Your family has been involved in the cork business for a long time. But how do you go from producing cork stoppers for wine bottles to producing golf bags, headcovers and putter grips made of it?
I’m a golf enthusiast. I started playing in 2001 and am now a six-handicapper, one who has his ups and downs. I try to conciliate my passion for cork production with golf, and every break I have from work I spend on the golf course.
This idea of combining cork with golf came in 2011 when the cork industry in general grew in terms of technology. A few modest studios started to use cork leather - or as I call it, ‘green’ leather - as a fabric for bags and accessories. Cork leather is not a new concept; it has existed for almost 20 years, but was very limited because of the production process. With the new technology it has become possible to apply different cork patterns and different backings onto the cork leather to create more or less resistance and protection in the manufacturing process.
Because I play regularly and have come to know many people in the golf industry, including some professionals, I thought why not make some headcovers out of cork leather? At least they’d be different from all the other head covers and also ecological. Cork is a renewable source and in this case, a 100 per cent Portuguese raw material.
What are the advantages of using cork over the more traditional fabrics for these golf products?
Cork is a material that is 100 per cent natural, biodegradable and eco-friendly. Due to its elastic, waterproof and fire resistant properties, cork is a material with immense potential. Cork products will contribute more and more to a cleaner and sustainable world; it’s a very green solution.
What else is made using cork?
Everything! Only now is the world discovering cork leather. Until now cork has, as you say, been used for wine bottle stoppers but it is much more than that. It is now used for flooring, insulation, construction material and also in design. It’s an awesome product.
If the cork is harvested by hand, does that mean the cost of the products will be comparatively high?
Yes and no. Yes, it is not plastic or polyester. But because the different products made require different levels of resistance and protection it can become somewhat expensive, but still cheaper when compared to animal leather. If you consider all the processes that are required to produce the final product then it can be considered relatively inexpensive.
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