Leather TermsPick a letter to jump to that section, or just scroll down the page. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Alligator- A general term for leather made of all aquatic species with a grain similar to the American alligator. Alligator Grained Leather- Cattle or sheep leathers embossed with an alligator grain pattern. Alum Leather- Leather tanned using a combination of alum, salt, egg yolk and other materials. Once the most common tanning method, now used mostly for glove leather. Aniline-Dyed Leather- Leather dyed with aniline dyes, as opposed to those colored with opaque pigments. Antelope Leather- A rare, soft, leather made from antelope skin. Antelope Finish Suede- Lambskin, goatskin or calfskin, sueded and finished to resemble antelope. Back- Leather from the back of the animal. Usually the strongest piece of leather in the entire hide, with the least amount of stretch. The best leather for making belts and other items that will be subjected to much stress. Bark tanned- Leather preserved with tannins derived from plant sources, as opposed to leather preserved with chemicals. Also referred to as Vegetable Tanned or Oak Tanned. Belly- Leather from the underside of the animal. Usually weak and stretchy, but may be useful where stretchiness is desired, or at least not a problem. Often the most economical piece of the entire hide, therefore good for practice. Belt Blanks-Pre-cut strips of leather intended for belts or other strap goods. Bookbinding Leather-Leather used for binding books: Skivers, splits, cowhides, sheepskins, goatskins, calf, etc. Bridle leather- Vegetable Tanned cowhide used for making tack. Buckskin- Deer or Elk skin leather. Buffalo Leather- Leather from the domesticated water buffalo(not the American bison) Cabretta- Sheepskins having hair rather than wool. Calfskin-A high quality, fine grained leather made from the skins of young cattle. Casing- Soaking, or wetting, leather to make it suitable for carving and /or tooling. Chamois- A very soft, oil-tanned, suede-finished, leather, originally made from Alpine antelope, but now made from sheepskin splits. Known for its' absorbency. Chrome Tanned- Leather preserved using chromium salts. Not suitable for tooling, due to its resistance to absorbing moisture.(See Casing) Combination Tannage-The tanning of leather in one agent, then re-tanning in another , to impart favorable qualities of both systems. Cordovan Leather- Originally leather from Cordoba, Spain, this term now refers to a strong, nonporous shoe leather made from horse hide. Cowhide- Leather from any of the bovine species. Currying- A process of incorporating oils and greases into a leather to make it suitable for a specific use. Deerskin- A leather with the grain surface intact, not removed like buckskins. Doeskin- The soft, supple formaldehyde and alum-tanned skivers of sheep and lambs. The skin of a doe is rarely used. Dyeing- The coloring of leather using a penetrating, transparent or translucent, fluid, as opposed to painting with an opaque pigment. Elk- A trade term for cattlehide shoe leather of special tannage and finish. Genuine elk leather is made into one of several types of buckskins. Embossed leathers- Leather upon which a design has been stamped with engraved plates. Usually the natural grain of another, more expensive, animal, such as ostrich or alligator. Fat liquor- A mixture of oils and soaps which make a leather flexible by lubricating the fibers. Fleshing- Removal of tissue and fat from the flesh side of raw hides. Formaldehyde tanning- A tanning process which yields white, washable, leather using formaldehyde as the tanning agent. Full Grain Leather- First cut taken from the hair side of a hide from which only the hair and epidermis have been removed. Garment Leather- Leather which has been tanned to have the softness and durability necessary for clothing. Glazed Finish- a glossy, smooth, sheen imparted to leather by polishing with a glass roller. Glove Leather- Leather from sheep, lamb, deer, pig, goat and mocha skins which are used for dress gloves. Horsehide, cattlehide, splits, calfskins, sheepskins and pigskins are used for work gloves. Goatskin- The skin or leather from a mature goat. Grain- The hair side of a skin(the outside of the animal), or the pattern of hair folicles under the epidermis. Grained Leather- A leather which has been finished to accent the natural grain. Hair-on- Leather with the hair still on it. Harness Leather- Curried vegetable-tanned cattlehide which is made quite strong for heavy use. Hide- The whole pelt of a large, mature animal.(Horse, cow, buffalo, etc.) Horsehide- Leather made from any of the equine species. Iron- A Term used in measuring the thickness of sole leather. One iron =1/48 inch. Kangaroo Leather- The strongest known leather, weight for weight. Made from the skin of kangaroos. Kid- The chrome-tanned skin of a goat or kid. Kip- Skin from an animal of the bovine species between the size of a calf and an adult animal. Leather- The hide or skin of any animal which has been treated to prevent decay. Morocco Leather-A distinctive grain of vegetable-tanned goatskin produced by boarding or graining. Mouton-A sheepskin shearling tanned and finished to look like a fur skin. Oak Tan-A vegetable tanning process employing ground oak bark as the tanning agent. Oil Tan- A tanning process which commonly uses fish oils. Strong, light leather is produced. Parchment- Partially tanned sheepskins. Once used for writing instead of paper. Patent Leather- A leather with a glossy varnish finish. Pigment Finish- An opaque leather finishing material (paint), as opposed to a dye. Saddle Leather- Vegetable-tanned cowhide used in the manufacture of tack and saddles. Sharkskin- The vegetable-tanned hide of a shark. Very rough. Shoe leather- Leather of nearly all types and weights, used in the manufacture of shoes. Side- One half of a hide, divided down the backbone. Skin- Pelt of a small or young animal.( calf, sheep, goat, etc.) Slunk- The skin of an unborn calf. Sole- Ten to twelve ounce vegetable-tanned leather used for shoe soles. Split-The under portion of a hide or skin which is divided into two or more layers. Staking- The manual or mechanical softening of a leather by working it over a blunt stake. Steerhide- Heavy leather made from the hide of steers. Stuffed- Leather into which wax or grease has been worked. Tanning- The conversion of a raw animal skin to a stable, workable, long-lasting material. Tawing- An old English term for alum tanning. Top Grain- The grain side of a cattlehide from which splits have been cut. Unhairing- The removal of hair, roots and epidermis. Wallaby Leather-Leather from a medium-sized species of kangaroo. Walrus- An extremely thick leather, used most often for buffing wheels. Washable Leather- Leather which may be washed without losing shape, flexibility or color. Wax Finish- Heavy leather finished by working wax into the flesh side. |