Pine Skins
When pine trees are cut down for wood the pine skins become an unused by-product. Pines are naturally found almost exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. They are found through much of North America, China, South-East Asia, Russia and Europe and have one of the largest distributions of any conifer family. Pine trees are the dominant plants in many cool-temperate and boreal forests.
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When trees are cut mainly the wood is used. The leaves and other parts of the tree are unused. Pine tree bark is typically discarded as well. Pine differs from other bark because it cannot be harvested from a living tree. A pine would die without its skin. Therefore the bark is harvested in collaboration with a tree cutter.
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Fresh bark is treated with natural ingredients that preserve its softness. After, it is coated with a layer of finishing and color pigments.
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Pines are fast growing trees and can be renewable under the correct forestry stewardship.
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Leather-like and soft. Each piece of bark has a unique patter. Good UV resistance. Moderate scratch resistance. Moderate UV protection. Lightweight. Relatively soft wood.
Resources
Lefteri, C. (2014). Materials for design. Laurence King.
https://materialdistrict.com/material/pineskins/