Meet Our Leathers
Most of our bags are crafted of carefully selected top-grain cowhide leather, known for its soft touch and fine texture. With use, the leather develops a beautiful luster, and its appearance becomes even more refined over time, enhancing the bag's beauty and character.
O1. Types of Leather
Cowhide can be divided into multiple layers, with the outermost layer known as top-grain cowhide leather, which is the surface layer of genuine leather. It is closely connected to the fibers and hair, featuring natural textures and pores. It is exceptionally durable, wear-resistant, and has some elasticity, making it an ideal choice for high-quality leather goods.
Next is split cowhide leather, which is created by removing the remaining loose fiber layer and fluffy layer, and then through a secondary man-made laminating process. Compared to the top-grain leather, split leather has lower strength, elasticity, and breathability.
Songmont selects the finest top-grain leather for the products, preserving the natural textures and pores. We carefully choose areas with consistent textures and tight grains. Approximately 65% of each cowhide is usable, the remaining areas is not, such as the belly, neck, and sections with visible wrinkles, scars, insect bites, stains, scratches, etc.
✖️ Belly
✖️ Deep Wrinkles
✖️ Scars
O2. How to Distinguish Our Top-Grain Leather
Step 1: Look
Natural cowhide features irregular grain patterns, and even within the same hide, the texture can vary across different parts. It may also bear growth lines and scars during the growth of cattle, which cannot be replicated artificially.
The cross-section of top-grain leather reveals a compact and organized structure, with the reverse side typically being suede. In contrast, the fiber structure of split leather and synthetic leather is much looser.
Step 2: Touch
Top-grain leather has a soft and delicate touch, offering a subtle, natural feel.
In contrast, other leathers often feel gummy or plastic-like due to the effects of artificial processing.
Step 3: Pinch
Top-grain leather has excellent elasticity and can be easily stretched. When you press the surface slightly with your hand, there will be centripetal wrinkles. And when the leather is gently folded, irregular natural wrinkles appear.
Step 4: Smell
When you receive our bags, you can smell a natural aroma — this is because our leather production process is designed to retain the inherent properties of the leather. We use the plant essential oil recipe and natural baking ingredients that blend seamlessly with the leather to create a unique and pleasant scent.
O3. Our Leathers
Tumbled Leather: Traditional Crafts, Imprints of Time
We select leather hides of 1.8mm thickness, which are tanned with plant extracts in wooden barrels, undergoing natural shrinking to create irregular, natural lines. Initially, the leather presents a matte texture, but with use, it gradually becomes smooth and lustrous, carrying the marks of time.
Calf Leather with Sponge-Composite
We utilize top-grain calf leather from global premium suppliers, shaved to a thickness of 0.6mm, preserving the natural texture of the calf leather. This leather is then combined with a low-density, ultra-light sponge to create a three-dimensional material that is full-bodied yet lightweight. The grain patterns are formed through a combination of embossing and natural creasing, ensuring that each Tree Grain leather bag features unique patterns.
Box Calf: Smooth Gloss from Afar, Intricate Beauty Up Close
Crafted from top-grain calf leather, the surface of this leather is hand-rubbed by artisans using specific tools to create textured grains. From a distance, it appears smooth and polished; up close, its detailed texture exudes poetic charm. The touch is firm yet smooth, showcasing enduring minimalist allure. Over time, the hand-rubbed grain leather develops a lustrous sheen with continued use.
Vegetable-Tanned Leather
Songmont's proprietary vegetable-tanned leather combines a sense of age with sophistication. This leather enhances the traditional vegetable-tanned rough texture by using extremely rare Spanish top-grain calf leather. Through the application of plant tannins and innovative techniques, the leather acquires a timeless quality reminiscent of aged vegetable-tanned leather. This process improves upon the initial lack of refinement found in new vegetable-tanned leather while maintaining a lightweight feel.
Suede Leather
Suede leather is a velvety leather, known for its unique texture and appearance. It is made from the innermost layer of the hide, known as split leather. We've chosen calf suede as our raw material because it is slightly thicker than lamb suede, offering greater durability and ensuring a long-lasting result.
Vegan Leather
Our recycled leather is derived from marine debris that has undergone a meticulous process of collection, sorting, cleaning, shredding, and reshaping, which meets stringent international carbon emission standards and The Ocean Cleanup Plan. By choosing this material, we actively contribute to reducing landfill waste, avoiding incineration, and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.