Patina, a Natural Process.

Whether you buy a conventionally tanned sheepskin or a naturally tanned sheepskin like ours, the wool will oxidize over time. Oxidation occurs when wool fibers are exposed to both natural (sun) and artificial light. It occurs when fibers are exposed to heat or certain types of chemicals. It occurs when fibers are exposed to oxygen. This is basically unavoidable. Sheepskin are going to patina with time. The color of wool will not stay the same as the first day you receive a sheepskin. The change will be most noticeable in “white” sheepskin. The truth is, no sheep is truly white. Wool is naturally off-white to cream by nature, not pure paper white. White sheepskin on the market are typically bleached or chemically color balanced. Even those bright white, commercially made sheepskin will yellow over time. The color change is not an indication of poor quality; it is simply the nature of natural fibers.

At Driftless, we don’t want to encourage you to keep your sheepskin tucked away from sunlight or hidden beneath museum glass. Sheepskin are meant to be used and adored. We want your sheepskin to be active and involved in your daily life. Don’t shy away from the change, embrace it. Your sheepskin is a part of the natural world and nothing in the natural world is supposed to stay the same.