One of the many requests that we get from time to time, is to make items with vegan leather.

So today, we will elaborate for you, the fine people of the internet, why we are not very enthusiastic to be asked this question.

It's not cost effective

We make quality products, that are hopefully at a reasonable price. Yes we would like to make a profit, no profits means no growth or development. One of the major downsides of the vegan leather for a small handmade manufacturer, is the cost of vegan leather. Approximately twice the price of most of the leather that we use. There is the option of small pieces (that limit the size of what can be made), or minimum orders of 1000 metre lengths from the material supplier. In either case that is one style and colour of vegan leather.

If we where to use vegan leather, would have an unreasonable price tag. This is not what we want for our customers, we want to be able to provide high quality (handmade) products at a reasonable price.

Durability, that is the question

We pride ourselves in selling high quality products that will be a pleasurable experience for one and all. In taking that into account, we feel that vegan leather just does not have the same durability as leather. The material does not lend to being punished, meaning it wouldn't withstand the same thrashing, impact or "wear and tear" of natural leather. Tooling vegan leather has to be done with a heat process, which we are not equipped for at Gold Dragon Designs. If the stamping tools are too hot, the material will melt, too cold and the impressions do not work out. After long prolonged use of that favourite flogger, there could be a risk of the material disintegrating which could cause damage, to those that it is being used on and to the flogger itself.

It is after all polyurethane bonded to a thin woven fabric substrate.

The material is synthetic

Due to the nature of synthetics, there could be a higher chance chemical residues on the material - and not the ones you want in contact with skin. From a Voacative article,

"Currently, the most popular alternative to PVC for faux leather is polyurethane. Polyurethane, however, presents its own set of economic and environmental challenges. The chemistry behind it is complicated, which causes the price point to go up, and also creates a wider variation in quality and performance. From an environmental perspective, the main concern with polyurethane-based synthetic leather is that solvents are used. The production process involves painting polyurethane in liquid form onto a fabric backing. Making polyurethane into a liquid requires a solvent, and those can be highly toxic." https://www.vocativ.com/news/281599/vegan-leather-isnt-as-ethical-as-you-think/index.html

You can be the judge of the risk, but it's one we would prefer to do without

So, where do we stand?

As much as we would like to accommodate all of your needs, vegan leather is not a material that we use, due to the low cost effectiveness (high material price and required equipment), and the lower durability of the materials. To use vegan leather, would be going against the ideals of high quality products (that are going to last a long time), at a reasonable price.

We hope this has been informative, and if you have any questions feel free to email in the contact page.