If you’re reading this guide, that probably means that you have bought one of our vegetable tanned leather bags or accessories.
Congratulations with your new companion! We hope you will love it as much as we did, designing it for you.
To stay best friends for a lifetime, we recommend you to follow the guidelines below.
Our products are crafted with Italian vegetable tanned leather.
Vegetable tanning is a traditional method that is time-consuming and requires experienced craftsmen.
Rawhides are tanned in pits with natural tannins from tree barks, roots and flower pods and are left for around 40 days. The end result is environmentally friendly, natural, durable leather which makes every DAPHNY RAES’ companion unique.
The vegetable tanned leather will develop a rich patina in which marks and scratches will fade by time, leaving memories which makes your bag truly personal.
Spray your bag before use, and preferably every month, with high-quality leather protection spray.
To prevent leather from drying out, cracking or fading unevenly, try to keep it out of direct heat and sunlight for prolonged periods of time.
When the leather feels dry, treat it with a leather conditioner for vegetable tanned leather. Test the conditioner on an invisible surface first.
Try to avoid contact with your new companion and the following at all times (they can affect the leather and hardware): oils, liquids, creams, sand, sharp objects, food, cleaning products, chemicals, rough products, abrasive surfaces and direct sunlight.
Dark colors on leather might come off when first used. To avoid smudges on other fabrics, we suggest wearing clothes in similar shades until the extra dye vanishes.
Rain
We recommend not exposing your new valuable to (heavy) rain. However, when your bag does get wet, never dry it with a heat source, such as a heater or near a fireplace. Instead, clean your bag with a dry, clean cloth and let it dry calm and natural.
Color
Leather is a natural product. This means that color and texture can vary from product to product. Since we use the method of vegetable tanning, colors can change over time as it develops a patina. This means that every DAPHNY RAES product is unique.
We take great care of our photography, but please note that colors can differ not only because of our natural tanning method but also because of differences in monitors and display settings of your device.
Storage
When not in use, keep your companion stored in a place that is dry and clean. Ideally, in the specially designed dust bag that came with it to help protect your bag.