What is Mycelium Leather? Does it exist?

[RobertoDR69]

Hi all

A bit of an interesting one for you. 

Does anyone know anything about Mycelium leather and how does it compare with animal leather? 

The question has came up with a chat with my son, who is only a teenager and is not into killing animals; yes these youngsters are changing. So is there an alternative to animal leather?  

If so, how does the dying process work as well as how to put the final wax, oil on to the finished product?

[Dwight]

It's a greaseball funky product made by vegans who think all animals should be taken off the planet.

May God bless,

Dwight

[tsunkasapa]

It is mushroom 'leather'. While I have heard of it, I have no experience with it. It is nothing that I am likely to try.

[Gabriel Rasa]

It's likely a high percentage of plastic; most of these "vegan leathers" are, even the ones advertising themselves as made of cactus, or seaweed, or in this case mushrooms. Read the fine print, it's usually still like 40% plastic, and will behave as such. You might as well just work with vinyl. =/

Drives me crazy, because they're selling people on the idea that it's better for the earth than real leather, but it's not, it's just harder to quantify the environmental damage of plastic than "1 leather item = at least 1 dead cow." But there's no such thing as vegan leather, it's plastic, it sheds microplastic particles, it has a fraction of the lifespan of leather, and it does not return to the earth as gracefully, just clogs up the landfills. Responsible environmental stewardship is important to me too, but a blanket ban on all animal products is not the answer.

/end rant

 

[AlZilla]

2 hours ago, Gabriel Rasa said:

sheds microplastic particles

Keep ranting, @Gabriel Rasa

For 6 decades I've been thumbing my nose at environmentalists (remember global cooling that was going to usher in a new ice age?).  Even I am buying into microplastics. Your polyester clothes even shed microplastics when you wash them.  It's not breaking down any time soon.

If this faux leather is plastic,  I'd avoid it like plague.

[SUP]

I can never understand people who don't want to use leather. I don't see them telling people not to eat beef or other meats;  I know people who only  use 'vegan leather' but who eat meats!

Besides, expecting the world to stop eating meats is a pipe dream.

My take is that as long as people eat the insides of an animal, I am using the outsides - making best use of the animal's involuntary sacrifice. When I say that, the vegan warriors usually shut up. LOL

Besides, I wonder about mycelium leather - if not properly treated, will there be spores left behind? If so, if the leather gets wet or even in humid weather, will there be mushrooms sprouting on handbags and watch straps? New fashion statement perhaps?

[Handstitched]

15 hours ago, tsunkasapa said:

It is mushroom 'leather'. While I have heard of it, I have no experience with it. It is nothing that I am likely to try.

I think I saw a report in one of our newspapers regarding' mushroom leather', I only saw the headline with a pic , but I looked at it with a huge dose of skepticism  and a sideways glance. 

Like you, theres not ' mush-room' in my line of work for that, I'll stick with the real stuff . 

HS 

PS:   legs of lamb were on special today at our supermarket  lol  

HS

 

[bladegrinder]

Mmm… leg of lamb and reconstituted mycelium leather gravy. 

[Gezzer]

20 hours ago, RobertoDR69 said:

 

Does anyone know anything about Mycelium leather and how does it compare with animal leather? 

 

 

Simple ........ one IS " leather " the other is not .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grep]

On 11/8/2023 at 8:53 AM, RobertoDR69 said:

Hi all

A bit of an interesting one for you. 

Does anyone know anything about Mycelium leather and how does it compare with animal leather? 

The question has came up with a chat with my son, who is only a teenager and is not into killing animals; yes these youngsters are changing. So is there an alternative to animal leather?  

If so, how does the dying process work as well as how to put the final wax, oil on to the finished product?

Well, my understanding of mycelia is that it's really more of the structure that various fungi grow as.
Mushroom leather has been made from different species. In addition to use as a leather alternative, mycelium is also being investigated as an architectural material, with promising results.

Reportedly it's about as strong as deerskin and has coloring, texturing and patterning possibilities beyond that of animal skin. It is light, insulating and good against skin (particularly those with eczema), breathable and can be waterproofed.
It's grown in bags on a sterilized substrate like any fungus (straw, wood chips, corn, etc). After a few weeks it's extracted, compressed and dried. During compression, before drying, dyes are added and textures are created (cow, gator, snake, etc). It can also be pressed into a desired form during this process if not left flat.
Here's a place that sell some: https://lifematerials.eu/shop/muskin-cruelty-free-and-oil-free-vegan-leatherette/

I know folks like to poo-poo the vegans and environmentalists for cause, but I wouldn't be so quick to write off potential new materials.

[SUP]

@grep you are right but it is still a simulant and I hope it is labeled as such. Calling it 'skin' and 'leather' is still misleading, no matter, what the reason. Finally, it hardly makes sense to me to come up with alternatives when the original is always going to be produced in huge quantities as a by-product of the food industry. What is to happen to that? Landfills? 

 

 

 

[chuck123wapati]

On 11/8/2023 at 9:53 AM, RobertoDR69 said:

Hi all

A bit of an interesting one for you. 

Does anyone know anything about Mycelium leather and how does it compare with animal leather? 

The question has came up with a chat with my son, who is only a teenager and is not into killing animals; yes these youngsters are changing. So is there an alternative to animal leather?  

If so, how does the dying process work as well as how to put the final wax, oil on to the finished product?

youngsters aren't changing my friend just the bs that is being taught to them. 

 

[grep]

5 hours ago, SUP said:

@grep you are right but it is still a simulant and I hope it is labeled as such. Calling it 'skin' and 'leather' is still misleading, no matter, what the reason. Finally, it hardly makes sense to me to come up with alternatives when the original is always going to be produced in huge quantities as a by-product of the food industry. What is to happen to that? Landfills?

Totally agree there--already way too many products being marketed as leather that really shouldn't be.
I personally don't see it as a replacement for leather, but another option to have available. On the other hand, if the fast-fashion industry must continue, it might be preferable if they used materials like that.

[SUP]

11 minutes ago, grep said:

I personally don't see it as a replacement for leather, but another option to have available.

@grep  You are probably right about that. I don't personally care about killing fungi for their mycelia but I do care about killing animals for food and then discarding other parts, unused. 

[nstarleather]

I've seen it brought up from time to time and even checked out a site for one company that was selling small pieces.  The pricing was on par with Shell Cordovan ($100 for about 1 square foot)...it was waaay too much to take a chance on.

I was interested because it seems to be more of a "grown material" and not like a lot of the other "vegan leathers" out there that are basically a fiber with a plasticy binder.  I've said it before but pineapple, cactus and some of the others aren't really all that different from the 100-year-old technique that LV uses to make their coated Canvas.  The makers play them up as something new and interesting but in practice they're more like coated cloth or paper. 

[Handstitched]

18 hours ago, SUP said:

I do care about killing animals for food and then discarding other parts, unused. 

https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/101110-spring-flowers-and-good-food/page/12/?tab=comments#comment-723526

"But no part of the sheep was wasted,everything was used. " 

I recently used some ' blood 'n' bone'  ( fertiliser)  in the garden , that came from an  abattoir .

Just sayin' 

HS

[chuck123wapati]

11 minutes ago, Handstitched said:

https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/101110-spring-flowers-and-good-food/page/12/?tab=comments#comment-723526

"But no part of the sheep was wasted,everything was used. " 

I recently used some ' blood 'n' bone'  ( fertiliser)  in the garden , that came from an  abattoir .

Just sayin' 

HS

i just rendered three gallons of tallow from our Elk, it will be our soap.

[nstarleather]

30 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

i just rendered three gallons of tallow from our Elk, it will be our soap.

Exactly it's all used...one argument that I hear from well-meaning people in favor of using leather is that "it will just go into a landfill" and that's nonsense...even if, magically, one day leather is no longer a "thing"...people will figure out uses for it just like everything else. 

[chuck123wapati]

2 minutes ago, nstarleather said:

Exactly it's all used...one argument that I hear from well-meaning people in favor of using leather is that "it will just go into a landfill" and that's nonsense...even if, magically, one day leather is no longer a "thing"...people will figure out uses for it just like everything else. 

yup but if it does go into a land fill it will decompose and go back to nature to be re used unlike most man made products!! one fallacy we hear and have come to accept as fact is that the native Americans used every piece of the animal and they were so much better than us at that, that is true that they did have a use for every piece but they didn't use every piece of every animal every time,  they simply didn't have the room or the time to utilize all of of every animal they took for food. We find tons of proof of that in archeological digs, however now in modern times that is possible to use every piece every time and we do. Every last piece is used and every last drop of blood or bone goes to something to sell or sold as a product of some sort. Wasted cow parts is wasted profit now a days and it just doesn't happen. 

Btw all the trimmings that we couldn't use went to our dogs cooked and ground up for good food for them during the winter the only thing we lose are the bones, we have no way to process them. the hides will be leather this coming spring and My son did keep a couple of bones for handle material Had some mighty fine steaks last night too no hormones ,no vaccines, no diseases no gmo, no wondering who or where it came from just  nature as intended !!

[SUP]

Don't know about 'well-meaning'. It is a question of what vegans expect people to do with fresh animal skins; not the reason why most people use leather, I'm pretty sure. It would be a silly reason anyway. Besides, if vegans object to using skin as leather, will they not object to its use in any other way as well? Unless it continues in its original use?

If people really stop using leather, if skins from fresh kills are not preserved, they putrefy... go back to the land...yes. But somehow, to me, if we make the animal sacrifice its life for food, I think it is  right to use as much of it as we can. As @chuck123wapati says, all of the animal may not be used all the time, but as much as possible? Yes it should. 

@Handstitched that's the spirit!

Anyway, all this is moot. Vegans can shout until they are blue in the face  but does anyone really think  people will ever stop  using leather? While chomping their way through what is inside that leather before it becomes leather? 

What you say, @nstarleather is true. All vegan leather up to now is just plastic with fancy names. This could be something different. 

 

[Handstitched]

5 hours ago, SUP said:

This could be something different. 

Yup, 'leather'  crossed with ' vegan ' = " Leagan"  ...wha...?? lol 

11 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

i just rendered three gallons of tallow from our Elk, it will be our soap.

Theres a UK  TV series called " Worst Jobs in History" hosted by Tony Robinson that shows how soap was made in the early days, animal  fat mixed with lye ,  quite fascinating . It didn't lather like modern soaps, but it did the job .  These days, soaps are made with so many chemicals with names I can't pronounce . 

HS 

[SUP]

@Handstitched or "Vegther"? "Vether"? So one needs to know "whether someone is talking about weather or vether"...

 

Mycelium leather - I wonder if anyone here has tried to make any. I read people make it at home.

Edited November 15, 2023 by SUP

[Burkhardt]

The vegans against using leather will then be associated with someone filing a 15,000 page lawsuit to save the trees.

[Handstitched]

2 hours ago, Burkhardt said:

The vegans against using leather will then be associated with someone filing a 15,000 page lawsuit to save the trees.

Now theres a bit of irony. I wonder how much land has been cleared and how many trees had to be removed or destroyed  in the process to grow the fruit & vegies in the first place ,   and  to build the factories to process & package the fruit & vegies ?  

Shall I get the popcorn out?? ,  lol  

HS

[chrisash]

we are open to be called living in the past, if we don't open our minds to new products, We accept patent leather but close our minds on other modern inventions. Whilst "Leather" has been around for years, it has its place in history but is not the only material we can use. If people are only interested in working leather so be it, but others for many reasons look to use modern methods of making similar but not the same material. In England we had Luddites in the industrial revolution who objected to mechanisation, Some on here seem to have closed minds on modern alternatives, no one is insisting you use alternatives, just that they are there if you feel the urge to experiment, guess people feel the same about linin thread and modern poly threads