A very high quality of vegetable tanned hide is produced using an oak vegetable-based liquor which lends a very attractive darker brown colour to the finished product.

Fortunately for Hidebound, there are still vegetable tanneries in the UK using this method but, to make matters more complex, not all use the same type of vegetable matter. The more modern method of tanning uses a chemical mix which produces good quality leather but without the properties required for the Hidebound process. Vegetable tanning is, by its very name, a method using vegetable matter with a high proportion of the chemical tannin in it’s makeup, hence the process name tanning. Of those few, many use a chemical form of tanning but there are those still using a vegetable method which is good news for Hidebound because theirs is the type of leather needed for our various processes. The number of tanneries now in UK existence is a mere fraction of that but they are, thankfully, still to be found. Leather was used much as we use plastic in modern times and was therefore in great demand. From early medieval times until the start of the 19th Century, there was an average of four leather tanneries in each town in the British Isles. However, the hide cannot be used until it has been tanned. The strongest part of a cow hide is the shoulder which also has the added advantage of many wrinkles and other features which are attractive in the finished product. The hides are entirely genuine and with no abnormal blotches or dyes.Leather used by Hidebound in the manufacture of beer tankards, jacks and wine goblets, is all cow hide and UK sourced. In some of the images, due to the image light and lustre of the hide it may appear as though there is a slight haze on the hide. Instead, each one will have a very pleasant leather scent. Rest assured that none of our cowhide rugs will have an unpleasant smell. None of our cowhide rugs have that unpleasant smell from tanning solutions that is so often present in other cowhides. No Unpleasant Tanning Odors Common In Other Cowhide Rugs All hides are considered 'premium' grade. This is not a flaw in the hide merely a tool to ensure longevity and strength.

Nicer ones simply do not exist.ĭuring the tanning process, it may be necessary to put some suede backing on small areas of the rug. Rest assured that every one of our cowhides is of the highest quality. Even when a chromium tanning process is used, often times the results are unsatisfactory since it is such a difficult process as compared to more conventional forms of tanning. As a result, most countries do not tan their cow hides this way. Chromium tanning is extremely high tech and expensive. The Best Quality Cowhides are Chromium TannedĬhromium tanning has long been known to produce the best tanned cowhide rug. However most of these pale in quality, both in longevity and suppleness, as compared to those from South America. The leather of every one of our cowhide rugs is very supple, unlike cowhides from most other countries that can actually be quite stiff in comparison. We only select hides that have been through the very best tanneries and use the chromium tanning method. Its what Cowshed Interiors are all about. We can give you a shortlist of hides with images from the importer and will view 'in person' to ensure the quality will meet your expectation. If there is a 'specific' requirement that you have in either size, colour or shape we can still help. There is no point in being disappointed with a hide being delivered that is nothing like your expectations. We believe it is far better to know that the picture you see is the EXACT hide you will receive. We may not have the largest selection available on line but we can guarantee that we have individually checked the hides and are 100% confident in their overall quality and luxurious appearance. They are selected for their colour, shine, and overall beautiful appearance. We showcase just some of the more unique on our website but have access to a few thousand luxurious, high quality cow hides in a wide variety of shades, sizes, colours and markings, stored just a few miles from our premises.Īll our hides are hand picked from hundreds. All our hides are from South America and have been hand-picked at least twice and even three times, to ensure best of the best.

Tanning cow hides