Tannin,

a history close

to your own

The history of tannin has very ancient origins. Before the discovery of the tanning process, Men already knew about his existence.

Their hunter-gatherer activity could guarantee a diet containing varieties of berries, fruits and roots naturally rich in tannin, a powerful antioxidant, which contributed significantly to the equilibrium of the gut flora.

For this reason, nowadays, reintroducing tannins back in our diet, for example through the intake of pomegranate extracts or natural tannins in wine and tea, can be the source of important supplements for human health.

Although no one can be sure of it, it is very likely that our meeting with tannin was empirical or completely coincidental.

An intuition that led to the birth of a process indispensable to the evolution of human civilization: vegetable tanning.

Leather was used as harness for horses and working animals, sandals, belts, saddle bags, quivers, accessories for weapons including shields and armors, book covers. It was also a material to be found in industrial machines and even in XX century tanks.

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Prehistory and Tannin

The first encounter with your ancestors probably happened on the shore of a pond or in a cave. Men had started to hunt big animals with the help of spears and to use the skins of the prey killed as protection against the cold.
January 01, 2021
12 AM
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Vegetable Tanning in Ancient History

The Sumerians were among the first populations to systematically use the tanning of the skins, for which they used various methods (aldehydes, essential oils) and Galls Tannin.
January 01, 2021
12 AM
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Tannin in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance

The Medieval and Renaissance tanneries continued the tradition of the tanning bath, in which the hides are immersed in a solution of tannin and water for weeks.
January 01, 2021
12 AM
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Tannin and the Plants of the New World

With the arrival in the Americas, the Europeans discovered the existence of new plant species; some will prove to be particularly suitable for tannin extraction.
January 01, 2021
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1796: the term “Tannin” is Born

The Eighteenth century sees a new method of study of Nature born, based on a systematic approach. These are the years of the encyclopedias, of a new relationship between Man and Nature.
January 01, 2021
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The Industrial Revolution and the Invention of the Drum

The vegetable tanning bath is an artisan process that takes 4 to 6 weeks. A wait that didn’t meet the new production needs.
January 01, 2021
12 AM
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The tannin between the two wars

The tannin had a prominent role also during the two wars: leather and leather were in fact widely used by all the armies.
January 01, 2021
12 AM
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Tannin in the Twentieth Century

The new century saw a gradual industrialization of the tanning industry, which required faster production times. The drum, invented in the former decades, played a key role in this process.
January 01, 2021
12 AM

Vegetable Tanning

Today, tannin is used successfully in a variety of applications. But it continues to be the undisputed protagonist of the vegetable tanning process, an ancient artisan tradition that still today is based on the same methods used during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. A process able to provide high quality leather, that can last over time.

vegetable tanning