“A hide tanned with Swedish pine bark, no finish – it smells like the forest.” – Torbjörn Lundin –
1 | What is pine-bark leather?
Pine belongs to the classic family of bark tannins (oak, chestnut, mimosa). In Sweden, Pinus sylvestris bark is milled, leached, and concentrated into a rich vegetable extract. Hides soak in this liquor for weeks, binding natural polyphenols to the collagen fibres. The result: leather free from metal salts and synthetic fixatives, carrying a subtle woodland aroma. tarnsjogarveri.comtarnsjogarveri.com
2 | Key material characteristics
No synthetic top-coat The surface stays breathable; patina develops rather than peels.
Moderate water resistance Bark tannins impart natural hydrophobicity without fluorocarbons.
Repair-friendly Scuffs can be re-burnished; colour deepens instead of cracking.
Biological return At end-of-life, vegetable-tanned leather can biodegrade under controlled composting conditions.
Common applications: saddlery, heritage boots, backpacks, belts – any product where grain character and long service life are valued.
3 | Context: a Swedish approach
A small number of Nordic tanneries still practise full-vegetable tanning with local bark. Among them is Tärnsjö Garveri, operating since 1873. Their model illustrates three principles relevant to Clean Leather:
Regional sourcing – hides from nearby farms; bark from managed Swedish forests.
On-site processing – tanning, cutting, and stitching in one location reduces transport impact and keeps traceability intact.
Low-impact effluent – wastewater contains plant solids that can be treated biologically, avoiding chrome-sludge disposal.
These features are not unique to Sweden but show what a closed-loop approach can look like in practice.
4 | Environmental considerations
Because hides remain a meat-industry by-product, using them extends resource efficiency and avoids methane-generating landfill. Bark, when harvested from certified forestry operations, counts as a renewable feedstock. The absence of chromium and polyurethane finishes reduces end-of-life toxicity compared with conventional leather and many coated bio-composites.
5 | Why pine-bark leather fits the idea of a “respectful pause”
Vegetable tannins slow down, but do not fundamentally alter, the natural life cycle of a hide. They preserve it just long enough for decades of use, then allow it to re-enter biological cycles. This controlled intermission is what Clean Leather calls a respectful pause: stability without severing ties to nature.
Further reading
Lederpedia – entries on bark tannins for historical and chemical context
Nordic tanneries employing pine, oak, or willow extracts
Academic papers on biodegradability of vegetable-tanned versus chrome-tanned leather
If you work with bark-tanned hides or research alternative tannins, feel free to share your insights. Collective knowledge moves the conversation from theory to practice.
Note on Clean Leather
Clean Leather applies the “clean-eating” mindset to leather: if you wouldn’t accept hidden ingredients in your food, why accept them in your shoes? Our focus is strictly on vegetable tanning, full ingredient disclosure, and processes that keep the material in a natural loop. If that principle resonates with your craft or research, we’d love to hear from you.
