Our Water Buffalo Leather
Semi-Veg-Tanned – and how it came to us

Looks like something from way back when — and that's exactly how it feels: heavy, deep, primal. At werktat, it's the leather we started with. No grain you can feel, just folds you can see, and a matte, slightly porous surface that already shines in places: patina, workshop-fitted. This leather doesn't start from zero. It comes with a story of its own.

• brown
• approx. 2.5 – 3.5 mm
• Selection I (first choice)
• mineral tanning with vegetable retanning
• origin: India
• halves of approx. 1.7 m²
• regular on-site quality control
• free from harmful substances in accordance with German legislation and the European REACH Regulation
• light fastness DIN EN ISO 105-B02: 3 (staining of wool felt min. 3)
• rub fastness IUF 450 / DIN EN ISO 11640
  • dry 50 cycles: 4
  • wet 20 cycles: 3 (grey scale min. 3)
  • perspiration 20 cycles:3
• flammability DIN EN 1021: passed
  
  

How the Buffalo Came to werktat

The first time we saw this leather, there was just a big grin, goosebumps — and one thought: this is it. That first hide then sat around for quite a while … back then still in the atelier of our home. Cut into it? A piece like that? At some point, we dared.

It paid off: from the buffalo leather came our first successes in leather — sold on DaWanda back in the day. This is the leather that taught werktat how to do leather.

And it wasn't just our customers who took notice: one day, the marketing department of a world-famous sandal maker invited us over — under the pretense of a collaboration. What they really wanted to talk about was one question: where this leather comes from. We didn't tell. The collaboration never happened — but they did buy a bag. We still have the invoice. And the source? Stays right where it is: with us.