Natural leather

Natural leather is a quality leather used in an industry of bag manufacturing. Leather we use comes from cattle reared for meat production in Italy. This means that animals are not bred on purpose of a leather export, it is only a secondary material that would be wasted otherwise. The term “natural“ itself prompts that this kind of leather may feature certain characteristic qualities such as small marks or scratches. When owning a leather product you shall understand that it changes together with you over time. It is a unique feature that natural leather has – it continuously changes its appearance and becomes more familiar, personal to you.

There are special products that can help when taking good care of your leather bag. Natural beeswax products are very effective when wanting to hide scratches or unevenness that naturally appear over time. During the wet/cold season of the year we strongly recommend to use impregnant as it will protect your bag from rain and snow. We would like to advise that shoe impregnants might not always be the best choice for leather bags, so we recommend testing it before using all over – spray some product on the small, not so visible area of your bag and make sure it doesn’t leave any unwanted stains and do no harm to the leather. It’s a great habit to always check any product you want to use on your bag first. Natural leather handbags should be impregnated at least one time per season. If the bag that you own is from lacquered leather – it doesn’t need to be impregnated as this type of leather might react in a very different way.

Keep your bag hidden from the direct sunlight and don’t leave it in a humid place for too long – this may affect the colour. If your handbag accidentally got wet, be patient and simply dry it at the room temperature. Do not put it near the open fire, radiator or any other kind of heater. Also, do not use a hair dryer or an iron.

Coarse surface soft leather – this type of leather is overlayed with thin protective layer which helps when wanting to obtain a bigger variety of surface textures. Coarse leather does not smear so easily, it is more water and stain resistant. Scratches are far less visible on an uneven surface like this leather has than on smooth one. This leather is strong and elastic. Coarse leather is soft, it can hold different thicknesses, it resists stretching. This leather suits softer handbags and backpacks, such “kARTu” models as “Cardamom”, “Lucerne”, “Vanilla” or “Muscat”.

Smooth surface, thick firm leather – it is natural cattle leather which thickness can vary from 1,8 to 2,2 milimetres. Handbags or backpacks that are made from this leather hold shape perfectly, have a noticeable silhouette, are much heavier. Scratches can be more visible on such smooth, thick leather handbags and backpacks – if wanting to hide them as the time passes you would need to purchase special leather care products that “kARTu“ team can always advise you on. This type of leather is perfect for such “kARTu“ handbags as “Chocolate”, “Cumin”, backpacks as “Bilberry” or “Tarragon”.

Leather of patterned surface – soft and light cattle leather. Like all the other leathers we use, it is completely natural. Different kind of imprints are embossed on the smooth surface of this leather to obtain certain coloured textures or imitations of other familiar leathers (crocodile, snake, unique prints, geometrical figures etc.). This kind of leather suits small playful handbags and can be beautifully combined with some other soft, one-coloured leathers. Handbag made from this leather is light, resistant to scratches and dirt. Choose this leather for “kARTu“ models such as “Muscat”, “Lavender”, “Marigold” or “Pepper”.

Smooth surface soft leather – it is a top layer cow leather. It is dyed, so industry has various colours of this kind of leather to offer. Such leather is soft, air permeable, glossy. It is used to sew high quality leather items such as handbags. This kind of leather characterizes by being extremely light, soft, it feels smooth and velvety next to the skin. Handbag made from this leather will weigh very little, it will be “cozy” to wear. This leather perfectly suits such “kARTu” models as “Lucerne”, “Cypress”, Bergamot” or “Windflower”.

Please note:

Ink and denim stains are not possible to clean out of a leather bag
Darker colour leathers can dye lighter fabrics when being wet or affected by friction
Leather needs to be protected from direct, intense sunlight
Be careful when using perfume or hair styling products next to your bag as it can damage the leather beyond retrieve
When wanting to professionally clean your bag we recommend doing it at the leather goods specialised cleaners
Don’t keep your leather handbag in a plastic bag, this can affect colour
Leather handbag shouldn’t be cleaned too much and too often. If you tend to clean it yourself, dirt can be easily removed with a damp cloth – try sweeping at the less visible part of the bag first checking if moisture doesn’t leave any traces. Wait for it to dry completely.
Leather impregnants can be found at the most footwear and haberdashery stores as well as bigger super markets
You’ll find a smooth lining inside every single “kARTu” bag that’s made of firm, dirt resistant fabric
Here at “kARTu” we only use “YKK” zippers – this name stands for the brand „Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha“, that is known for manufacturing most famous, greatest quality zippers in the world that come in various colours and sizes
We only use authentic, quality metal parts that come straight from Italy, which are then individually tailored to every different bag model of “kARTu”.