Ok, you want to know what\u2019s all the buzz about \ncork. Why did it become so trendy? What makes it so special? Well, when \nit comes to cork, here at Montado we always risk becoming exhausting. \nThis is our passion, it\u2019s almost inevitable. So, to make this reading \neasier for you, we decided to make a list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes. One-Hundred-Percent. What is cork? It\u2019s the bark of the amazing \ncork oak tree, classified as Portugal\u2019s National Tree. Its logging is \nforbidden across the country. That\u2019s \u201cjust\u201d what cork is: a 100% organic\n and totally eco-friendly raw material that we use to make bags, \nwallets, shoes, and other products. Sometimes we think it\u2019s a small \nmiracle from nature. The rest of the time we\u2019re sure of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No tree is cut down or damaged to get cork. Each cork oak tree lives \non average between 150 and 200 years and cork harvest is made on \nnine-year cycles. If you do the math, each cork oak tree supplies cork \nover 50 times. In other words, cork is a renewable raw material. \nGrandparents, parents, children, grandchildren\u2026 How many generations \nlive through 150 years?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So light it actually floats. Over 50% of cork\u2019s volume is made of \nair. Yes, air. Cork weighs only 0.16g per cubic centimeter. If your bag \nlooks more like Sport Billy\u2019s bag (remember him?), the last thing you \nwant is that it\u2019s heavy even when it\u2019s empty. With cork that\u2019s not an \nissue, it\u2019s light as a feather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A bag made with a raw material that has 50% of its volume made of \nair? We understand the skepticism but the truth is that cork is a unique\n raw material. Cork can handle great pressure without breaking, by \nsimply stretching and coming back to its original shape when the \npressure disappears. This is called elastic memory. The resistance of \nthe material results from that compressibility and elasticity \u2013 it is \nthe only solid material which can be compressed on one side while \nmaintaining its original format on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The walls of cork cells are covered in suberin and ceroids, making \ncork practically impermeable to liquids and gases. In addition, its \ngreat resistance to moisture avoids oxidation and decay, allowing it to \nage without deteriorating. Just because it\u2019s a natural product don\u2019t \nthink that your bag is going to wear out quicker, on the contrary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s not much to say about this property. If you have had a piece \nof cork on your hand, you know exactly what we\u2019re talking about and this\n is one of the most exciting things of this incredible material. \nTouching a cork object is a pleasure for your fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Portuguese know this well. The catastrophe of forest fires, \ndevastating our country every summer, usually affects eucalyptus and \npine forests but hardly reaches the \u201cMontados\u201d (cork oak forest \nlandscapes) because cork is a natural fire retardant. Additionally, it \ndoesn\u2019t produce toxic gases during combustion. Replacement of eucalyptus\n for new \u201cMontado\u201d areas as a way of preventing forest fires is a \nconsensual measure among experts in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The microscopic gas pads that form its cells make cork an extremely \ncomfortable material. Cork also has a unique ability to absorb impact \nand relieve pressure over joints and spine. But there\u2019s more: the \nnatural temperature of cork is very similar to that of the human body, \nthus contributing to increase the sense of comfort. Cork is also almost \nodorless and products that use cork don\u2019t acquire unpleasant smells. \nFinally, cork does not absorb dust and helps to prevent allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not a minor feature. Due to its impermeability, cork products\n are very easy to clean. All it takes is a damp cloth and a pH-neutral \ndetergent, such as soap, to get the job done. The quality and beauty of \ncork is ensured regardless of the number of times the product is washed.\n And we know too well that this is not the case with every material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We promised to try our best not to become exhausting, so we\u2019ll stop \nhere. Are you convinced about getting a cork bag? Perhaps a wallet? Or a\n pair of sneakers? This raw material is so perfect that up to today no \nindustrial or technological process was able to replicate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Portugal, we\u2019ve been using cork for centuries to make cork \nstoppers for the finest wines across the world. We\u2019re the world\u2019s \ngreatest cork exporter and we\u2019re proud of it. We want to take it to the \nworld. At Montado, we do it through fashion accessories: bags, wallets, \nshoes, belts\u2026. Made of cork, with art. For you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So, do you want to know what\u2019s all the buzz about cork and why it become so trendy?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[51,59],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47731"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47731"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47745,"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47731\/revisions\/47745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montado.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}