Care and Cleaning of Your Leather Products

Cleaning
If you must clean your leather product (avoid cleaning if possible) then try a mild soap and cold water with a sponge. Make sure to dry the leather immediately with a soft towel. Do not rub continuously over one spot; this will create a non-uniform appearance. Then use a commercial leather-moisturizing product (lanolin based) on sealed leather to remoisten and make it supple again. On non-sealed leathers (like naked leather) do not use any moisturizer that might seal its grain.

If you want a professional job, we recommend you take your item to a professional leather cleaner. They
have the proper tools to clean and recondition your leather product, but be warned that cleaners are
inconsistent and your product may not look as good as it was.

Always follow the instructions on the garment label before cleaning. Do not attempt to wash as a normal
clothing item and do not Dry Clean.

Care
You may condition your leather clothes using a commercial leather Product. Remember to always read and
follow the instructions to avoid damage to your leathers.
•       Avoid getting leather products overly wet and then do not store them until they have had ample time to air dry.
•        Do not store leathers in sunlight.
•        Do not store leathers in a damp area or you risk a mildew problem.
•        Store leather products in a cool closet with low humidity.
•        Never store leather clothing in a closed plastic bag.
•        Hang your leather clothes using Wooden or Broad Plastic Hangers or carefully fold them.
•        Avoid storing near to or using chemicals, solvents and paints on or near leather products.
•        Do not dry clean leather; it may remove the natural oils from the leather.

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, and to them I say, Thank You!