I learned a new phrase today: Vegan Leather
8I wish that I’d looked it up before I bought an item made out of it. When something arrives with a warning on the label that suggests it could cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm, I’m going to cut it up with scissors and toss it in the trash.
Normally, if I’m disappointed in an item I’ve purchased online, I just donate it. I can’t donate something like that. Yuck.
http://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/what-the-heck-is-vegan-leather/
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The term came about because vinyl is a “cheap” word. Many things made with plastics has that warning. If it’s not in contact with food or something that a kid or pet will bite, I wouldn’t fret it.
When I see dinner plates with that warning is when I run away.
@narfcake Perhaps. Except that I have any number of purses, and many are made entirely of man-made components, and not one of them has that warning. Not a single one. It isn’t vinyl. Actually, it’s not anything, anymore. It’s headed for a landfill, and it’s in pieces. I’m very efficient at destruction. VERY.
All I saw was the word “leather” and I should have paused at the modifier, but I did not. Mea culpa. I only looked it up because I was trying to figure out where the “leather” came from. I should have done it before I bought the item, but that’s the way it goes.
I also learned that I have to look at a measuring stick when I’m looking at an item I want. Turns out that a nine inch wide purse isn’t even big enough to hold my wallet. The other one that’s on the way is a proper size, thank goodness.
Vegan Leather; hah! Unless it’s made out of the tanned hides of vegans, it isn’t leather, it’s “leather” (and that’s the truth).
@Shrdlu
Anything bigger than 9 inches is deemed luggage.
@Mavyn
Oh, ye of small minds, whose carryall bags are of small dimensions.
We allow no such futile boundaries in my world.
/giphy small
@f00l
I don’t carry more than I need. When the zombie apocalypse happens, I’ll be able to outrun those toting 30 pound purses.
@Mavyn
And I’ll be able to surgically and individually firebomb the zombies without bothering to look for targeting purposes, cause I have so much fab “ultralight messenger bag AI” going on, all the while casually strolling away and watching the latest experimental origami folding techniques on my smartglasses.
I love the smell of burning zombies in the morning.
@Mavyn I figure my car is an extension of my purse. Thus using your reasoning I will be able to drive faster than you can run and still have all my stuff. : )
@Shrdlu
Have seen these marketing phrases. Had no idea they were a trigger to look for those sorts of warning labels.
It is a California-mandated label? Can you tell?
I must research how often to violate vegan principles so that I am sure to be safe from those who might use my tanned hide in “vegan leather accessories”.
However, my hide is no longer even close to “designer quality” and tans poorly.
Perhaps it would be a “Sorry, Charlie” situation in the end anyway. The designers probably wouldn’t have me or my hide.
I am safe for the short-term. Overpriced but excellent salmon tacos with a “moderne-plus with attitude” visual presentation for lunch. And popovers with raspberry butter.
Visually quite charming, in that “what are the food designers doing today” way, and quite tasty.
Far more than I approve of spending for lunch, but it’s a one-off. And I’m temporarily safe from any vegan-hide-hunters who would wish to turn my skin into something that might cause cancer.
‘Pleather’ is a term I remember shying away from, and then I looked at wiki. That’s enough education for one day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_leather
First stumbled across the term “vegan leather” when I was trying the use up the last few dollars on a gift card. I found a handbag/tote from Neiman’s that fit the bill. I actually like the bag because it’s so roomy and has held up very well getting chucked into trunks and overhead bin compartments. It’s fake ostrich, yet looks real enough to make my very status symbol-oriented sister-in-law to be quite envious that I could afford such a large ostrich leather bag.
Modcloth shoes & handbags are usually, if not always, listed as “vegan leather.” I grew up calling this stuff “pleather.”
@LaVikinga do you know Modcloth is owned by Walmart? I read an article on how it is helping them compete with other clothing companies-- their attempt to attract middle income customers.
@mikibell Wasn’t to thrilled when I read recently Walmart had acquired Modcloth. Modcloth has had fairly decent quality merchandise over the years. Walmart, not so much.
@LaVikinga I wondered when you posted that chocolate dress if you knew…I am surprised they still sell quality stuff…
@mikibell The dress I posted (if it’s the one I’m thinking of) was from eShakti --and this one the only current image I can find of it.
@LaVikinga eshakti is wonderful! My favorite dress and shirt are both from them.
I find that vegan leather has a nasty fishy smell to it… I bought a bat woman costume for Halloween and didn’t take the costume out until the day of the party…ewww…but I am strongly affected by smells. I cannot wear most black jeans because of what I assume is the smell of the dye…
@mikibell I wonder if a wash/rinse in white vinegar might help remove the odor in the jeans enough for you to tolerate it?
@LaVikinga I wondered…but I was worried about ruining the color
@mikibell the dye smell usually goes away after a couple of washes. If you’re worried about the color fading, wash on cold, use woolite detergent.
@RiotDemon Woolite makes a detergent especially for dark colors.
@mikibell White vinegar might actually help set the dye in the jeans. I know it’s what I use to help set the colors of these towels I’ve been buying from Amazon (Pinzon. I picked them up for under 20 bucks a set). The family is hard on towels and these sets are holding up rather well.
Ok. Theoretical stupid nonsense here. Be thou warned.
If I, every so often, get pretty vegan about eating, and no one entices me to go out to eat someplace I like and thereby be tempted to violate all those vegan principles, so I am in danger of becoming, ya know, semi-pure and all amazing and stuff (within the boundaries of my imaginary universe):
And if I then wear leather shoes or carry something made of GEN U WINE LEATHER, or drive the car with leather seats, is all that leather, technically speaking, vegan leather? Since it belongs to me and I’m might be in temporary “oh-so-pure vegan mode”?
I need to know, so that I can fortify my supply of really terrible jokes for next week.
Did you know that if you make lots of totally pain-inducing jokes, people are less inclined to ask you to do stuff you don’t wish to do?
@f00l That they may not ask you is certainly an upside. I would be reasonably sure though that the downside of doing that “costs” more…
@Kidsandliz
Upside and downside outcomes depends on the instigator’s intentions.
Besides, if the condition is congenital, with no known treatment …
@f00l If it is congenital the we get to make fun of you for life instead of just temporarily? (wink wink)
@Kidsandliz
Absolutely
/giphy absolutely
@f00l says “Did you know that if you make lots of totally pain-inducing jokes, people are less inclined to ask you to do stuff you don’t wish to do?”
I find that answering the door with a shotgun in hand works well for that, too. “Oh, this? Just checking to make sure it was clean and functional. Never know when it might be needed. Oh, yeah - why are you here? Need something?” And, oddly enough, they never seem to need anything. And they never stay long.
@rockblossom
Oh, only a few family members and very old friends are even willing to acknowledge my existence. The rest just pretend I’m invisible.
And since they know it’s likely that I will make really painful jokes and puns in their presence, they avoid me when they need routine boring stuff done.
They only bother me for the things I wouldn’t mind anyway.
I like the “autonomic response” form of protection vary protection.
@f00l
That last sentence was supposed to read:
Once again, I flunk autocorrect.
@f00l Autocorrect is just your device’s way of reminding you who is in charge.
I don’t like pleather either, but I doubt it’ll be the thing to give you cancer unless you burn it.
Cow hide is a waste product anyway, so probably better for the world overall.
Just a brief note: Leather refers to the process, and not a specific animal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather
I’ve had deerskin leather satchels, and I’ve seen goatskin. The wikipedia article is surprisingly informative and accurate. I’m an omnivore, and I prefer to see all the animal be used (or at least as much as possible). Leather is a good use.
@Shrdlu That’s why I mentioned cow hide
Some animals are hunted primarily for their skins, but not cows.
The funniest use of ‘vegan leather’ I ever saw was in a sporran made for a strict vegetarian. He insisted on having a kilt made of linen/cotton blend. His shirt was made of a cotton/silk blend. No plastic for him. Eventually a woven pouch made of (I think) pine straw or raffia met his standards, and his costume was complete. He contended that just because no examples survived didn’t mean that his costume was anachronistic, just that plant materials were more biodegradable than animal products.
@OldCatLady
So no wool?
@f00l Nope. Metal was okay, though. The sporran did get a few coats of vegetable wax polish to protect it. I think it was soy or bayberry.
@OldCatLady interesting that silk was okay, though…
Good stuff for leather care:
We always used this on our tack, halters, boots, belts, etc when I was young. And it always made the leather supple and wonderful. Never affected the dye, but we were using it on full-grain items made to last in equine use. We expected the leather equipment to be good for decades under heavy daily use, and it was.
If they make Lexol the same way now, it’s prob great for normal daily use leather, but I’d test it on an inconspicuous spot first, if I were going to try it on products not made the same way saddlery and tack are made.
I can tell by looking at the leather that Lexol would be fine on my King Ranch saddlery stuff - I can tell by feel that those good are made in a similar manner to tack.
Never hurts to read directions tho, esp when preserving the color exactly as is is a goal. I would certainly be cautious with purses, belts, shoes, suede, etc.
Lexol has a pretty good selection of products. Possibly they cover all the likely uses.
https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lexol
It’s just “pleather” writ for millenials.
@Hypnos hehe I had to check who posted this comment… sounds like @cranky1950
TL;DR is this real or just effin’ 'round stuffs?
“better, it’s Pleather”
Vegan leather is made of plastics, which are petrochemical products.
So, it’s not made of animals, it’s made instead of fossilized animals.
That’s probably kinder to the animals in the short term…
@2many2no
Most of the animals more commonly used for leather are prob raised for human consumption anyway.
Are the alligators who are eventually used for “alligator accessories” raised on an alligator farm?
@2many2no shrug cows are going to get killed for their meat anyway, and when it eventually finds its way into the ocean, the one made from skin is definitely better for the animals there.
Did I just read an article that said PVC is scary? I bet it’s just as scary as the tap water that runs through it in most of our homes. LOL
@rrapnek url?
EDIT is this what you were looking at?
http://www.asce.org/magazine/20141113-plastic-pipes-for-drinking--water-come-under-scrutiny/
and then there is a link at the bottom of that to the actual study results except it is behind a fire wall and only has a few charts.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135414006289
Don’t you all want more vegan leather in your lives now? Well, you can do that. Here, let’s get some that’s so very discounted:
BooPeeDo Vegan Leather Tote Diaper Bag
BooPeeDo Vegan Leather Tote Diaper Bag with RFID Blocking Pocket - Black
$12.99 $99.95 87% off list price
http://kids.woot.com/offers/boopeedo-vegan-leather-tote-diaper-bag-1?ref=ref%3Dcnt_wp_0_0
At the thought of the rfid blocking pocket in a diaper bag, my imagination goes … <hold that thought>
I think I’ll just shut up now.