About Cork Fabric

Cork fabric, like cork floor tiles, champagne corks, pin boards and the core of cricket balls,  is made from bark of the Cork Oak tree, Quercus suber, grown in Spain, Portugal and France. At maturity (25 years) the bark is stripped carefully from the trunk and large branches. Unlike other trees, stripping the bark doesn’t harm the cork oak tree. The bark regrows and is ready for harvesting again in nine years. Cork Oak trees can live for 200 years - the ultimate in sustainability.

After being harvested, the cork bark is left to air dry for six months. Then it is boiled and steamed. Heat and pressure are applied to press it into blocks, which are then shaved into very fine slivers that are glued to a cotton or polyurethane backing in a patchwork orientation.   The ‘fabric’ is then dyed and/or printed into a myriad colours and styles.

Even though cork is naturally water-resistant and dust-resistant, a sealant is applied to the fabric as the final fabric production step, protecting it from scratching and cracking and giving it a unique luxurious waxy feel.  

Cork fabric is a relatively new medium for fashion items and is proving to be very versatile. But if you’re a bit sceptical, I get it. I was too when I first heard of it.  

Bags and wallets made  from cork? How does that work?  Well it works very well actually.  Cork is really pliable and very easy to work with. It can be used just like a soft leather or vinyl.

Thanks to the honeycomb structure of cork, cork fabric is very strong. It won’t tear, scratch or mark easily. But like any natural product it will eventually show the signs of ageing.  Cork bags will develop a beautiful patina over time and some burnishing may occur at structure points, but the cork itself will not wear out. You can be confident your JamiesonRose cork bag will last a long time.

To keep it clean simply wipe with a damp cloth and mild soap and leave it to air dry.  To keep the colours vibrant, it is recommended that you keep your bag out of direct sunlight - it's best not to leave it in a hot car.

Customers are often pleasantly surprised at how light-weight a cork bag is. No-one wants to carry a laptop bag that is heavier than the laptop right?  Its weight, or lack of it, is one of cork’s greatest advantages.  But when you consider that about 50% of cork's volume is air, no wonder the bags are light!

The soft feel of cork is another surprising feature and the characteristic customers tend to love the most. Cork fabric has a beautiful texture that just screams quality. And because of the way the cork is layered onto the backing fabric by hand no two pieces are exactly the same giving it an extra special uniqueness.