Some Facts About Leather

Leather
Is a great natural medium which can be cut, molded, dyed, tooled, embossed, pressed, braided, engraved, sewn, burned, painted, stained and much more. It can be crafted by anybody from a skilled craftsman to a child involved in an arts and crafts activity in school or church. It can be made into items that are functional, such as clothing, automobile upholstery, furniture, luggage, bags, purses, wallets, shoe strings, shoes, boots, belts and etc. or it can be used for artistic reasons or in some cases maybe even a combination of both.

Benefits of Leather
Leather has properties that make it superior to other materials such as fabrics.

1. Leather has an exceptionally long useful life that usually lasts about 5 times longer than fabric.
2. Leather will not tear easily and is much stronger than other fabrics this is why Bikers wear leather to protect them in case of a fall.
3. Leather is more fire resistant than other fabrics.
4. Leather will retain its shape and will not crack or peel.
5. Leather breathes making it comfortable equally in hot or cold temperatures unlike many fabrics.
6. Leather resists heat and sun damage.
7. Leather ages well and will retain its good looks for many years.

Choosing your Leather
When choosing your leather, make sure it looks natural, smells good, and has a soft hand. Inspect your leather carefully. The way leather feels to the touch is called the hand, feel or hand-feel. In general, the softer the hand or feel of the leather item the better its quality. There are many influencing factors that can affect the quality of leather and in what type of product it may be used. In relation to the animal's genetic makeup, environment and food supply every hide has unique variations in texture and color. These various colors, indentations, wrinkles and marks on the outside of a particular hide or skin are part of its natural beauty and uniqueness. The fewer imperfections on the hide or skin of an animal the less finishing steps need to be done by the leather craftsman. In a premium quality hide or skin (not too many imperfections), the full natural grain is retained and dyed to enhance its beauty. If the natural grain has too many imperfections then the natural grain is sanded away and an imitation grain is embossed or pressed into the surface of the hide and then dyed accordingly. Much like how different types of woods are finished with various types of dyes, varnishes and even paints. Leathers and woods are finished in many different ways depending on the item being produced and how it is going to be used. Just as there are many variations between animals there are also differences between different areas on the body of an animal. Across the backbone the grain is relatively tight while the belly and flank areas the grain may be very loose and have more stretch. Graining is unique to each individual hide.

There are numerous types of hides and skins, plus different treatments and processes for tanning these hides into leather and many finishing techniques used by skilled craftsmen to fashion the leather into many different kinds of leather products. In the production of leather, each tannery has its own techniques and recipes for creating texture and color variations. Transforming hides and skins into leather is done in three basic phases: pre-tanning, tanning, and finishing.

The following is a short overview of what makes up a leather product in hopes that by using this information you may be able to pick out the correct type of leather for your needs and desires.

Types Of Hides And Skins Used For Leather
Alligator skin- is an exotic leather made from the belly skin of an alligator. This is top quality leather that is commonly used for shoes, gun cases, purses, wallets and belts.

Buffalo hide- It is used in fine small leather goods, men's dress shoes, women's shoes and western boots. Buffalo leather has a unique, natural grain character. It is valued for its long-lasting durability.

Cowhide- this is the most common leather used in the leather manufacturing industry. Not because of its nice wearable properties, strength and durability but because of its affordability and availability. Since cowhide is a by-product of the beef industry in the United States and in Western Europe the hides are very plentiful. This affordable and functional leather will continue to offer fashion, style and value for many generations to come. The average thickness of a cowhide is 5mm before it is split.

Deerskin- it is the best leather because it can be wet and dried over and over and will always conform back to its original condition. It can be used for almost any garment because of its soft supple properties. Deerskin's leather fibers make it abrasion resistance and give it high shear strength. Deerskin leather is very comfortable for any temperature; it becomes cooler in warm weather and warmer in cold weather.

Elkskin- and moose skin is one of the heaviest leather available. Its properties are a much the same as deerskin except the hides are usually thicker and needs to be shaved down or split to be used.

Equine hides- this includes hides from horses, donkeys and mules. These leathers have a lot of the characteristics of cowhide leather but are more durable. Is commonly used in rugs as well as for leather.

Goatskin- is almost as nice as deerskin. Used for dress shoes, boots and smaller leather products.

Lambskin- it is a very soft and luxurious leather, because of its natural lightweight layers that gives it a distinctive velvety touch. Lambskin is very wearable and with proper care will give you many years of wear.

Moose skin- and elk skin is one of the heaviest leather available. Its properties are a much the same as deerskin except the hides are usually thicker and needs to be shaved down or split to be used.

Ostrich skin- is an exotic leather, known by its telltale pattern of quill sockets. Since ostrich leather is full of natural oils it resists drying, cracking and stiffness. This leather is flexible, pliable, durable, tough and yet soft to touch making it an ideal material for most manufactures of leather goods.

Pigskin- has a natural, lightweight structure that produces delicate patterns, textures and soft naps. Pigskin is a very versatile leather that is easily transformed into many of today's fashions.

Shearling- refers to hides from lambs that are generally much softer to the touch and lighter in weight than its sheepskin cousin even though it is similar in appearance. Although they may be lighter than sheepskin, coats made from shearling are just as warm.

Sheepskin- refers to the hide of a sheep used with the wool still attached. The wool side can face into the garment or accessory to produce a wool lining. The wool can also be made to face outside giving the coat a fur-like appearance. Whichever way the wool faces sheepskin is the warmest leather available.

The Process of Tanning

The Pre-tanning Process for Leather
First step in the pre-tanning stage is obviously skinning the animal hopefully soon after it is killed. The longer you wait to skin the animal and after the skin is removed to prepare it for tanning the more it will decompose. There are two ways to skin an animal, open skinning is a technique used on cattle and other large animals or case skinning which is used for smaller animals.

Next step is scraping all the meat and fat from the flesh side of the hide this is called fleshing. To do this it becomes necessary at times to soak the hide in a mild alkalis bath to soften up the tissues to make the fleshing process easier. The tanning industry uses machines equipped with a rubber roller and a shaft to which spiral knives are attached to do the fleshing. These knives leave a clean, uniform surface.

Before continuing, a decision needs to be made if whether this hide is going to be a fur or leather. If leather then the outer side of the hide must be dehaired. Dehairing is done, by soaking the hide in a bath of lime or lye water until the hair slips at which time the hair is scrapped from the outside side or grain side of the hide. This process of hair removal is done in the department of a tannery known as the beam house. After all the hair has been removed, the hide needs to be scraped to remove the dirt and lime from the hide's surface, which is called scudding. Then the hide needs to be rinsed well in water and then immersed in a bath of vinegar and water to neutralize PH (lime) in the hide or skin, a process called bating. At this point the hide or skin is stretched tightly onto a frame until it has dried and is now known as rawhide.

The hide or skin is now ready for either the tanning process to begin or it needs to be preserved so it can be tanned at a future time. The two methods used to preserve the hide is by freezing which is good for one year or by salting which lasts for about six months. This method of short term preservation of leather is called curing.

The Tanning Process for Leather
Tanning is the process of converting perishable animal hide or skin into leathers or furs. It preserves the hide, makes it softer, more pliable and durable. The hide or skin is completely immersed in a certain type of acid bath and soaked until the tanning agent completely penetrates the skin. Sometimes skins are put through a preliminary tanning stage using an acid or alum based tanning agent this is called being dressed. Then the partially tanned hides are again tanned but with a soluble chromium sulfate or a combination of a synthetic tanning agent and vegetable materials derived from plants and wood bark.

Chrome tanning- is a process that places skins or hides into a tanning drum containing a solution of common salt, acid and soda. As the solution penetrates the hide a chemical reaction to the compounds in the hide takes place and after 5-10 hours the conversion to leather has been completed.

Vegetable tanning- is a process using certain types of plants and tree bark because they contain a bitter ingredient called tannin. Tannin has certain properties that when combined with the proteins in a hide form a compound that will not decompose or rot easily. This compound is known as leather.

The next step done by the leather tanning industry with the thicker tanned hides (especially cowhide) is to split them into uniform thicknesses by machines before they are used. These uniform layers are called splits, which are rough on both sides except for the outside or top layer known as the top grain layer. The top layer has the natural outside surface or a grain side, which is the most valued of all the layers. The top grain layer will either be processed into full grain leather which keeps the grain as is; or into corrected grain leather that has had the surface markings altered by buffing and sanding. Top grain leather that has too many surface imperfections will require this correction. The lower layer may then be further split and processed into suede leather or coated split leather. Coated split leather is somewhat stiffer and less durable than top grain leather; an example of coated split leather is patent leather.

The Finishing Process for Leather
After the leather has been tanned and split into uniform thicknesses to meet the specifications of the intended product, it is time for the tanner's final stage known as finishing. Whatever is done by a tanner to a leather hide after the tanning process is completed is part of the finishing process. The finishing process may include: dyeing, rolling, pressing, spraying, plasticizing, lacquering, antiquing, waxing, buffing, snuffing, embossing, glazing, waterproofing, stain proofing, flame proofing or any other post-tanning treatment. Finishing will also make leather more durable.

The process of dyeing is achieved by placing the leather in a drum with a combination of coloring materials and certain chemicals to increase their penetration, which may take several hours.
The amount of dye used depends on the extent to which the dye has penetrated the leather. The tanner can control the dyeing of leather by either fully or partially penetrating the leather with the various dyes. Leather that has been fully penetrated with dye is known as fully struck through leather. If only the flesh and grain surfaces have been penetrated by the different kinds of dyes it is called partially struck through.

The most commonly available types of finished leather is pure aniline, semi-aniline, protected aniline and false aniline leather:

? Pure aniline leather: sometimes called aniline or premium select leather. Only a small percentage of hides are good enough to be converted into pure aniline leather. This is why it is the best quality and most expensive leather. It is made from full grain leather hides, which have not needed to be grain corrected, still having its natural markings intact. This leather may use a clear finish or protective coating, but not a finish that is pigmented. The manufacturer wants the natural characteristics of the hide to show through and the surface to be soft and supple.
? Semi-aniline leather: (or aniline plus leather) describes a full grain leather, which contains only a small amount of surface dye or clear pigmented finish allowing most of the natural character of the leather to show through. This is a premium leather product that has used only a little pigment, whereas pure aniline leather uses none.
? Protected aniline leather: is more common and less expensive than pure aniline or semi-aniline leather products. It has been dyed and/or coated with protective pigments making its color more consistent and the leather's natural markings less noticeable. Protected leather is more heavily pigmented than semi-aniline leather is, causing the finished surface to repel water and resist stains better, plus making it easier to clean.
? False Aniline Finish: a leather which is fully coated with layers of pigmented finishes that creates certain effects meant to simulate pure aniline or semi-aniline finished leathers.

The most commonly used dyes, coatings, pigments and finishes used in the leather industry are as follows:

? Acrylic Dyes- is actually a water based acrylic paint formulated for use on leather that can be mixed together to create many colors and hues. Is commonly used in artwork or for solid color painting on leather.
? Aniline Dye- it refers to any clear or transparent dye that penetrates into the leather, coloring it, but not coating its surface with pigment, which allows the natural grain to show through.
? Oil Dyes- is excellent for all solid color dyeing, especially on leather that is going to be subject to rugged outdoor use. Commonly used by saddle makers.
? Spirit Dyes- is a penetrating dye used by nearly all professionals in the leather industry.

After the leather has been dyed, a clear or pigmented substance may be applied to the surface of the dyed hide. This is more than just a way of sealing the dyed leather it also provides abrasion and stain resistance as well as color enhancement. This sealing process usually involves about three or four coats. However, the more sealant that is applied to leather the stiffer or boardier it may become, although this can be overcome by milling (which is a natural softening process in which leather is tumbled in a drum).

The last step during the wet stage, which requires about an hour, is called fat liquoring. This step helps to make the leather more pliable and is done by placing the leather in a drum with a variety of oils and greases. The leather is then dried to remove all excess moisture.

The final processing step in the leather tanning industry is the plating operation, which is done by a press capable of exerting up to about 300 tons per square inch. This operation is done to smooth the surface of the coating materials and firmly affixes them into the grain.

After the Process of Tanning and Finishing is completed
After the whole tanning process is completed the tanneries will sell the finished leather hides to a wide variety of manufacturers. Here many skilled craftsmen will create, design and produce many different products intended for our use. Leather products such as furniture, shoes, boots, men's jackets, ladies' jackets, chaps, ladies' pants, men's pants, ladies' vests, men's vests, kid's leather, hats, gloves, purses, wallets, luggage, office leather, motorcycle accessories, accessories, collectibles and much more.

Leather Measurements

Leather Grades (Quality)
The commercial tanning industry grades leather according to the number of imperfections in the leather. Keep in mind this has nothing to do with the wearing quality of leather. Even though grading either by letter or number (Grade A or Grade 1) may be common grading systems with many tanners it is not inclusive to all tanneries. Many tanners use their own grading system that is particular to there own tannery.

Grade A or #1: No imperfections Grade
Grade B or #2: 05 - 10% imperfections Grade
Grade C or #3: 10 - 20% imperfections Grade
Grade D or #4: 20 - 30% imperfections Grade
Grade E or #5: 30 - 40% imperfections Grade
Grade F, X or #6: Rejected from the tanner

Types of Leather

Full Grain or Full Top Grain Leather- In order to be considered full grain leather it cannot have been buffed or sanded on the top. So, when the full natural grain is retained throughout the tanning process it is called Full Grain Leather.

Top Grain Leather- is the outside or topside of the hide which has the grain. Top Grain is known as Full Grain when the natural grain remains, but when the natural grain is sanded away and an imitation grain is pressed or embossed into the surface it is known simply as Top Grain.

Napa Leather- Originally, only sheepskin was referred to as Napa. However, in recent years, the word Napa has become another leather term meaning soft, as in Napa cowhide. A Napa leather, or sheep/lambskin, is naturally one of the softest leathers in the market today. If it looks good and feels good, it probably is, but it?s not always a better or more expensive grade of leather like true Napa is.

Patched Leather- after the hides are tanned, dyed and finished as desired, then skilled craftsmen carefully select leather that match in color and texture. Each leather hide is then cut by hand into various size pieces and then it is sewn into mosaic type patterns making a final product that is one of a kind.

Patent Leather- when cowhide is treated with protective finishes such as acrylic paints or waterproofing to produce an extremely shiny finish.

Naked or Nude Leather- is a leather that is tanned and dyed but has little or no protective finish.

Suede Leather- when leather is finished by buffing with an emery wheel to produce a napped surface. Suede is made from layers split off from the top grain portion of the hide.

Pull-up leather- it produces a burst of color when the leather is pulled tight. This leather uses a full aniline dye and in addition has an oil and_or wax application, which separates causing the color to become lighter as the leather is pulled.

Leather Weights

Weight has to do with thickness, durability, and protection. The types of hide used in manufacturing leather are available in different weights. In the leather industry, the thickness of leather is typically specified in terms of weight. The number of ounces in one square foot of material determines the thickness of leather, so every ounce of weight in a square foot of leather is equivalent to a sixty-fourth of an inch thickness. Example, if a square foot of leather weighs four ounces; it is called four-ounce leather, which is approximately one-sixteenth of an inch or 1.6 mm thick. Likewise, if a square foot of leather weighs three ounces, it is called three-ounce leather that is approximately one-eighth of an inch thick or 2.2 mm thick.

To determine the approximate thickness of a leather item that you see online you need to pay close attention to the posted weight of that item. Almost every product listed online has its weight posted next to it for shipping purposes. A heavier weight means thicker leather, which is good for products that are made for motorcycle enthusiasts such as jackets, chaps, pants and gloves, where increased protection and durability is important. Thicker leather also means you may have to pay a little more. The heavier the leather the more overall durability and protection a user will get, but all things considered weight is not always better based on the properties of a product and what the particular purchasers reason for buying it is. Comfort, dexterity and cost are usually the most important concerns when buying leather with durability and protection being secondary. Application of the product should be the main factor when determining weight choices of leather. For example, if a trench coat to wear over a business suit is the desired application having it soft and supple is important, not thickness.

Thickness Or Weight: Measured in millimeters which, when divided by 0.4 is quoted in ounces.

Examples Of Weights By Application:
Glove Leather can range from 1.5 oz to 6 oz.
Work Glove Leather typically weight 2.5 oz. to 3.5 oz.
Motorcycle Chaps Leather ranges between 3 oz. to 6 oz.
Motorcycle Vests Leather ranges between 3 oz. to 6 oz.

Cost of Leather

There are many different factors used to determine the expense of a leather item.

Hide or Skin Type: the type of animal used for the hides or skins can determine cost. The more exotic (or rare) the animal is the more expensive the leather will be.
Weight: the heavier the leather the more expensive the leather.
Grade: the higher the grade of leather the more expensive the leather. Grade A is better than B and Grade 1 is better than 2.
Manufacturing Process: the type of tanning, the dyeing process, type of dye, how the leather is crafted and many more manufacturing techniques can determine the cost of the leather.

In Closing

There are more than 2 million people in the world that are employed in the various branches of the leather industry. There is a wide variety of leather goods and products, plus a large range in the quality of both materials and workmanship by the many tanneries and manufactures throughout the world. All these employees, tanneries, skilled craftsmen and manufacturers will continue to produce enough leather to supply all our many needs. My hope is that by using the information from this brief overview about leather you may be able to pick out the correct type of leather to meet your needs and desires. Please take your time and enjoy browsing all the fine leathers at www.diamondleathers.com. To see leather men's jackets, ladies' jackets, chaps, ladies' pants, men's pants, ladies' vests, men's vests, kid's leather, hats, gloves, purses, wallets, luggage, office leather, motorcycle accessories, accessories, collectibles.

Glossary Of Leather Terms

Definitions

Acetic acid: a pungent, colorless liquid contained in vinegar, which neutralizes alkali and pickles skins / hides.

Alkali: has the ability to neutralize acids.

Alum: a term commonly applied to double crystalline salts. The most common being, ammonium and potash alum used in tanning.

Aluminum sulfate: can be used as a tanning substance and is contained in alum.

Aniline: A transparent dye used for fine leather hides that permeates the entire hide and results in rich penetrate the hides.

Aniline Leather: Leather that has been dyed only with transparent aniline dyes

Antiqued: the light application of one color over another (usually a darker color over a lighter one), to create highlights.

Baking soda: used to neutralize acids.

Basicity: a way of describing the tanning power of a chrome tanning salt.

Borax: used in tanning as a softening aid and a cleaning agent.

Boric acid: used as a deliming agent.

Buffing: an abrasive process that smoothes natural bumps and blemishes without affecting the natural characteristics of the hide. The mechanical process of pre-coloration used to minimize the scars and scratches on a hide.

Chemical tan: the process of tanning with alum or chrome.

Chrome: an excellent tanning substance.

Corrected Grain Leather: leather that has had an artificial grain embossed onto it after the range marks have been buffed out.

Corrected Grain: (or grain correction) the outer surface of the hide that has been gently sanded, then pigmented and embossed. The reason why some top grain leather is corrected, is to minimize the appearance of the gross surface imperfections which many consumers find objectionable. This buffing/sanding process makes the leather more uniform. Natural looking patterned effects can be re-introduced by coating the leather with layers of pigment finish and embossing it under heat or high pressure. This process can smooth the grain or produce unique patterned effects (ostrich, alligator, lizard, etc.).

Cowhide: In upholstery terms, the entire hid of a bovine usually about 45 ? 60 sq. ft.

Deer skin leather: is one of the most expensive types of leather. When deerskin gets soiled it can be hand-washed. It will not shrink when it gets wet and it stays soft even after air-drying.

Degreasing: the removal of natural fats and oils from a skin or hide by immersing into a degreasing solution before the tanning process.

Dehair: using an alkali bath to remove hair or fur from a skin or hide that will be made into leather.

Deliming: using a weak acid solution to soak a skin to neutralize alkalis such as lime.

Drum Dyeing: Also known as vat dyeing. Assures full dye penetration, hides are immersed in dye and tumbled in a steel drum.

Drumming: tumbling hides in a drum to soften, dry or oil them.

Dubbin: a mixture of tallow and oil used for softening hides.

Dye-struck: Means that the leather is black through and through from the dying process.
Embossing: Permanent artificial grain patterns, added through heat and pressure to corrected grain hides. A stamping process that restores grain texture removed by buffing.

Fat Wrinkle: Wrinkles are only visible in top grain leathers. They are part of the natural beauty of the leather.

Finishing: Any process occurring after the initial dyeing such as embossing or buffing. Additionally, to make leathers more durable, coloring substances may be applied to provide additional abrasion resistance as well as color enhancement. This process usually involves three or four coating operations. The more finish a leather has, the stiffer it becomes. Aniline or vat dyed leathers will tend to be softer than finished leathers, although this can be overcome by milling. Other factors affecting softness include the tannin quality and aniline used. Any post tanning treatment, such as: dyeing, rolling, pressing, spraying, lacquering, antiquing, waxing, buffing, embossing, glazing, waterproofing, or flame proofing.

Fleshing: also known as trimming or siding, is the method of removing fat, flesh and gristle from a skin or hide in preparation for tanning. Tools used in this process are fleshing beam and fleshing knife.

Flesh side: the side of the skin or hide that once was attached to the animal carcass.

Full Aniline: Aniline dyed and aniline finished leathers have no pigments, thus all of nature?s signatures are present.

Full Grain: Top Grain Leather in which the surface is left in its natural state, with all of the grain and markings intact with no correction being made. The unaltered surface of the hide may be dyed but not buffed or sanded.

Furs: skins or hides tanned without removing the hair or fur.

Gambier: a substance made from the leaves of the Malayan shrub used in tanning and dyeing.

Gasoline: used as a cleaning aid and as a degreaser.

Green skins: term used for fresh or untanned skins or hides.

Glazing: Also called top coating. The application of a synthetic transparent polyurethane resin applied as a protective coating to the leather resulting in a high gloss or matte finish.

Grain: Outer or hair side of the hide. The distinctive pore and wrinkle pattern of a hide; may be either natural or embossed.

Hair slip: is when hair or fur begins to loosen itself from a hide or skin.

Hand: Describes the leather?s feel and softness.

Hand Rubbing: A craftsman may rub a contrasting color onto leather to intensify the natural grain.

Hide: the whole skin from cattle or other large animals.

Hydrated Lime: a type of lime used for dehairing skins and hides.

Kela Sauvage: A mechanical process that adds a sauvage look during the finishing stage. A relief roller creates a marbled look and enhances the finish?s character.

Kerosene: used for degreasing a skin for tanning.

Kip: the skins from calves or small beef cattle.

Leather: The collective term for hides and skins which have been tanned without the fur.

Milling: Tanned hides are tumbled in drums using heat and water to soften the hand or enhance the grain.

Mineral Tanned: Leather which has been tanned with any of several mineral substances, notably the salts chromium, aluminum and zirconium.

Natural Grain: Natural appearance of leather. The grain has not been altered in any way.

Neat's-foot oil: used to soften and condition skins.

Neck Wrinkles: Natural creases from the neck and shoulder area of the hide.

Nubuck: A full aniline leather that has been sanded or buffed in order to create a nap. This is top grain leather and is not considered a split or suede. Nubuc Aniline leathers on which the surface has been brushed to create a texture similar to that of velvet. It is often mistaken for suede, but suede is the flesh side of a piece of leather while Nubuc is an effect that is done to the grain side, making it considerably stronger.

Nude Finish: Leather that is vat dyed but has little or no protective finish.

Patched leather: a creative way of sewing pieces of leather together to produce a design or specific style instead of the item being made with a single piece of leather.

Patina: The luster or shine that develops on leather surfaces with time and use.

Pelt: skins with the hair or fur on that hasn't been tanned yet.

Pickling: a process using salts and acids to preserve a hide or skin for up to six months.

Pigmenting: Coloring and coating the leather to cover imperfections, which results in wear and fade resistant hides. Topical color coating placed on a leather surface to ensure a uniform finish. Leather that has been sprayed with a surface color in addition or instead of the dye process and is analogous to the painting of wood. While generally less appealing to the touch than aniline leather, pigmented skins are required for applications such as motorcycle leathers where durability is the key consideration.

Premium select: A term describing hides with a minimal amount of scars or blemishes, usually less than 5% of all hides.

Pull-Up: Leather which, when pulled tight, produces a brilliant burst of color due to an oil and/or wax application.

Pumice: an abrasive used for thinning hides.

Pure Aniline: Hide that receives its only coloring from dyes.

Rawhide: dehaired and cleaned skins that have been prepared to be tanned, but have not been yet.

Sauvage: Two-tone dyeing technique that adds depth and character to leather.

Semi-Aniline: Aniline-dyed and slightly enhanced leather that is covered with a clear coating to ensure color consistency and provide protection against stains.

Skinning: the process of removing the skin or hide from a dead animal.

Slicking out: scraping a leather surface to push out excess water and oils and to remove wrinkles.

Snuff: Slight abrasion of the hide?s surface, likened to removing newsprint from paper.

Solid leather: product is made using a single piece of leather instead multiple pieces as in patched leather. Split, splits or split leather: the underside or second layer of the cowhide, which is split away from the top grain. It is usually given a pigment finish, embossed and used for shoes or garments. Split hides are generally thicker and stiffer than top grain and may be used in less expensive upholstered furniture and inexpensive work gloves. This cost savings keeps leather affordable.

Splitting Shaving Process: After hides are tanned and excess moisture is removed they are fed through a machine which cuts the hide into the valuable top grain portion and a split layer. After splitting, the hide is put through another machine which shaves it to a uniform thickness.

Square Feet: Unit used to measure and price hides. One yard is approximately 17 square feet.

Staking: to soften and smooth tanned skin by working it across the edge of a staking board.

Suede: Leather that has been finished with an emery wheel to produce a napped surface. Suede is not as durable as natural leather.

Sulfonated oil: oil treated with sulfonic acid to be more soluble in water.

Sulfuric acid: used as a tanning solution and for pickling.

Tannic acid: the active agent found in many vegetable substances used to convert a skin or hide into leather.

Tanning: The art of making leather from rawhides which is actually preserving hides and preparing them to absorb dyes. This is accomplished by a chemical process in large vats or drums.

Tanning Agents: Today?s leathers are tanned with soluble chromium sulphate. Synthetic tannins, vegetable materials from plants and trees may also be used in combination.

Tawing: a way of treating skins with alum prepared into a paste. This process is used mainly for furs, the tanning paste can be applied to the skin side without causing the fur to slip.

Thickness or Weight: Measured in millimeters which, when divided by four, are quoted in ounces.

Top Coat: Resin applied to leather as a coating to form a high gloss or matte finish.

Top Grain: When a hide is split, the top grain is the very top layer or hair cell layer of the hide that possesses natural grain. It can be corrected by sanding or buffing and protected by top coating.

Top Grain Leather: is full grain leather that has usually been buffed and has originated from the top of the skin. Both top grain and full grain leather are considered top grain because they originate from the top or outside layer of the skin. Top grain leather is the strong supple top layer of the hide. These hides have been processed to retain leathers' natural ability to constantly adjust to its environment. It absorbs moisture and regulates its surface temperature so that it is warm and comfortable in the winter and cool in the summer.

Tumbling: A process in which hides are tumbled in a rotating drum to soften the hand or enhance the grain. Hides selected for furniture are sliced to a uniform thickness on precision machines. Only the outer surface (top grain) is used. The lower portions or splits are weaker, due to the elongated cell structure. Splits are subject to stretching and therefore provide an unstable base, which results in cracking of the finishes.

Washing soda: used as a water softener and cleaning agent. Sometimes called Sal soda.

Wrinkles: Neck and shoulder creases appear as elongated furrows. Wrinkles naturally occur in a hide as a result of the neck stretching and contracting. Skin located on the neck of a steer is full and loose. This enables the steer to have the flexibility it needs to move its head while grazing. Wrinkles, naturally occur in the hide.