Why Are Counterfeit Tochigi Leather Products So Prevalent? The Value of Full Vegetable-Tanned Leather, Said to Be Less Than 1% of Market Distribution, Revealed in a Dialogue with the President of Tochigi Leather.
Guts Co., Ltd. invited the president of Tochigi Leather Co., Ltd. for a dialogue to discuss the value of rare full vegetable-tanned leather, which accounts for less than 1% of market distribution, and the reasons behind the prevalence of counterfeits. They delve into the secrets of leather making and the truth about quality and pricing.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 19:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 8, 2026 at 11:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 03:21 (304h 21m after Collected)
Guts Co., Ltd. (Representative: Hiroyuki Nakatsuji), which manufactures and sells leather goods in Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, welcomed Mr. Ozawa, President of Tochigi Leather Co., Ltd., to their workshop to discuss the inside story of leather making. They explored the rarity of full vegetable-tanned leather, said to account for less than 1% of market distribution, how leather quality and price are determined, and the background as to why so many leather products called "Tochigi Leather" or similar products are circulated in the market, from the perspective of those on the ground. Part 1 https://youtu.be/U11w-sOQch0 / Part 2 https://youtu.be/jenPj9DFOQ8
Tochigi Leather President Visits Workshop, Dialogue on Craftsmanship
We welcomed Mr. Ozawa, President of Tochigi Leather Co., Ltd., to the Quattro Gats workshop to talk about leather.
How is the leather we usually take for granted made? We learned carefully, one by one, about things we rarely get to hear, such as raw hides and differences in manufacturing methods.
Differences in materials and manufacturing methods are hard to discern just by looking, but knowing this background will change how you view leather.
[Part 1] Discussing the Inside Story of Leather Making: What are the Advantages of Vegetable Tanning? What is Genuine Leather with "Less Than 1%" Market Distribution?
Part 1 https://youtu.be/U11w-sOQch0 /
In Part 1, the focus is on how leather quality is determined and differences in the materials themselves.
This content allows you to rediscover the basics of leather, such as why Tochigi Leather chooses raw hides from Canada and what vegetable tanning is. It also touches upon the relationship between leather and the environment.