Italian buttero leather, a staple at Munekawa.

Made using natural agents and traditional methods, this leather is durable, beautifully colored, and develops a rich patina over time.

We have introduced it several times in our blog posts, but the buttero leather used by Munekawa undergoes an original high-temperature, high-pressure pressing process.

However, we may not have explained in detail what this process is and how it changes the leather.

In this post, we would like to introduce the process we apply to the buttero leather used by Munekawa.

What is buttero leather?

Buttero is cowhide leather made in Italy.

It is vegetable-tanned leather, tanned using tannins extracted from natural materials such as chestnuts and mimosa, and belongs to the type of leather known in Japan as "nume leather."

The slow tanning process shrinks the fibers and increases their density. This gives the leather durability that helps it retain its firmness even with long-term use. This is an important characteristic for the material used in wallets and leather accessories that are used every day.

For coloring, we use dyes that penetrate the leather rather than pigments that coat the surface. This results in a transparent finish that preserves the leather's natural character.

One More Step After It Arrives in Japan

In leatherworking, there is a "finishing" process after tanning and dyeing to refine the surface texture. Depending on the finish, the feel and appearance of the same leather can change.

At Munekawa, we apply an additional original process to the buttero leather once it arrives in Japan from Italy. That is pressing the leather fibers with high temperature and high pressure.

By further tightening the already dense fibers of the buttero leather with high temperature and high pressure, it becomes even stronger.

Only after this additional step in Japan is the leather finished and ready to be used for product making.

How Does the Leather Change Before and After Processing?

The photo shows the same green buttero leather placed side by side before processing (left) and after processing (right).

As you can see at a glance, the surface luster is clearly different before and after processing.

Buttero leather originally has a matte texture, but by applying heat, a natural luster appears on the surface of the leather.In the photo, you can see that the leather on the left softly receives the light, while the leather on the right reflects the light.

This luster contributes to the elegant, luxurious feel of the finished product.

Does the Color of the Leather Change After Processing?

You can see a difference in color between the leather before and after processing, but this is not because the color changed due to the process.

Natural leather has variations in color intensity from one piece to another. This difference is due to the individual characteristics of the leather.The pressing process does not significantly change the color.

Also, some leather may still have a subtle luster after processing. The way the luster develops also varies depending on the individuality of each piece of leather.

Even if you choose the same color, no two products will have exactly the same character. This, too, can be considered one of the joys of natural leather.

Luster That Deepens with Use

Buttero leather develops more luster and deeper color as it is used. The luster created by the pressing process is merely the starting line when you begin using the product.

Touching it with your hands, taking it in and out of your pocket. Through the accumulation of these daily actions, the character unique to the user gradually builds upon the luster refined by the process.

Buttero leather is particularly easy to see the patina develop. You can enjoy the way the lighter color at the beginning of use gradually develops into a dark, deep color, as well as the luster that gradually deepens over time.

Summary

In this blog post, we introduced the original process that Munekawa applies to buttero leather.

There are individual differences in the color and luster after processing, but that is also one of the characteristics of each piece of leather. Behind the firmness and luster you feel when you pick up a product is this additional step.

At our directly operated store in Okumachi, Osaka, you can actually hold the various colors of buttero leather and check their luster and texture. We also introduce the leather used by Munekawa in detail on the "Leather" page of our official website, so please take a look there as well.

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▶︎Details of the Munekawa Directly Operated Store in Okumachi, Osaka here
▶︎Contact us here