In our modern fast fashion society we have been made to believe that our things are supposed to wear out as time passes. Mobile phones are out-of-date, imitation leather gets flaky, cheap cloth wilts. However, there is an amazing exception to this rule, high-quality leather. When you have ever marveled at an old leather brief-case, or an old wallet that appears to exude the warm, deep nature of something, you are gazing upon the magic of a patina. However, what is a patina and what makes it the final indicator that you have invested in high quality craftsmanship? WeCraft Leathers has much to share on the art of aging leather and the reasons why your accessories should not wear out, but should wear in.
What is a Leather Patina?
A patina is the natural, unpolished surface to which good quality leather wears. It is an aesthetic sign of age, or of a deepening of colour, a softening of the substance, a lovely and delicate gleam.
Consider it the life story of the leather. Whenever you slip your wallet into your pocket, head out into the warm sunshine, or just carry your leather products, you are adding to its patina. It takes in the natural oils on your hands, it responds to the world around, it rubs itself smooth with daily friction.
The Crucial Difference: Why Cheap Leather Doesn’t Patina
The fast-fashion industry does not want you to know that not all leather develops a patina. When you purchase a wallet that is just labeled as genuine leather, then you are in fact buying a highly processed low-grade piece of leather that has been polished off and had a layer of fake paint or synthetic plastic (PU) put over it to make it look smooth. Since the chemicals used close off the natural pores of the leather, the material will not be able to breathe. As this variety of leather fades, it does not gain a personality-it just cracks, peels, and goes in the trash.
At WeCraft Leathers, our leather is full-grain leather. Since full-grain leather is not corrected, the pores in the leather are open. It is a kind of sponge, absorbing all elements which surround it and gradually forms that deep, protective and beautiful coating upon it, which we refer to as patina.
How a Patina Forms: The 3 Main Ingredients
Your full-grain leather wallet is a blank canvas when it gets at your door. Here is its change, month by month and year by year:
Natural Oils: Your skin oils are the key catalyst in the formation of a patina. Each touch is something that helps to soften the leather, making the high contact points darker and acquiring a smooth, burnished appearance.
Sunshine and Heat: just as our skin, natural leather gets tan when exposed to UV rays. Frequent exposure to sun will gradually coax more out of the leather-light tans becoming warm caramels and deep brown becoming mahogany in the shade.
Friction Everyday: Pulling your wallet in and out of the denim pocket is a micro-polisher. Eventually, this friction removes the edges and gives the surface an oily finish which cannot be achieved in a factory.
A Life-long Partner: Your Individual Mark.
The prettiest thing about patina is that it is exclusive. You can purchase two 100% full-grain leather wallets at WeCraft Leathers, gift one to a friend and leave one to yourself. Two years later, they will be a total different person. The wallet will leave a faint trace of your particular daily life, the weather of your place of residence, and how you keep it. Plow marks and scratches are not damage; they are incorporated into the skin, and form a tapestry of personality that makes it impossible to tell the item belongs to anyone but you.
Start Your Patina Journey
Buying a full-grain leather garment is an investment in the philosophy of Buy Less, Buy Better. You are not simply purchasing an accessory you are getting a friend that would grow with you. Are you now ready to begin your own patina voyage? Explore our collection of handcrafted, full-grain leather wallets at WeCraft Leathers and experience the difference of true craftsmanship.
