Veg Tan vs Chrome Tan

What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

When people first start learning about leather, one of the first questions that comes up is: “What’s the difference between vegetable tanned leather and chrome tanned leather?” 

So let’s break it down.

What Is Vegetable Tanned Leather?

Vegetable tanning is one of the oldest methods for turning rawhide into usable leather. It uses all-natural materials—tree bark, roots, leaves, and other organic compounds—to cure the hide and make it durable and workable.

Most importantly: veg tan leather is unfinished when you receive it. That means it's ready to soak up water, oil, dye, and finish—and it's fully customizable. You can carve it, tool it, stamp it, wet-form it, burnish the edges, and dye it to suit your needs. This makes it ideal for crafting projects where you want to put your personal stamp on the piece—literally and figuratively.

If you want to create something that's you from the ground up, veg tan is your go-to.

What Is Chrome Tanned Leather?

Chrome tanning uses a chemical process (primarily chromium salts) to produce leather that’s soft, supple, and color-rich. The big plus here? It comes finished and ready to use. That means you can start cutting and stitching right out of the box—no dyeing, oiling, or waiting.

Because the leather is pre-finished, it’s water-resistant, which makes it great for garments, bags, or upholstery. But that also means it won’t absorb water well, so tooling, stamping, or wet-forming is mostly off the table. You can sometimes hot-stamp it for logos or personalization, but it’s not ideal for more intricate detail work.

If speed, consistency, and vibrant color options matter more to your project than deep customization, chrome tan might be a better fit.

So… Which Should You Choose?

It really comes down to what you're trying to create.

When someone new asks me what they should get for their first project—especially something like a card wallet—I always recommend vegetable tanned leather. Why?

Because it offers maximum versatility. You can keep it simple and natural, or you can go deep with carving, dyeing, and detailing as your skills improve. You don’t have to know everything at the start—you just need a solid foundation.

And veg tan gives you exactly that.