Topic: do all chumbys contain leather?

in a recent blog post from bunnie he talks about "Master Chao" and 2d patterns and relates them to "On the chumby, we add another level of complexity, because we sew a piece of leather onto a soft plastic frame."

do all chumbys have leather in them?   

i'm conflicted in my use of leather due to my vegetarianism and other factors and would like the option to avoid it.

anyone have info on this?

rhetorical:
i know it's a toy, manufactured overseas, as per usual and as our market dictates.  and i'm sure i'll buy one anyway.  but can i get one made from corn based plastic and US based organic natural fiber outer skin?  :-D

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

All of the current production models use leather.  There are some production prototypes where we've used other fabrics in order to see how they behave, and some of those might make it into production at some point.  I don't know if they're plant-based (cotton) or animal-based (wool) or synthetic.

Hopefully, at some point, you'll be able to buy components and build your own enclosure.

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

Well, being a vegetarian myself. I am going to wait untilt hey some out with a non-leather chumby

mmm....chumby...

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

chandler wrote:

Well, being a vegetarian myself. I am going to wait untilt hey some out with a non-leather chumby

So this means you are not going to buy a Chumby?

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I am going to skip this version. Or until they come out with a non leather one

mmm....chumby...

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I am sorry, you seemed so sold on this concept. Me I would like an all leather one, but I respect your beliefs.

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I absolutely LOVE the idea of the chumby! I might buy one but I am not sure yet. I am going to wait until they release it. I am still proabably going to get it because I think it is a Great idea! I am probably just going to try to replace the leather with some fabric instead

mmm....chumby...

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I think it's even worse to obtain something in leather because you 'want' it
... and then to discard the new leather to a trash heap. The cow absolutely died for nothing then. At least a little dignity can be saved by using the necessary leather bound object until the leather wears out before replacing it.
Seems like such a waste for the cow.

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

Good point kayakbabe, are you going to get a chumby?

mmm....chumby...

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

FYI I think the alpha chumbys are covered with synthetic microsuede type fabric. The speakers and bend sensor are held in place by cotton voile. The difficulty is that the less firm the fabric, the less sleek the design of the chumby. You get some stretching and bumps in the seaming. The new chumby looks a lot more professional and attractive from the design perspective due to the firmness of the leather. The durability of the fabric is also key. Leather is able to be cleaned and wears well, so I think it is a sensible and well-considered choice.

I've managed to create nice-looking outers using wool felt and cotton fabrics that have been adhered to acrylic felt, to give you some alternate possibilities if you'd like to craft your own cases. But then I might get arguments against the mulesing of sheep, the toxic chemicals used on cotton crops, the petrochemicals used to create synthetics & plastic parts...where do you draw the line?

I'm just impressed that bunnie has spent so much time in the factories, making sure that they choose one with adult humans that are treated fairly and documented this process. It is far more than a lot of companies do.

Organic fabric options might be nice and do-able (although costly) for third-party "makers". However, I have only seen organic fabrics in lightweight woven and stretch. Do you have any suggestions for heavier weight organic fabrics? Sources?

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I'm pretty sure that no cows died specifically to enable a chumby to be housed in leather.  Are we part of the whole "cattle hide industrial complex?"  I guess so.  But, though I don't profess to completely understand the whole lifecycle here, I was told by someone who understands this better than I do that the leather is a by-product of the process rather than the purpose.  Perhaps the beef industry is really what's driving this, and we're just helpful scavengers?  And Angela's right about "fit and finish" issues -- the fabric we select really requires some rigidity, like leather provides, to enable a chumby to not be a blobby mass or to fray at the seams and to remain durable and relatively cleansable.  But for those who have a real problem with any animal-related products, we understand and will be offering non-leather alternatives in the future, some very cool ones in fact.  Stay tuned.

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I go between extremes, either an all leather chumby or one covered in hemp fabric.

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

mitchell2020 wrote:

or one covered in hemp fabric.

Now we're talkin...

14

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

Just wanted to add: me and a colleague really love the Chumby and would immediately buy at least one each (I would like to have on at home an one in the office), if it wasn't for the leather skin.

Would it really be that difficult to use fake leather for example? Or just a very basic plastic housing?

Cheers,
Olaf

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

if you want to buy a Chumby and replace the leather, send the leather to me I will ensure it will NOT end up on the scrap heap. 

I promise.

wayn3w

16 (edited by joltdude 2008-03-06 21:08:49)

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

Wonder if you could offer these people a *Naked* chumby.. No case, mebby a paper template, and the internals... I know I dont want to foot the bill for vegi-pleather or have some undurable fabric covering my chumby... It will noticiably add to the cost of the chumby to use a high quality vegitarian "leather" if you will..

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

Well, I think they have talked about the possibility of selling a naked Chumby before, and they didn't discount that as a possibility...

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

Another abstention from the goodness of Chumby until a compassionate alternative to leather is chosen

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I'm torn.  One side of me wants to make fun of the absurdity and the other respects the dedication. 

Steve, can you at least guarantee no creepy octopus looking things were killed in the manufacturing process of the Chumby?

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I've been following the Chumby for a while, and it's a very interesting device.  I'm on the fence right now, with the leather issue making me hold off for now, but I'm excited that there will be non-leather alternatives in the future.  Yeah, the material challenges are tough; I often have to sacrifice durability when I buy my vegan belts and shoes.

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

I second the notion of a naked chumby, it would be good for the crafts crowd, good for the hacking crowd (who would most probably throw away the leather parts etc).  I'll buy it even if it was a the same price (getting two extra chumbies in june...)

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

Any news on the non-leather Chumby? I would get one if it were available. How about using Alcantara (synthetic suede) material? It's used in sofas, chairs and automotive seats so it must be just as durable as leather.

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

Hmmm, at least leather is renewable, unlike hydrocarbon-based plastics....

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

any ETA yet on a chumby without leather?

thanks,
-r

Re: do all chumbys contain leather?

It's here!  The Chumby One has a plastic case and is a bit cheaper than the classic Chumby.  I love it.