What Is Chrome Leather?

Written by Editorial Team in Guides

leather

Chrome tanned leather is leather that is produced by a solution of chemicals, acids, and salts to dye your leather. Chrome tanning is a popular type of tanning in the leather industry. Chrome tanning was known as an alternative to vegetable tanning.

  • Chromium tanning starts when the animal’s hide is removed. The hides will be put through a tanning process to make them blueish. Then they are usually cut in half and they are called “in the blue” or “wet blue”. When tanners receive the hide, they go through the grading process. Hides are cut to the desired thickness because some product samples require more thickness than others. Thickness depends on the project that you are working on. The top part of the leather is put in a pile and the bottom of the leather in another. When the tanning process is finished, the bottom par is usually made into suede.

Quality of the chrome leather

The chrome leather is more supple and water-resistant as compared to vegetable-tanned leather. Also, it is more resistant to heat and staining than vegetable-tanned leather. The durability of chrome leather is moderate if it is formed correctly.

Appearance of chrome leather

Chrome Leather can be dyed in various colors, so it is a good option for customers who need different colors. The color of it will remain uniform. As compared to vegetable-tanned leather, it will not develop patina quickly. Chrome leather has a chemical smell instead of leather.

Advantages of chrome-tanned leather

  1. It is softer and thinner as compared to vegetable-tanned leather.
  2. The color will remain uniform.
  3. The process of tanning is quick and inexpensive and can be achieved in a day.
  4. The products made from chrome-tanned products are cheap as well as abundant.

The drawbacks of chrome leather

  1. The smell of chrome leather is not like that of natural leather; it has a chemical smell.
  2. The durability of chrome leather is not very long-lasting and can be cracked after a few months.
  3. Chrome tanning produces toxic water that has a bad environmental impact. 

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