What the Heck is Vegan Leather

[Laney760]

Just for the record, Italian Alcantara microfibre fabric (used on many Volvo seatcovers) which looks like suede and is often called Alcantara leather, was designed for many reasons, none of them to do with being a vegan animal alternative whatsoever! Ditto the US Tapis ultraleather.

Some of it's design advantages:

Alcantara weighs only half as much as real leather. Alcantara is a fully synthetic material that weighs only half as much as sueded leather. It is very breathable. It's also much tougher in terms of scratching or ripping as well as being highly resistant to sun fade. Dirt and moisture repellant. It also takes longer to heat up or get cold than the usual materials used in interiors. As an added bonus it’s also extremely grippy - hence its popularity for steering wheel covers and shift knobs, particularly in sports and race cars. It can be washed with neutral detergent in the washing machine at 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. Alcantara can be ironed at low temperatures. It can be cut in several layers one above the other and the structure of Alcantara is completely uniform so, unlike real leather, there is less wastage. Pilling in later life can easily be removed with a lint shaver.

[steadvex]

Originally Posted by Laney760

Just for the record, Italian Alcantara microfibre fabric (used on many Volvo seatcovers) which looks like suede and is often called Alcantara leather, was designed for many reasons, none of them to do with being a vegan animal alternative whatsoever! Ditto the US Tapis ultraleather.

Some of it's design advantages:

Alcantara weighs only half as much as real leather. Alcantara is a fully synthetic material that weighs only half as much as sueded leather. It is very breathable. It's also much tougher in terms of scratching or ripping as well as being highly resistant to sun fade. Dirt and moisture repellant. It also takes longer to heat up or get cold than the usual materials used in interiors. As an added bonus it’s also extremely grippy - hence its popularity for steering wheel covers and shift knobs, particularly in sports and race cars. It can be washed with neutral detergent in the washing machine at 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. Alcantara can be ironed at low temperatures. It can be cut in several layers one above the other and the structure of Alcantara is completely uniform so, unlike real leather, there is less wastage. Pilling in later life can easily be removed with a lint shaver.

That's all very well, but I want to become outraged at something I know nothing about even when presented with facts!!!!

Like most topics that people fly off the handle with

[richo122]

Originally Posted by Laney760

Just for the record, Italian Alcantara microfibre fabric (used on many Volvo seatcovers) which looks like suede and is often called Alcantara leather, was designed for many reasons, none of them to do with being a vegan animal alternative whatsoever! Ditto the US Tapis ultraleather.

Some of it's design advantages:

Alcantara weighs only half as much as real leather. Alcantara is a fully synthetic material that weighs only half as much as sueded leather. It is very breathable. It's also much tougher in terms of scratching or ripping as well as being highly resistant to sun fade. Dirt and moisture repellant. It also takes longer to heat up or get cold than the usual materials used in interiors. As an added bonus it’s also extremely grippy - hence its popularity for steering wheel covers and shift knobs, particularly in sports and race cars. It can be washed with neutral detergent in the washing machine at 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. Alcantara can be ironed at low temperatures. It can be cut in several layers one above the other and the structure of Alcantara is completely uniform so, unlike real leather, there is less wastage. Pilling in later life can easily be removed with a lint shaver.

Thanks for the explanation. Until now I thought it was some sort of split animal hide.
A bit like the term naugahide, the US euphemism for vinyl.
Or Volvos "leatherette" implying that perhaps there are smaller leathers

[Bonefishblues]

Originally Posted by jonnyf90

Can't stand this vegan bollocks. Why should we suffer with plastic seat trim because a small minority don't want it?
The militant vegans really get me, especially the hypocrites.

I was targeted on the tube last week for eating a ham sandwich by one, saying I was responsible for killing the earth and disrespecting their veganist views by eating meat.

The clown was sat with holding a leather MK handbag and wearing Dr Martens...

Dr Martens are well ahead of the curve with vegan leather

https://www.drmartens.com/uk/en_gb/c/vegan

[Marty Dolomite]

Triumph (cars) had Leatherette interiors in the 1960s, it is still to this day mistaken for leather.

As for Vegan leather..... its not leather, just call it whatever it is. Todays snowflakes and hipsters wanting leather but not the bad karma they'll get from that one person who claims to care.

[Marty Dolomite]

Originally Posted by Baxlin

I didn't think cows ate meat, fish or dairy, so isn’t all leather vegan?

(I’ll get my own coat, thanks)

Nando's claim on their Menu's that all their chickens are vegetarians.

[Bonefishblues]

Originally Posted by Marty Dolomite

Triumph (cars) had Leatherette interiors in the 1960s, it is still to this day mistaken for leather.

As for Vegan leather..... its not leather, just call it whatever it is. Todays snowflakes and hipsters wanting leather but not the bad karma they'll get from that one person who claims to care.

As opposed to calling it "leatherette"?

Same thing is much the same, it seems to me.

[canis]

Originally Posted by Marty Dolomite

Triumph (cars) had Leatherette interiors in the 1960s, it is still to this day mistaken for leather..

My father had a Vitesse. And a Bond Equippe. That plastic could never be mistaken for real leather. Ask a kid from the '70s.

[green van man]

Originally Posted by Marty Dolomite

Nando's claim on their Menu's that all their chickens are vegetarians.

Free range chickens are not vegetarians, they eat nonvertibrates as well as grains and seeds.
If Nandos chickens truly are vegetarians they live in controlled conditions which means caged, even barned chickens have dirt floors on the chicken farms I've seen, though they could conceivably be concrete floors.

They may be vegetarian but prehaps the welfare needs investigation.

I eat chicken, but only free range chickens and eggs.

Paul.