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The Best of Leather
By Jeremy Perkins
The making of leather is old. Really old. In fact, historians have traced the use of leather, through pictorial representations on the walls of caves in Spain, all the way back to the Mesolithic period, which is approximately 20,000 B.C. Biblical scholars even date the use of leather as early as the third chapter of Genesis, and the Hebrews are said to have been the first to discover the value of oak-bark tanning.
Tanning actually comes from the word tannin, bitter plant polyphenols which act as astringents, or protein-shrinkers, and protect plants from fire, insects, and bacteria. Though clearly important to early man for a number of reasons, the selling of exsanguiated and cured animal coverings, surprisingly, did not take off commercially in North America until the Industrial Revolution, when newer, more scientific methods of producing leather were introduced. Oak-bark and chromium tanning agents, as well as "fat-liquoring" and "hide splitting" were just a few of the methods developed heading into the 20th century. And as cattle feeding and slaughter houses expanded operations and moved westward, so did the tanning industry, in an effort to stay in close geographic proximity to their source of the raw materials.
In fact, fresh animal hides are extremely perishable and need to be processed (tanned) within 4 hours of "take-off" for optimum quality. According to the Tanners Council of America's, "The Romance of Leather," published in 1937, "...today more than ever before fine quality leather begins to take shape from the moment the animal is born." Apparently everything right up to the slaughter affects leather quality, from diet to physical environment. The slightest slip of the hand or dull of the blade can affect whether a hide turns into a fine leather couch, the plush interior of an automobile, a pair of sneakers, or a cheap belt.
www.orgs.ttu.edu/leatherresearchinstitute/page13.html
According to the Leather Research Institute, there are approximately 20 steps in creating fine leather for commercial consumption, which include, "soaking, pickling, unhairing, buffing, conditioning, and [the rather ominous-sounding] fleshing." And there is apparently an extensive nomenclature to boot. Among others terms you have, "altered leather," which has had its original surface removed and a new grain embossed into it, "baseball leather," (prior to 1974 cowhide was employed for this purpose, but apparently now America's Favorite Pastime uses alum-tanned horsehide to cover its, errr, balls). "Buffed" leather refers to suede, but can also be called "snuffed," nubuck, or grain-sueded," while "in the blue" refers to leather treated with chromium salts to produce a light blue effect. Then of course, there is "crock (n.)" - the coloring-matter rub off of poorly dyed leather - which is not be confused with "crock (v.)" - to transfer color by rubbing. "Full-hand" is what full-bodied leathers are called (these are usually used in fine upholstery), and "glove leather" is usually made of lambskin. Also, there is "fat wrinkle, grain leather, grain character, grain embossed, mineral tainted, oil tainted, skive, vat dyeing, and weight" (leather is actually measured in ounces per square foot).
Some popular leather manufacturers include the Kamali Leather Company of South Africa, with headquarters in New York City, Aker Leather Products, providing law enforcement with fine leather since 1981, and Leather Trends, furnishing leather for automobiles and furniture (also out of Manhattan).
On a final note, if something is referred to as "leathery" in the business, it is being called tough and not of very good quality, so, theoretically, you could have a leathery steak in your leathery jacket and be referring to the exact same qualities in both.