Before becoming a noble material, the skin undergoes several treatment stages to get its leather characteristics. Each stage is a determining part of the final look of the leather. This is why it seems important for us to explain you the story of your leather.
The skins’ work is done by different tanneries whether they deal with hides from young cow, calf, crocodile, ostrich ... or with goat and sheep skins.
I. THE SKIN
. Skin composition :
Several layers compose the skin. Each of them has a very specific function for the animal. Here are the main ones
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The animals used for a leather :
Mammals: cattle, sheep, goat,horse, pig. Each final look is different for each breed due to its hair settlement.
Birds: ostriches, penguins... Usually, the skins we get have a special look due to the feathers on the animal.
Reptiles: crocodiles, snakes, lizards, turtles... The presence of scales more or less coloured is peculiar to these skins
Fishes: The most commonly used ones are the skate and the shark
. Defects of the main leathers :
Natural defects :
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of generic origin : hollow parts, wrinkles, backbone, veins, coarse grain…
Accidental defects :
- of mechanical origin : barbed wires, thorn-bush, horns, forks, scars, caesareans, scratches, fire-brand marks...
- of parasitical origin : animals’ stings…
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of medical origin : urine’s stings, abscess...
- during the transformation process : stabs, salt spots or salt stings, fat stains, colour setting …
II. THE SKIN WORK
In the slaughterhouse, the carcass is separated from its “green hide” which is then salted or dried for conservation ; then, the skin is called “raw hide”.
III. THE TANNERY WORK
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. The river work :
Is the whole process to prepare the skin for tanning. It aims at eliminating the skin parts which will not be used during the leather transformation process (conserving salt, hairs, fat and flesh).
. Tanning :
This converts the hide into leather through a treatment by chrome or vegetal tanning agents which make it rot-proof.
After this converting stage, the leathers are classified in different categories according to their quality
. Dressing :
After tanning, the leathers are being prepared for finishing
. Finishing :
Its aim is making the leather and the skins a noble material. It defines the global look (pigment, grain …) and the physic-mechanical characteristics adapted to its future purpose (softness…).
Following these many transformation processes, the skin became leather and is ready to be sold for various destinations.
As for the care of this product, there is unfortunately no "miraculous formula"! The problem lays in the fact that each tanner has a different way of working and thus, the skins react differently to the products.If you mark the leather, the best advice we can give you is to use a rag with soapy water.
IV.SHORT GLOSSARY OF COMMONLY-USED TERMS
See the lexicon...
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