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7
September
2022

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEATHER AND SKIN

Who at least once in his life did not happen to think “but what is the difference between leather and skin?”. Florence Leather Market decided to dedicate a publication on our blog to address this question and dispel this myth once and for all.

You won’t believe it, but…there’s really no difference between leather and skin!

In the past, with the term leather, it was referred to a very rigid and vegetable tanned leather (mainly used for the creation of soles for shoes), nowadays, however, it is used to indicate any type of vegetable tanned leather.

As for the term “skin”, this is used to indicate all those materials that derive from the treatment of the dermis of an animal. 

Some generally argue that the use of leather leads to the creation of products with a thin and soft leather, while with the use of leather you get a stiffer and thicker leather. 

These two processes tend to stand out thanks to the tanning treatment to which they are subjected: chrome or vegetable.

To make a little ‘clarity we will know together the original definition of leather and skin and the relative processing of tanning, so that you can clarify any doubt about it.

DEFINITION OF TANNING

Defined as a chemical/physical process that can make the leather durable and suitable for processing. It represents one of the various steps that, starting from the raw skin (dermis of the animal flesh) lead to the finished work.

There are two main types of tanning:

• VEGETABLE : is the most traditional processing and is able to attribute to leather versatility and uniqueness of the product, it involves the use of materials abundantly present in nature such as vegetable tannins, made from birch trees , quebracho , oak and chestnut (but also Mimosa , Noce di Galla , Sumac, etc.).
•  CHROME : this process involves a preventive treatment of the leather that is called pickling that consists in working the skin with a solution of common salt and acid. This preventive treatment is carried out to facilitate the penetration of the tanning agent into the skin.
• At the end of tanning the tanned leather is green-blue, with different shades depending on the products used in picalggio and basification. In this sense, in fact, tanned leather is called “wet-blue” with reference to the fact that it is wet and has a color in the field of blue.

SKIN AND LEATHER

To conclude, we will give a concrete definition of the terms “skin” and “leather” in order to be able to distinguish them definitively.

The term “leather” is used to refer to all types of leather processed with any type of tanning (chrome, vegetable, alum or synthetic tanning)

The term “skin” means a leather worked by the process of vegetable tanning, wanting to specify it is a very rigid leather, which is often used to create the sole of shoes.

Nowadays, however, the term leather is generally used to indicate any type of vegetable tanned leather.

ELEMENTS IN COMMON

Despite these small differences that distinguish the two materials, both have elements in common, especially with regard to some steps of the production phase:

•  Chemical tanning preparation operations (called riviera works)
•  Tanning, to give the dermis of the animal its stable characteristics
•  Retanning and dyeing, according to the intended use of the finished product and market requirements
•  Finishing, all the final touches made according to the product you want to get.

29
August
2022

WHAT TO PUT IN THE BAG?

First of all we have to understand what a bag really is…it might just look like a simple accessory, but it is not for a woman.

Whether it’s a clutch or a maxi bag, this accessory represents a real lifestyle. 

Each model that we have scrupulously chosen is able to communicate our personality and our style expressing the best who we are!

Inside the bag hides all our world, all the items and accessories essential for every woman.

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL ITEMS?

Let’s find out together what are the essential things inside a woman’s bag.

How many times have you received the fateful question “But do you have Mary Poppins‘ bag?” I bet a lot of times, and that’s it.

We always carry everything with us, enclosed in our bags, for any need and eventuality. 

There are those who can keep it meticulously in order or those who throw everything in bulk…but will never miss anything!

At Florence Leather Market we decided to write down a small handbook of all the essentials to have, also to give small tips to those people who are always in a hurry and risk forgetting something at home.

ESSENTIAL OBJECTS NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN

There are some items that no one can do without and taking them with you in your bag is essential! We’ve made a list, let’s see her together…

• Wallet : an essential accessory and also an icon of style, especially if in real leather like those signed Florence Leather Market, but that can often happen to be forgotten in another bag or directly on the table at home.
• Keys : of home, office or car, we recommend storing them in a separate pocket because it is often a challenge to find them if you throw them at random inside 
• Clutch bag for makeup : it is a timeless must, having a small cosmetic bag where to insert a lipstick, a gloss, a blush and a mascara can save us from an invitation to the last minute post work or from a meeting to which we must present ourselves tidy; have a clutch bag always ready to be moved in each bag if needed.
• First aid kit : this is also indispensable, it is always good to bring with you some of the basic drugs that can always be useful for a headache and other pain or, for some subjects, specific life-saving medicines.
• Handkerchiefs and sanitizing gel : are the objects of the “you never know…could serve”
• Mask : to always be added in the bag in recent months, it is always better to keep a spare one in case we face trips on public transport or visits in very crowded places.
• Chewingum and candies : for some people even indispensable, they can serve you to refresh your breath or take off a greedy whim.

These are some of the fundamental things in a woman’s bag. What are the things about leather you just can’t do without?

15
August
2022

How to recognize real leather?

At least once you will have happened to want to buy a bag, especially online and ask yourself if this was really real leather. Nowadays, in fact, it is absolutely not easy to recognize the difference between leather, eco-leather or even plastic!

In this article, Florence Leather Market, wants to give you some tips to be able to recognize a genuine leather bag from those in any other cheap synthetic material.

FIRST TIPS: attention to the smell!

Smell is the sense that can help us most in this mission…

Real leather has a unique and inimitable smell, different from all other materials, so it is easily recognizable. 

If the bag has an acrid odor, typical of leather goods, it will stick in your mind and nostrils. When it comes to synthetic materials you have to deal with neutral odors or they could even refer to oil and gasoline, this is because synthetic materials come from the processing of polyurethane and plastic.

SECOND TIPS: use the touch

One of the characteristics of real leather are its softness and its malleability, essential characteristics that can be found in all bags and accessories in real leather of Florence Leather Market on our website.

Genuine leather bags last perfectly for years, just take care of them with a specific moisturizer or with a neutral polish to be able to remove the imperfections due to wear and use over time.

This is not the case at all for handbags made of faux leather or synthetic, which tend to be easily damaged leading to those unsightly cracks on the fabric that surely you will have seen at least once.

THIRD TIPS: weight

Surely you happened to pick up a bag and think it was incredibly heavy even though it was empty? Well…this is not always a bad sign! When we talk about genuine leather handbag and Made in Italy quality, heaviness is a feature that is impossible to give up, especially if the chosen bag is enriched with details and pockets.

FOURTH TIPS: pay attention to the label

An important help is given to us by the label: the logo that declares “real leather” (or 100% VP according to agreements with brands) must be imprinted on the leather, printed or glued on each product and must also be indicated on the inner label where the other materials used are also described such as for lining, metals, closures etc…

Florence Leather Market is your point of reference if you are looking for high quality Italian leather products, made by artisans in Italy, we use only the best leathers, dyed in Italy and worked with care to offer you luxury products at an affordable price.

On our website you can find a wide selection of genuine leather items, the result of the best Made in Italy craftsmanship: leather bags suitable for all occasions, travel bags, messenger bags, clutch bags, hand or shoulder bags and many genuine leather accessories to complete your every look.

8
August
2022

What is a clutch?

Normally the pochette is not chosen as an everyday bag, but more for special evenings or on special occasions.

In recent years, however, its use is having a particularly significant trend change.

In this article we will know together its history and some tips to best bring this accessory.

Where does the clutch come from?

Often, this elegant but small accessory is confused with the other small handbags on the market, thus losing its true identity.

Originally this model of bag is almost never equipped with handles and the pochette is simply carried by hand. 

At Florence Leather Market, instead, we created “Pepe” a clutch version with a click closure and an adjustable strap that will allow you to wear it comfortably at the waist or over the shoulder for a casual-chic look at all times of the day!

As we have already pointed out, one of the main features of the pochettes is precisely the small size compared to the other models of bags. The clutch bags made available by our store, however, in addition to being made of genuine leather are also meticulously made to ensure comfort: Florence Leather Market combines style with the practicality sought after in a bag. For this reason, many models of pochettes offered by us are enriched by pockets with zippers and compartments for cards or documents. 

HISTORY OF THE CLUTCH

Now we know the story of this fantastic accessory…how the pochette was born? What is its history and when did it appear?

The origins of this accessory date back to the Middle Ages, when we have the first evidence of the use, both by women and men, of small bags (usually silk) to carry valuables. At that time, however, it was not yet an accessory to be put in plain sight but to keep fastened to the waist or hidden under the coat.

The importance of the pochette took a whole other value around the end of the ‘700 when it became a real female accessory, transforming from a practical object to a decorative accessory.

The first to use it were the French women, to carry the objects they considered essential such as needle and thread or a bottle of perfume…

With the passing of the years and the advent of women’s emancipation, bags began to become more capacious to help women in their travels and work and it will be around the 1920s that clutches returned in vogue to accompany the elegant outfits of the time.

Just in these years, the pochette became indispensable : the most beloved accessory by the women of high society.

Its popularity has never stopped and the clutch is, even nowadays, an essential accessory for all women able to adapt perfectly to any type of look.

HOW TO MATCH THE CLUTCH?

We discovered together what a clutch is and what its origins are, now let’s see how to wear it and match it to the various looks.

The most classic and elegant way to wear a pochette is definitely to hold it by hand and it perfectly matches an elegant outfit suitable for an important event.

But there are also other models, such as those offered by Florence Leather Market, that allow you to wear a fabulous clutch bag even over the shoulder or under the arm like our “Be Exclusive“, “Pochette”, “Elvira”, “Giuliana” and many more…

If I were you I would take a look at the Clutch section on our website, we have a wide range of products, all Made in Italy quality!

28
July
2022

LEATHER PROCESSING: THE EVOLUTION

Over the centuries, the master craftsmen have used different tools for the leather’s processing, thus achieving the perfection of processing: from tanning to finishing.

The techniques have evolved over the years, thanks to the invention of increasingly efficient machines and tools that can simplify or help the work of the artisan.

Florence Leather Market will try to briefly introduce the evolutionary processes regarding the processing of leather and the tools used by our Florentine artisans.

The tools evolution

Leather processing has undergone several changes. Processes have not always been like the ones we know today; this evolution has brought more safety in the working environment and also better results in terms of article accuracy and speed in creating it.

Starting from the first steps that a craftsman must make, we talk about the cutting of the leather.

This procedure, in the past, was carried out by hand through a blade, obtaining a result that was not precise and defined. Nowadays, however, the cutting of leather for any article you want to create, is done by a machine that allows you to get clean and precise cuts: the slice.

This is then also rounded and redefined edge beveler, whose name effectively explains its function.

The sewing machine

Another machine came to the aid of master craftsmen by simplifying their work is definitely the sewing machine.

This phase of processing, a few years ago, it was possible to perform it only by hand with needle and thread; it could represent a difficult task for craftsmen if they found themselves working a harder and thicker leather, also leading to a mediocre resistance of the article created.

At the present time, this working phase, however, requires a component of manual work but is facilitated by the use of modern sewing machines.

Other work’s tools…

Two other very important machines during processing are the curved needle, which is used for the stitching of the corners of all leather goods and the pyrograph, a tool used by craftsmen that allows you to make incisions and decorations on leather.

The last tools we want to talk about in this article are the die-cutting pliers and the brush; the first is used to make various types of changes on the leather because it allows to create holes in the belts and shoulder straps; the second tool is one of the most used because it distributes and spreads the glue between several pieces of leather allowing you to create more complex products that require the use of more pieces of leather.

Care for details

However, there is also the other side of the coin…

Nowadays, due to the continuous technological innovation, many leather goods manufacturers no longer commission items to master craftsmen and tend to completely entrust the work processes to machines that do not require a large manual intervention.

As a result, this type of decision has led to neglect the true founding values of craftsmanship: the care and attention devoted to the creative process of a quality product!

At Florence Leather Market, fortunately, we still believe in the importance of manual work and attention to detail to create resistant products guaranteed by the true Made in Italy quality.

True artisans take care of and work the skin with care and great professionalism, choosing to use fewer technological and fast tools that “steal” beauty to their artifact.  

Take a look at the wide selection of handmade leather bags that we have created to meet your every need and follow us on our social networks to stay updated!