Corporate Orders

CUSTOMER COMMENT: We bought some leather desk accessories as business gifts for our corporate clients. They were so pleased with them that they asked us where we got them. Several of our customers who we gave the corporate gifts to have since purchased leather briefcases, leather binders and padfolios with their corporate logo and leather backpacks for their interns as graduation gifts. I personally will be back to Superior Luggage to buy a briefcase as a Father's Day Gift for my dad. Thank you for great service and high quality leather goods. P. Malitzen NY, NY

History of Leather Use

Leather bags and shoes may be popular today, but leather has long been an important material, used in a wide variety of ways. If you carry a leather portfolio or a leather messenger bag today, you are part of a tradition that spans the history of human civilization.

No one is certain how far back untreated skins were used as coverings. As both hot and cold weather could destroy these skins, it is suspected that they were at some point rubbed with animal fat to keep them from drying out. This was the first step towards the tanning process.

The basis of tanning in the ancient world came from the use of the metal alum in the process of preserving the hides. The mineral is readily available in its natural state. Ancient art, documents, and other archeological evidence all point to the use of these techniques. This tradition was carried on into modern times.

Leather was used for a wide range of purposes in the ancient world. The Sumerian woman of ancient Mesopotamia wore long dresses and diadems crafted from leather. The Assyrians used leather in the making of footwear and the construction of wineskins that, when inflated, doubled as raft floats. The Egyptians had notable leatherworking skills, using the material for gloves and other clothing, weapons, tools, and ornamentation. The Phoenicians had one of the most unusual ideas for the material: they crafted water pipes from leather. The Roman Empire spread the knowledge of leather tanning even further. They used leather to make clothing, footwear, harnesses, shields, and more.