What Is Chrome-Tanned Leather? How It Differs From Veg-Tan

Chrome-tanned leather is leather tanned with chromium salts instead of plant tannins. The tanning step takes under a day, against several weeks for veg tan, and gives a softer, stretchier leather. It accounts for 85 to 90% of modern leather making.

This is the short definition. The full tanning story, from raw hide to finished leather, is in our guide to where leather comes from and how it is made.

Key takeaways- Chrome tanning uses chromium sulfate and other chromium salts; undyed leather comes out pale blue and is called wet blue.- Compared with veg tan it is faster, more stretchable and better in water.- Chromium(III), the kind used in tanning, is significantly less toxic than hexavalent chromium.- The EU bars skin-contact leather articles with 3 mg/kg or more of chromium VI.

Chrome tan vs veg tan in six lines

For a fuller side-by-side, see what vegetable-tanned leather is.

How chrome tanning works

Chrome tanning was developed in the 1800s. After the hide is prepared, it is tanned with chromium sulfate and other chromium salts, a step that takes about one day. Undyed, the result is pale blue wet blue. One leather maker says wet blue is easy to store and transport.

Is chrome-tanned leather safe?

The chromium used in tanning is chromium(III). It is significantly less toxic than hexavalent chromium, chromium(VI), which can arise in inadequate waste treatment.

In the EU, leather articles that touch the skin may not be placed on the market if they contain chromium VI at 3 mg/kg (0.0003% by weight) or more of the dry leather. That is a legal limit on one substance, not a promise about any particular product. Ask a maker for test results if it matters to you.

Chrome-free leather

Some leather is tanned without chromium. "Wet white" is the name for semi-finished leather made with aldehydes, aluminum, zirconium, titanium or iron salts, or a mix. Concern about chromium VI has driven research into these methods.

How to tell chrome tan from veg tan

A leather-goods seller suggests looking at a raw cut edge: veg tan is cream or tan all the way through, while chrome often shows a blue-grey core. A water drop darkens veg tan and then lightens as it dries, but often beads on chrome. These are seller tests, not a lab standard.

Chrome tan and other leathers

Chrome tan is one tannage among several. A chrome-then-vegetable combination gives latigo leather, and what leather is made of compares the tanning agents.

Leather Collection's guide to different types of leather is a good next read.

FAQ

What does chrome tanning mean?

Tanning with chromium salts, mainly chromium(III) sulfate, so the hide stops rotting and becomes leather.

Is veg tan better than chrome tan?

Neither wins on every job. Veg tan suits leathercraft and tooling; chrome tan suits shoes, car seats and upholstery. Chrome holds shape and color in water better.

Is chrome-tanned leather toxic?

The chromium(III) used in tanning is significantly less toxic than chromium(VI). EU law limits chromium VI in skin-contact leather articles to under 3 mg/kg.

How can I tell if I have chrome-tan or veg-tan leather?

Check a raw edge for a blue-grey core, or try a water drop on a hidden spot.