Leather hides undergo many processes to produce a durable, flexible, soft and long-lasting leather. How leather is made is still a mysterious for some people, maybe because only few people has the chance of visiting a tannery . Questions like what are the process that an animal skin undergoes to make it a perfect, durable and long-lasting leather? Or what is tanning? To answer those questions, here is the tour through the tanning process.

1. Hide curing

After the skin has been removed from the cow, they are soaked in a salt solution to prevent rotting and deteriorating.

2. Hide cleaning

The hides are cleaned to remove the salt solution and lime is added to remove hair, dung and excess flesh.

3. Defect sorting

Hides are sorted according to the number of defects a leather has like scarring, tick marks, barb wire marks and holes. Leather used in upholstery will need a large area of smooth hide and then the pieces left behind will be made as shoes, bags, etc. This is the reason why upholstery leather is expensive.

4. Split the hides into two

The top part of the hide is split away from the bottom using a machine with a very sharp and long blade. Top Grain or Top Split is what they called the top layer while the bottom layer is called Bottom Split. The Top Split is the most durable and most supple part of the hide and used for upholstery. Shoes and other leather goods are made out of the Bottom Split.

5. Strengthening and preserving

After the splitting process, hide is put in to large rotating drum that contains chemicals that preserve them permanently. This process is called Chrome Tanning that strengthen and reduce the shrinkage of leather

6. Sorted according to quality

Once again, hides are sorted this time according to their quality which is determined by the number and size of imperfections.

7. Tanning again and dying

Once again leather is put in to a large rotating drum that contains oils for softening and lubricating leather and other chemicals that adds to the firmness, and tear-resistance. Dye is added to the mixture for the color of the final product.

8. Drying

Leather is stretched out on large frames and then being forced dried in the drying room.

9. Embossed the hide surface

Excessive scarring in leather is sanded smooth and artificial grain is embossed. Vinyl leather has gone through this process and is called Corrected Grain leather. The full Grain leather has not been altered and stay as natural as it is.

10. Softening

For the third time, leather is put in to a large rotating drum to soften the material.

11. Color the leather

The almost finish product is put through a automated finishing machine to spray the desired color according to the use of the leather.

12. Clear Sealer

Clean sealer is sprayed on the leather after the color is applied. This adds to the durability of the leather. The luster of the coating to give a satin, dull or high gloss finish. Also this sealer have waxes and modifiers to give the smooth texture of the leather.

13. Final sorting

For the final step, leather is again sorted according to quality, color and weight. Each finished product is put through an automated measuring machine to measure its area. An upholstery leather measure approximately 48 to 55 square feet.

By: leather best

She loves to travel a lot and also she writes several articles about clothing and fashion, She also has her personal blog all photography and clothing. She now writes about how leather are made from animal hides.

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Article Tags: leather , leather hides , leather production , leather types

Submitted On Jan 13, 2012. Viewed 34 times.