Helping you get to the core of vegetable-tanned, teacore leathers.
First off, what is teacore leather?
Teacore leather refers to a hide that has been specially dyed with organic tannins to achieve an earthy brown foundation with a deep black surface. In fact, the word “teacore” is derived from the Japanese “茶芯” or “cha shin”—a direct reference to the brownish, tea-like hues that lie at the leather’s core.
Teacore tanning is a slow and hands-on example of vegetable tanning, a process that calls on the natural tannins of tree bark, leaves, and plant roots to impart a nuanced and multilayered finish on a hide. It creates an exquisite leather with earthy, tobacco-brown tones hidden under layers of natural black. As the leather ages, those darker top coats fleck, flicker, and fade to reveal the subtle earth notes beneath.
It’s a beautifully rare process to behold—one reserved for the most premium leather products. More than just a buzzword, “teacore” taps into Japan’s profound relationship with “wabi-sabi”— a true celebration of impermanence and subdued, austere beauty.
What’s so special about teacore tanning?
The benefits of teacore leather are aesthetic, environmental, and ethical.
From an aesthetic standpoint, teacore leather replicates the nuanced, vintage character widely admired in archival leather jackets. This level of depth and uniqueness is increasingly rare in modern making, as cheaper, more expedient synthetic tanning methods produce uniform and, ultimately, less characterful leathers.
Above all, teacore leather is cherished for its ability to tell a story over time. Every scratch, fade, and instance of patina etched onto a leather jacket, a pair of boots, or even a wallet becomes a testament to the wearer’s journey. It tells a tale unique to the individual and their lived experience.
From an environmental perspective, teacore tanning has the benefit of being an all-natural process. It's low-impact and organic, harnessing the natural pigments of tree bark to colour and strengthen hides. The process produces zero toxic waste, relies on no heavy metals, and its tannins are entirely biodegradable.
Unlike the set-it-and-forget-it automation of mass industrial manufacturing, vegetable tanning is a highly specialised craft. It’s a slower, lower-yield process typically carried out by expert hands in atelier-scale workshops. These skilled craftsmen are fairly compensated for their knowledge, expertise, and dedication to producing superior leather.
In short, teacore stands as a barometer of quality leather craftsmanship. It speaks to a more thoughtful and ethical approach to making. It’s a more expensive process, sure. But the result is a strong, durable, heirloom leather that will age beautifully and in ways entirely unique to the wearer.
What is the process behind teacore tanning?
Teacore tanning is a specialised form of vegetable tanning. Today, vegetable tanning accounts for just 10% of leather treatments. It’s an expensive and time-consuming process that uses natural vegetable tannins to preserve, strengthen, and pigment a hide—transforming it into prized leather. The tannins are derived from natural sources such as leaves, roots, and tree bark, including birch, catechu, chestnut, mimosa, oak, and willow. The precise combinations and ratios of these ingredients are closely guarded secrets unique to the tanneries mixing them.
These in-house recipes are often passed down through generations, with tweaks entrusted to master tanners—experts in their craft who possess an almost innate, intuitive understanding of how their blends interact with specific hides. Much like the master distillers of whisky making, a master tanner is uniquely versed in the delicate balance of tannins and their effects on the type of leather they aim to produce.
This is a deeply human-forward process that occurs over the course of months, not days. The hides are bathed in tannins and carefully, periodically rolled in drums. It’s a process that cannot be entrusted to automation but instead relies on the deft hands and trained eyes of artisans and experts who have dedicated decades to their art.
What teacore vegetable-tanned jackets do you carry?
Rivet & Hide is home to a curated selection of teacore leather jackets from Japan’s The Flat Head, Fine Creek Leathers, The Real McCoy’s and Double Helix. The majority are made from start to finish by a single set of hands, each bringing something different to the conversation, offering a variety of patterns, historical references, and paths of evolution.
From The Flat Head’s modern interpretations of classic Americana styles to Fine Creek Leathers’ relatively quick-ageing hides to The Real McCoy’s staggering historical accuracy, each brand has its way of celebrating the rich tradition of teacore dyeing.
