Leather

Leather is a material made out of animal skins, which are made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and going through a process called tanning.

There are three fundamental sub-processes in manufacturing leather which are the preparatory stages, tanning and crusting. Preparatory stages may include preservation, soaking, unhairing, fleshing, bleaching and so on. Next is the tanning process when skins and hides are being treated with tannic acids so as to convert them into a durable, long-lasting and versatile material. Lastly, crusting is when skins are thinned, retanned and lubricated. Sometimes, a coloring operation is included.

In these days, the most common leather is made of cattle skins. Lamb and deer skins are used for soft leather in more expensive apparels. Deers and elk skins are widely used in work gloves and indoor shoes, and pigskins are used in apparels and on seats of saddles.

Ever wondered what the extremely popular Prada, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Hermès designer handbangs are made of?

Gucci Ostrich Hobo Bags

Prada Croc Logo Clutch and Croc d'Orsay Pumps

Hermès mini Kelly Lizard Pink

Yes, these handbags are made from diversified leather like snake skins, lizard skins, crocodile skins and ostrich skins. Louis Vuitton has also popularized the use of exotic ostrich skins, especially part of their runway collection. Ostrich leather is considered one of the finest and most durable in the world. It has a characteristic "goose bump" look because of the large follicles from which the feathers grew. Therefore, it is quite easy to recognize an ostrich handbag.

Louis Vuitton Ostrich Speedy Frame

Moreover, Kangaroo skins are used to make items which need to be strong but flexible. It is favored by some motorcyclists for use in motorcycle leathers specifically because of its lighter weight and higher abrasion resistance compared with cowskins, thus providing greater protection in case of a fall on the roadway. Kangaroo leather is also used for high performance soccer footwear.

Kangaroo Leather Jacket

In Thailand, sting ray leather is used in wallets and belts in the same way as regular bovine leather. It is as tough and durable as hard plastic, and is often dyed black and covered with tiny round bumps in the natural pattern of the back ridge of an animal. These bumps are then usually dyed white to highlight the decoration. Leather clothing is also popular in Thailand. Sting ray leather is also used as grips on Japanese katana.

Furthermore, bison leather has become popular in the United States. It is used for gloves, jackets and some baseball gloves. It is rugged but supple and has a waxy feel.

Overall, leather comes from a variety of other sources, including the skins of cattle, hogs, goats, sheep, alligators, ostriches, kangaroos, yaks and so on.

There is quite a wide range of different animal leather used both for leather garments as well as leather goods, such as handbags, wallets, purses, belts, bags and other customized leather articles.