Leather Information

We only design and make bags from English and Italian full grain vegetable tan leather. This type of leather is predominately used in luxury handbags because of its high quality.

We use vegetable tanned leather because the tanning process is natural and uses biodegradable tannins from tree bark, leaves and roots, which align with our sustainable ethos, compared to harmful chemicals that it takes to produce chrome tanned leather. Veg tan leather also produces less waste than chemical tanning. It results in a stiffer, more structured leather that develops a beautiful patina over time. It also has that gorgeous, natural leather smell.

Vegetable tanned leather is more expensive because the tanning process takes from between one and twelve months to produce the finished hide rather than a few hours. It comes in thicknesses of up to 6mm, (our items range from 1.1mm up to 3.8mm) and the natural colour can be achieved throughout the entire thickness of the leather, meaning the underside is nearly as beautiful as the top; something which cannot be achieved with chrome tanning. Approximately 10% of leather is vegetable tanned and the process of veg tanning goes back 5000 years!

Full grain means the top layer of the leather has not been buffed or coated, showing the skin’s natural characteristics. As such, marks are an inherent part of the leather. Your Shrew item will develop a rich patina over time, as well as light scratches and marks, all part of the beauty of a premium leather product. Please click here for more information for tips on how to care for veg tan leather.

Here are the colours in our collection. Please note that colours vary from screen to screen, and we cannot guarantee that the colour you see on your screen will be an exact match. You are welcome to ask for swatches. Other colours are available through our bespoke service. Please get in touch here if you are looking for something different.