Box Calf
Vegetable-tanned calf, smooth and firm, in the box-calf style.
The formal hand of the range. A smooth, fine, even calf grain with a quiet sheen, firm enough to hold an edge. Where Togo lives and Mill falls, Box Calf stands straight.
What it is
A fine-grained full-grain calf leather, vegetable-tanned and finished smooth. The name describes the character of the surface, not a chrome recipe: the fine, dense, even grain that classic box calf is known for, reached here the plant-tanned way.
How it is made
Little milling, plenty of stretch and careful glazing. The fibre is set firm so the surface stays even and carries a clean edge. A soft natural lustre comes from boarding and ironing, not from a plastic coat.
Data sheet
Typical per batch. Binding figures come with every delivery.
- Substance
- 1.0 - 1.2 mm
- Weight
- 850 g/m²
- Hand
- Smooth, firm, quietly lustrous
- Scratch resistance
- Medium. The dense grain keeps the surface calm
- Tannins
- Oak, Mimosa
- Finishing
- Glazed smooth, no surface coating
- In water
- Darkens temporarily, evens out as it dries
Honestly: vegetable-tanned leather darkens temporarily when it gets wet. That is not a fault but the consequence of an open fibre with no barrier coat. The colour evens out again as it dries.
How it ages
Vegetable-tanned leather changes more than chrome leather does, and it changes in one direction: darker, warmer, glossier wherever it is handled.
New
Open grain, pale tone, matte hand. The scent is at its strongest.
After one year
The first handled areas begin to shine. The tone has taken a step towards cognac.
After three years
Edges and corners are visibly darker. The leather is softer without losing its body.
After five years
A closed patina. Two pieces from the same batch no longer look alike.
The colour fields are an indication, not a photograph. A real ageing sample from the same hide comes with every sample set.
Crafted into
For formal work with clean edges: welted shoes, fine small leather goods, bookbinding.