


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21
June
2022

Leather production process: Preparation and Tanning

Preparation and Tanning

 

Leather is a natural and noble product which has been using in a wide range of human activities. Italy is home to more than 300 tanneries: modern and safe factories where leather is produced following the highest standard in quality and efficiency. There are three main districts specialized in leather manufacturing process along Italian peninsula and each of them preserve peculiar features that combine the traditional know-how of craftsmen with the most modern techniques in leather manufacturing. One of these districts is Florence, where our production is situated, and where Florence Leather Market makes high quality products for fashion and design. 

Now let’s see the leather processing steps to obtain a genuine and noble product: preparation and tanning.

Leather production process: Preparation

Many changes have occurred from the beginning of the Nineteenth century in the tanning process, changes that have considerably reduced polluting chemicals and created new methods of tanning and finishing. On the other side, in Italy, thanks to stringent standards in food industry and leather production, every batch of hides is marked with a unique number so that it’s possible to track the origin of every single hide that passes through the tanning process. Leather, in fact, is a by-product of the food industry so that the raw material strictly depends on the natural condition in which animals live.

The raw material is the starting point of the leather making process and its conservation is a fundamental step to obtain the best quality leather:

  • Skins are salted with common marine salt in order to eliminate as much water as possible from the skin with the aim of avoiding the natural hide degradation.
  • Defrost is another method. It consists of cooling the raw material at very low temperature but it’s not so common at all in Italy.

After the salty process, hides are folded and stored for up to 30 days in a warehouse.

LEATHER PRODUCTION PROCESS

Leather making process: Tanning

By the tanning process hides become leather through three different steps that may be divided as follows:

  • Soaking: hides are loaded into tanning drums full of water from several hours to several days. Water and surfactants help remove salt and dirt, while vegetables tanning agents preserve the leather as well as soften it.

IMPORTANT: In the United States and Europe tanneries are required to process and treat the water used in tanning, it is completely filtered and purified.

  • Leather flashing and unhairing: subcutaneous material is removed as well as the majority of hair thanks to a lime treatment. After that, hides pass through the splitting machine and are sliced into two layers: bottom portion and upper portion. The first one is used for inferior leathers, while the last one is utilized for high quality full grain leathers.
  • Tanning process: it converts rawhide into leather. It can be made using natural or chemical substances. Vegetable tanning is an ancient leather making process that utilizes vegetable materials such as mimosa, chestnut, and bark. Synthetic tanning uses Chromium, while another possibility is the combination of both processes to obtain a soft and durable leather.
  • Sammying machine: two rollers apply high pressure to the hides to remove excess moisture. After that operators inspect hides to grade them according to their natural features and flaws.
  • Drying: this can be done in various methods all of them depending on the moisture level: vacuum dried, oven dried, or air-dried.
  • Dyeing: it’s a lengthy process in which hides are put into the dye drums for several hours and a cutting is taken to be sure that 100% of the dye has saturated the hides.

These are just two of the processes; to find out all the processes carried out so that your product represents Italian excellence, continue reading our articles dedicated to the manufacturing sector. And don’t forget to keep following us on our social channels.