- What is Leather?
- How long have we been using leather?
- How does the animal hide become leather?
- What are the qualities of leather?
- What is the difference between leather and coated leather?
- What is the difference between leather and suede?
- What is chamois leather?
- Which kinds of leather are best suited to which kinds of purpose?
- What are the animal welfare implications of the leather industry?
- What can you make from leather?
- How should one care for leather products?
- I have a leather garment / box / book / screen / chair that requires a deep clean / repair / conservation / restoration.?
- I am designing a garment/shoe/bag and need advice about which kind of leather and leather finish is most suitable.?
- I have a leather product and I need to have it tested for durability / safety?
- How can I learn more?
- I have a dispute about a leather product or a supply of leather, what can I do?
What is Leather
The British Standard Glossary of Leather Terms, BS 2780:1983 states that leather is:
"Hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact, tanned to be imputrescible. The hair or wool may or may not have been removed. Leather is also made from a hide or skin which has been split into layers or segmented either before or after tanning.
If the leather has a surface coating, the mean thickness of this surface layer, however applied, has to be 0.15mm or less.
If a tanned hide or skin is disintegrated mechanically and/or chemically into fibrous particles, small pieces or powders and then, with or without the combination of a binding agent, is made into sheets or other forms, such sheets or forms are not leather".
To put this more succinctly, leather is hide or skin that has been preserved by tanning, should have its original fibre structure intact and should not have a surface coating that is more than 0.15mm thick.
Leather is a by-product. The main sources of raw material for the leather industry worldwide are cattle, sheep and goats, which are reared specifically for the production of meat, wool and dairy products.
The leather industry utilises hides and skins, which would, if the industry did not exist to process them, create an enormous waste disposal problem with the attendant health hazards.
Leather is a renewable natural resource - if leather was not produced, it would have to be replaced by synthetic materials derived from non-renewable resources.
Leather is used in a wide range of products from children's shoes, where it is most important for foot health, to oil seals in aircraft. Leather makes a contribution to the quality of everyday life and has done so for centuries. Virtually everyone wears or uses one or more leather products on a regular basis.
The primary sources of raw material for the tanning industry are hides and skins from animals that have been accepted as fit for processing for human consumption at approved slaughterhouses, where the handling and treatment of cattle fully meets the appropriate animal welfare and hygiene requirements.
In addition to welfare and hygiene standards, the tanning industry recognises that the quality of the hides and skins they receive generally reflects the health, welfare and husbandry conditions, which have applied during the life of the animal.
