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Leather-Making Process |
The leather messenger bag that you carry every day. The leather desk set that adorns your workspace. The process of obtaining the material for these items hasn't changed all that much over the years. On this page, you can learn about the tanning steps that brought about the material for your leather padfolio. This process has been used since before anyone knew what a padfolio was!
Curing: This preserves raw skins and prevents deterioration.
Soaking: Cured skins are soaked in water so that they can reabsorb moisture lost during the curing process.
Liming: This removes the hair and the epidermis.
Fleshing: The skin passes through a machine that removes the fleshy tissue.
Deliming: This stage gradually neutralizes the alkali in the skin, as rapid pH changes can distort the material.
Bating: Completes the deliming process so the skin is clean and relaxed (flat.)
Pickling: Creates the weak acid state in the skin needed for tanning.
Degreasing: Removes excess grease.
Tanning: Converts the proteins of the skin into a non-putrefying stable material.
Splitting: Splits the leather into two separate layers.
Shaving: This ensures the leather has a uniform thickness
Neutralization: Removes any residual chemicals
Dieing: Leather can be dyed in a wide range of colors, either through surface dieing or penetrated dieing.
Fatliquoring: This adds oil to the leather to keep it soft and flexible and keep it from cracking.
Samming, Setting Out, & Final Drying: These three steps reduce the water content of the leather.
Staking and dry drumming: This softens the leather and makes it more flexible.
Finishing: This evens the colors, covers flaws, and provides a protective surface.
Final grading: Determining the quality of the leather by examining it for flaws and imperfections
Measurement: Obtaining an accurate measurement of the area of the leather (most leather is sold by area.)
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