Genuine Leather

Genuine leather is a durable, flexible and wear-resistant material obtained by specially processing animal skins. This is what people have been using since the beginning of time. From time immemorial, our primitive ancestors used the skin of wild animals as clothing and shoes. With the development of civilization, this material has not lost its relevance, but on the contrary, it is used in a wide variety of industries.

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Story

Returning to the distant past, we can find out that since the birth of humanity, northern peoples have used the skins of wild animals as body capes and sleeping mats. Residents of hotter countries wore loincloths made from the skins of deer and roe deer.

The first shoes had a sole made of reeds or reeds and were attached to the foot with a leather strap. In winter, small pieces of leather were wrapped around the leg to the middle of the calf and looked like modern army foot wraps.

Initially, the manufacture of men's and women's shoes differed, since primitive men were more warlike than women, and their lives were more often at risk to their health.Men's shoes were created from the rougher and more wear-resistant part of the animal.

It is known for certain that our ancestors made weapons from leather. The first shields were made of this material. With the advent of swords and daggers, scabbards for them were made only from genuine leather.

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There is information about a leather cannon created in the 16th century in Nepal. Of course, in terms of functional qualities it was much inferior to its bronze and copper counterparts, but its main advantage was its very low weight. Three men carried such weapons with ease.

The next direction in which leather is used is the creation of musical instruments. The first drums and tambourines were covered with dog skins. During the same period, Turkic peoples used the adyrna, a stringed musical apparatus made of leather and wood. In the Caucasus and Central Asia, folk music is performed on a percussion instrument - the davul, the membranes of which are covered with goat or sheep skin. And the world-famous bagpipe is a small wineskin made of sheep or calf skin, equipped with several pipes, mortars and keys, creating the effect of several voices.

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Leather is used everywhere in handicrafts and interior design. Clothing accessories, belts, hairpins, wallets, figurines, furniture and much more are an integral part of the life of any modern person.

Peculiarities

For each industry, the skin of different animals and special tanning is used. For example, pig skin or cattle hides are used to create shoes and furniture. Soft sheepskin is used in haberdashery.Deer skins are required to obtain exquisite suede, and the skin of exotic animals such as crocodile, python, and alligator is used to upholster expensive cars, create belts and other accessories.

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Depending on the scope of application, there are three methods of tanning genuine leather:

1. Raw leather. Such skins are prepared using a certain method of fleshing (removing the subcutaneous layer) and liming (treatment with a special liquid to separate large elements into small particles). This dressing is used to give the leather a certain shape.
2. Rawhide. The most ancient method of dressing, in which the structure of the leather is loosened and fixed in this state. Previously, this method of modernization was used very often and was used to create shoes and clothing, but today it is not in demand.
3. Tanned leather is the most common and most used method of processing hides. Gives the skin plasticity and wear resistance. It is the most significant in the modern leather industry.