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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!

21
July
2022

MOLD ON LEATHER BAGS

One of the main enemies in our house is mold, due to the moisture 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 MOLD?

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 MOLD?

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

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.

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 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!

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

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.

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!