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Have you ever wondered why leather goods are so expensive? It's not just about the quality and durability of the leather but also the intricate and time-consuming process of turning hides into premium leather handbags, jackets, and shoes.
It takes ten (10) working days to transform a salted hide into a high-quality piece of leather. We will explain the entire process in just a few minutes.
Long before you put on that leather jacket or new pair of dress shoes, leather making begins with acquiring raw animal skins or hides, often from cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. In the initial stage, we leverage a liming process that introduces alkali, thus eliminating undesired hair from the hide, which we call a "pelt."
Pelts undergo a fleshing phase, during which excess tissue residue is meticulously removed. Depending on the requirement, a vital part of this process can involve splitting the pelts into layers. We gradually neutralise the pelts to counterbalance the previously introduced alkali, as any abrupt acidity shift may result in tissue distortion.
Next, we apply enzymes to the pelt, allowing it to flatten and relax in preparation for tanning. Proper care during this stage is similar to knowing how to store leather bags to preserve their condition. At the tanning stage, we make the pelts mildly acidic using a pickle solution, typically a blend of weak acids or salt solutions. Suppose the pelts need to be stored for an extended period before use. In that case, a stronger solution may be applied to maintain their freshness and quality.
During the final stages of the leather production process, we apply various finishing techniques to heighten the aesthetics and durability of the leather. Some finishes applied may include oiling, polishing, or glazing, which not only enhance the natural beauty of the leather but also add a layer of protection. This entire process is what it takes to produce our leather products, like our leather crossbodies, and what every other leather artisan must endure to produce quality goods.
Let's take the first step: sourcing and preserving the raw leather materials.
The leather market is primarily dominated by livestock hides, mainly those procured from cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. In recent years, faux and vegan leathers have entered the consumer market. However, it's estimated that they make up less than 5% of all leather goods, likely because of their lower quality than genuine leather.
Generally, premium leather goods are made from younger animal skins, resulting in a soft, napped finish. Adult animal hides tend to produce a rougher nap. Each type of leather product, whether a purse or a jacket, requires different aged animals to deliver a quality product.
Leather can be preserved in two primary ways: salting and freezing. Each has its benefits:
Salting removes excess moisture from the hide and curtails bacterial growth, extending its longevity. This is an essential aspect of sustainable leather production.
Freezing: When hides must be stored for extended periods, freezing keeps the hide's integrity intact, primed for the subsequent stages of leather making.
The hide must be cleaned before it can be tanned to remove impurities or debris. Every bit of dirt, blood, or foreign matter is removed to ensure a pure starting point for leather manufacturing. You'd unlikely want blood on your new purchase—this step prevents that.
Following cleaning, the hydration process begins. This step improves the hide's texture, puffing it up and returning it to a near-natural state (minus blood and debris). As a result, the leather gains a flexible and malleable quality, which eases the later stages of leather dyeing and finishing.
Leather tanning treats the animal hides with tanning agents to convert them into durable leathers that don't quickly decay. The tanning process stabilises the collagen protein structure of the rawhide, preventing decay and preparing it for use in various leather products.
In short, tanning adds three critical characteristics to the leather:
The hides are typically treated using chrome, vegetable tannins, or chrome-free alternatives during this process. Oils yield softer leathers suitable for fashionable products. In contrast, plant oil extract fosters firm, thick, and brown leathers, making them ideal candidates for belts, shoes, bags, and cases.
There are various leather tanning techniques, let's break each of them down:
Vegetable Tanning is the oldest form of leather curing process. It earns its name from tannins extracted from vegetable matter such as tree bark. This eco-friendly method involves soaking hides in a concoction prepared in bark mills. The organic materials lend their natural properties to the hide, initiating a transformation that turns rawhide into leather.
The resultant vegetable-tanned leather is supple in texture and light brown colour, which varies subtly depending on the mix of vegetable matter and the original skin colour. However, this type of leather requires special care as it isn't stable in water, tends to discolour, and may shrink and harden when left to soak and dry.
Chrome Tanning is a method that uses chemicals, acids, and salts to speed up leather production. It produces more affordable leather products and is a preferred alternative for manufacturers who want to reduce costs and turnaround times. Chrome tanning uses chemicals like chromium, which work their way into the hide to impart unique properties to the leather.
Chrome tanning gives the leather a smooth, flexible grain, translating into a soft texture and excellent drape. Due to its flexibility and feel, this type of leather is particularly suitable for making garments.
Alternative Tanning Methods: Other types of leather tanning include aldehyde tanning and brain tanning.Aldehyde tanning, also known as 'wet white', uses aldehydes typically derived from plants – the end product is light in colour and firm in texture.Brain tanning uses animal brains or emulsified oils to create an incredibly soft and washable leather product. Commonly seen in buckskin, the end product is as smooth as it is durable.
Following tanning, we enter the post-production stage, which includes three fundamental steps: (1) splitting and shaving, (2) dyeing and colouring, and (3) fatliquoring and conditioning.
This step is exactly what it sounds like—splitting strips of leather and shaving them down to achieve the desired thickness for the end product.
After tanning, the leather, called pelts, can be split to create the top grain layer, which produces high-quality products such as full-grain or nubuck leather. The bottom layer, which is of lesser quality, is used to make split or suede leather. The thickness of the leather is adjusted according to the final product requirement. For instance, firmer and thicker leather is preferred for sturdy walking boots, whereas softer trainers require fine, softer leather.
Shaving offers an additional aesthetic benefit. It minimises visible surface imperfections in the hide and enhances the appeal of leather goods. This technique can reduce blemishes and allow certain types of leather to receive minimal pigment or surface finish.
The dyeing stage adds aesthetic appeal to the leather manufacturing process, imbuing the material with various colours and patterns.
The type of dye depends mainly on the method of tanning. Vegetable-tanned leather has its specific colour dye. In contrast, chrome-tanned leather requires a colour dye to make it visually pleasing. Chili-toned dyes, for instance, can add an alluring shade to your leather accessories.
In the leather dyeing process, hides are placed into dye drums. After approximately eight hours, a sample is taken to ensure the leather has been saturated by 100% of the dye. Another drying phase follows this, carried out under either air or vacuum conditions.
Adding a finishing touch to the leather during the fatliquoring and conditioning phases ensures a durable, supple final product.
During the conditioning procedure, leather undergoes a grinding process in which hides are placed in climate-controlled drums to soften the texture. The hides are stretched onto frames for four to eight hours to tighten fibre structures, adding to the leather's flexibility.
Fatliquoring preserves durability and enhances leather's long-term resistance. Fat liquors, usually an oil emulsion in water, are applied to the leather during the conditioning stage to protect structural integrity.
Nearly finished, we enter the finishing processes of how leather is made. These can range from surface treatments to final quality checks. Let's explore these stages, enhancing our understanding of "how leather is made."
Skin surfaces undergo several treatments to achieve their desired aesthetics and functional characteristics. They are embossing, printing, coating, and glazing; let's explore each.
Finally, the leather process is complete. So next time you're shopping for a new leather tote bag or full-grain leather wallet, remember how much time and effort went into your luxury item.
The leather production process involves cleaning and preparing animal hides, removing hair, tanning to preserve the material, and dyeing, drying, and finishing to create usable leather.
Tanning plays a crucial role in leather production. It involves chemically altering animal hides to create a durable, flexible, and rot-resistant material that can be used to make various leather goods.
Leather production has significant environmental impacts, including deforestation, water pollution, chemical contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, and high resource consumption.
Ethical sourcing in the leather industry pertains to ensuring animal welfare and fair trade practices. It's crucial to the industry's reputation and aligns with many consumers' values.
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