Introduction

The world of tanning techniques and types of leather is incredibly diverse, but it only took a few decades after chrome tanned leather first appeared in the mid-19th century before it became the dominant tanning method. To put into perspective just how prevalent this tanning method is, it’s estimated that around 85% of all the leather produced in the 21st century is chrome tanned leather.

Despite its popularity, chrome tanned leather does have some serious problems. In particular, concerns about the effect of chrome tanning on the environment have led to an increased focus on other, chrome-free procedures such as vegetable tanning. To put it simply, all tanning methods have their advantages and disadvantages. In this case, what chrome tanning gains in efficiency is lost in sustainability, and occasionally in quality as well.

What is Chrome Tanned Leather?

Chrome tanned leather’s original claim to fame was its enormous efficiency compared to the other tanning methods common at the time. For a point of comparison, vegetable tanned leather usually takes several weeks to manufacture; chrome tanned leather doesn’t take much more than a day.

In general, leathers produced on an industrial scale are of a lower quality than those made using more traditional methods, and, speaking bluntly, this is more or less the case with chrome tanned leather. But this isn’t meant to imply that chrome tanned leather is of a terrible quality, either.

The reason for its continuing popularity can mostly be attributed to its being ‘good enough’. It probably goes without saying that there aren’t any chrome tanned leathers out there that can compare with artisan-made handcrafted leather. However, chrome tanned leather lands in a convenient niche of acceptable quality with an outstanding production time. For these reasons, it’s a no-brainer why it has been adopted by the leather industry to the extent that it has.

 How is Chrome Tanned Leather Made?

Although this hasn’t always been the case, the modern chrome tanning process revolves strongly around the assembly line sort of environment in which it will usually be produced. As with most leather tanning techniques, the first step is simply preparing the pelt through the removal of hair and grime. In many traditional methods, this would be done by hand, but with chrome tanning, it’s becoming increasingly common for this step to be carried out by a machine.

Once cleaned up, the hide is submerged in a chemical solution, which increases the hide’s acidity and leaves it with a blue tinge. Finally, the hide is treated with chromium salts. If this sounds pretty quick, you’d be right! There’s a reason why chrome tanning is so efficient; there’s just not a lot involved.

Of course, depending on the intended use of the leather, a few finishing touches might be applied, like dyeing the leather a particular color. Generally speaking, however, the entire process will be completed in around a day.

What are the Pros and Cons of Chrome Tanned Leather?

If efficiency was all it had going for it, chrome tanned leather probably wouldn’t be as widespread as it is. As mentioned above, chrome tanning can’t really live up to the quality of traditional tanning methods, but every tanning method is different, and even the ones with serious weak points have a few strong points as well. Let’s take a look at some of the best and worst aspects of chrome tanned leather.

PRO: Flexibility

A lot of leathers out there take some time before they begin to soften up, but chrome tanned leather is extremely soft to the touch right from the start. It’s also a very supple leather, which has made it very popular in clothing and the fashion industry.

CON: Poor Longevity

It’s not going to fall apart overnight, but the fact is that chrome tanned leather just doesn’t last as long as leather made with some other tanning methods, such as vegetable tanning or brain tanning. These techniques have been developed over centuries, and it’s not unreasonable for vegetable tanned leather to last for a lifetime itself. On the other hand, chrome tanned leather lacks this level of durability. If you want a more ‘permanent’ leather, you’ll probably want to choose something else.

PRO: Unchanging

This could just as easily be seen as a flaw of chrome tanned leather, depending on individual expectations about leather products. Many people love seeing their leather develop a unique patina over time, but if you’re interested in something a little more uniform, then keep in mind that chrome tanned leather tends to keep a relatively stable appearance across its entire lifespan. Of course, as mentioned above, it’s hard to guarantee just how long this will be.

PRO: Colorful

Out of all the leather tanning techniques, chrome tanning produces some of the most easily dyeable leather. In fact, chrome tanned leather can come in just about every color. This is an especially convenient trait when you consider its static appearance; chrome tanned leather can retain a unique color for just about as long as the leather itself lasts.

CON: Environmentally Harmful

There’s no way around it; chrome tanning has some pretty serious effects on the environment. There are some problems that crop up in a variety of different leather tanning methods, like improper wastewater disposal. What makes chrome tanning especially bad for the environment has to do with the chemicals used. In particular, chromium compounds can have a disastrous effect on soil and water in areas where they have been used industrially. Furthermore, they can stick around even after industrial production has ceased.

Is Chrome Tanned Leather Bad for the Environment?

Well, yeah. It’s probably clear by now, but chrome tanning is one of the most harmful leather tanning methods out there. Disposing of tanning solution is a constant problem tanneries have to confront, but of course this isn’t unique to chrome tanning. What’s more damaging is the enormous amount of solid waste produced by chrome tanning. It’s estimated that for every ton of rawhide processed, between 400 and 700 kilograms of waste are created.

There are a number of projects underway to figure out how to dispose of this waste in a more environmentally friendly way, but they’re yet to produce results, and so chrome tanning remains incredibly destructive to the environment around it.

It’s worth mentioning that if chrome tanning waste could be consistently disposed of in a safe way, a lot of the sustainability concerns would be reduced pretty significantly. Unfortunately, most of the leather in the world is produced in countries with little to no regulation of waste disposal, and so the industrial tanneries in these regions operate carelessly, turning the area around them into a landfill.

Hopefully, future techniques in leather processing will reduce the amount of waste produced by chrome tanning, and the effect on nature won’t be quite so disastrous. But for now, chrome tanning gets awful marks on sustainability.

Conclusion

In short, chrome tanned leather is cheap, functional, and readily accessible, all of which help make it a solid choice for a variety of purposes. However, these characteristics can come at the cost of quality, and with a steep environmental impact.

At the Buffalo Billfold Company, these problems are serious enough for us to avoid chrome tanning. All of our leather is made through environmentally sustainable methods which create leather that lasts. That said, chrome tanning isn’t going away anytime soon, and it will probably remain the dominant tanning method for the foreseeable future. Whether its advantages outweigh its disadvantages will ultimately come down to individual choice.

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