Tannery Trails Exploring Tannery - SANYO LEATHER Part 2
Tannery Trails - SANYO LEATHER SANYO LEATHER Part 2
NEGRONIThis is a project to travel around Tannery, a leather manufacturing company in Japan, with photos.
Last timeWe will continue our tour of the manufacturing plant of Tannery Corporation Sanyo, which has a history of 100 years in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture.
Putting on color
After dyeing, the leather proceeds to the "application process" as the first step of final finishing. A large "roll coater" is used here. A metal roller is used to apply the finishing agent evenly to the surface of the leather.
By applying uniform pressure and speed, the roll coater achieves a high degree of precision that is difficult to reproduce with manual work by craftsmen. Sanyo's factory has several roll coaters installed for different purposes of finishing, and they are operated for various applications, such as pigmented finishing to enhance durability.
Pigmented finishes sometimes use finishing agents containing naturally derived ingredients such as casein and wax, which require fine adjustment each time to match the viscosity, which varies with temperature and humidity.
Rather than "painting," it is "preparing. The roll coater process may be better described as such.
Walking along the finishing line, a familiar texture catches your eye. There is,NEGRONIWet-track calf, which is also used in the products of
The soft natural light shining through the ceiling brings out a delicate sheen on the silver surface. The luster of the calf, even before it has become a product, already gives a sense of its presence as an "outstanding material.
A finish that holds light
In a corner of the finishing line, a machine standing quietly caught my eye.
It is an antique-looking machine in the factory. It is called a "glazing machine," and is used exclusively for glazing. A glass roller rotates slowly, and a heavy wooden arm applies pressure to the surface of the leather as it is carefully rubbed.
This process is a classic technique called "casein finishing. Casein, which is derived from natural protein, is applied to the base of the leather, and then heat and pressure are applied to the glazed surface to smooth the silver surface and bring out its natural luster. The gloss is not a mirror-like luster, but a soft light that brings out the depth of the leather's original fiber structure, making the leather more attractive.
This process cannot be completed without the craftsman's eyes and hands, and the finish varies minutely depending on the amount of pressure applied, the number of times, and the timing. The machine is merely a tool, and it is the human senses that read the condition of the leather as they work that determine the final look. The finished leather has a "quiet beauty" that only the amount of work done by hand can bring.
Where to meet leather
As you walk around the factory, you will see "horses," or leather stands, placed all over the place. The leather is transported, dried, and finished in different forms for each process, and finally rests on these horses. This scene blended naturally into the scenery of the factory.
The stockyards are lined with a wide variety of leathers that have already been finished and have a presence that seems to speak to us quietly. The high ceilings let in soft natural light, which enhanced the expression of each type of leather.
As we walked through the tannery and observed the various manufacturing methods, we naturally felt a quiet moment of reflection on our own craftsmanship.
In our opinion, what makes Sanyo leather so appealing is that it is not leather that has been industrially prepared by covering the surface with pigments. The leather is tanned with vegetable-derived tannin, and the depth of the fibers is directly expressed in the texture. The simple application of a dye finish on the surface reveals the expression of the leather itself. We feel that this "blank space" is more beautiful than anything else.
The leather is not a finished product, but a material that will become shoes and grow up to be used by someone over time. In the appearance of the leather, we feel the aesthetic sense of "in-between" woven by Sanyo's technology that has been refined over the long history of the company.
European Standard for Sustainability
In 2023, Sanyo obtained LWG (Leather Working Group) environmental certification. This certification is an international standard that requires both environmental friendliness and transparency and safety in the manufacturing process.
NEGRONIWhen we purchase leather from Europe, we use this LWG certification as an indicator of trust. We are always looking for tanneries that take the environment seriously and have a sustainable production system in place. That is what weNEGRONIIt is a very important factor for our brand.
LWG is a non-profit organization of leather brands, tanneries, and chemical manufacturers that conducts rigorous audits of tanneries worldwide. High standards are required in everything from wastewater treatment facilities and control of banned chemicals to traceability from raw materials. In fact, only a few tanneries in Japan have obtained this certification.
Sanyo's technology, backed by a century of history, and the confidence that lies in every detail. All of these have resulted in leather manufacturing that meets the strictest international standards.
NEGRONIThis may be the very reason why many customers (including Japanese customers) feel comfortable using Sanyo's leather.
From left: Mr. Matsumoto of Matsumoto Shoten, Mr. Shiota, Executive Director of Sanyo, and Mr. Tamotsu, Director and General Manager of Production Dept.
