Leather Tanning History

When you think of leather, you probably think about leather seats in your car or the living room sofa. Maybe you thought turn to your closet and your favorite leather jacket, boots, or purse? But you probably never imagined using recycled leather in your bathroom, or any other part of your home. Leather is a popular, natural, organic textile derived from living animals that has been used for various applications for centuries. In the United States, leather is mainly processed from the skins and hides of animals such as cows, lambs, and pigs. Leather can also be obtained from reptiles, birds, and fish. Leather is one of the most durable, versatile textiles on the market today that is loved by many for its natural appearance and its always trending
style. The versatility of this textile is what makes it one of the most desired textiles still today. Leather is used in many different ways such as clothing, furniture, footwear, sports equipment, purses, accessories, and horse saddles. Being both durable and fashionable allows for endless applications. In the interior design industry, leather has been an important, eye-catching piece for different spaces for decades. When one thinks of leather used in interior design, they typically think of leather upholstered couches or recliners, but what many people do not realize, is that leather is now being used innovatively as countertops and wall coverings.
There are various types of leather, and each type has a specific purpose for its application. Along with the various leather choices, come various price points. The different types of leather include full grain, split, suede, regenerated, coated, and faux leathers. These different leathers have different application and function purposes. Full grain leather a luxurious leather that remains in its natural state. This specific type of leather is a popular choice for many designers because of the durability it provides for leather furniture coverings. There is a special treatment this leather receives making it stain resistant and causes it to look better over time. Suede leather is commonly used in the fashion industry for clothing and footwear because of the soft, furry texture that this type of leather provides. Regenerated leather goes through a compression process that causes the leather to be more durable than it was in its natural state. After this process, the texture of this specific leather is smooth. This leather is typically used in restaurants because of its durability and clean ability for constant use. Faux leather is the cheapest route when it comes to buying leather. Faux leather is fake leather that is made from synthetic, man-made materials to provide a product that resembles real leather. This type of leather is still available in durable finishes with a cheaper cost.
Leather is a common textile obtained from animals by a process known as tanning.
There are various skins and hides provided by the different animals. They can differ in size, thickness, grain, and color. It is also possible that the animal had received a scar during its lifetime that can play a role in the uniqueness of the different skins. Whether it was the animal getting into a fight with another animal, a disease that the animal was stricken with, or whether insects attacked the animal, the scars left behind are permanent and cannot be removed. The process of leather tanning has been around for centuries. Tanning has played an important role in this world since the time of the Indians. The Indians used tanned leather for clothing, shelter, a source of income for buy and trade, and for paintings. Tanning is the chemical process in which skins and hides are treated with an agent to make them resistant to water and rotting. There are many different methods of tanning including vegetable tanning, oil tanning, chrome tanning, and alum tanning. These methods differ in expense and sustainability. Before the skins are ready to sell as leather products, they must go through multiple processes such as salting, removing the animal hair, removing the epidermis layer, cleaning, tanning, bleaching, stuffing, coloring or dyeing, staking, glazing, boarding, buffing, and embossing. The processes of buffing and stuffing are put into place in order to make the animals scars and skin
imperfections to be less noticeable. Bleaching is required to whiten the skin before the dyeing process can take place. Staking is an important step because it is able to minimize shrinking throughout the remaining stages of the tanning process. The processes of dyeing, glazing, and embossing are finishing touches made to the skin or hide that add color, texture, or gloss to the leather. The different finishes offer various looks, styles, and price point depending on the finish choice. All of these complex steps help to explain why leather is such an expensive product on today’s market. Other processing modifications can be made to leather to decrease the cost.
By being such a versatile textile, leather is able to be used in various ways. In the sports world, leather is used for baseball and softball gloves, basketballs, footballs, and saddles for horseback riding. When looking for sports equipment, it is important to have a product that can withstand use, is able to be left out in the heat, one that does not require great care, and one that will last over time. Leather is the perfect material for all of these requirements. In the fashion industry, leather is used for clothing, handbags, belts, shoes, and accessories. Leather has remained a staple in the fashion world for decades. It is a material that remains classic, unique, and trendy. No one piece of leather is the same, meaning that the one-of-a-kind piece of clothing you are wearing means more than a piece of clothing that everyone seems to be wearing. The downside to owning your unique piece of clothing, is that it comes with a high price. In the end, leather will hold up and withstand wear and tear better than any product on the market. In the interior design industry, leather is commonly used as a furniture covering for couches, chairs, barstools, and recliners. Leather is a timeless addition to a room that provides a sleek, elegant feature. Just like in the fashion industry, leather resembles money and therefore values a space and makes it feel rich. The durability that leather provides is a major selling point. Leather is able to withstand high traffic, spills, and day to day living making it a popular choice for families with children and pets. The low maintenance of leather is perfect for families. When leather is used in the home on a day to day basis, it is typically found in upholstery for living room furniture.
Since leather is considered a high-end, luxurious textile used in the interior design industry, they are always trying to invent new and improved ways to incorporate this sought after textile in their designs. One of the most recent developments and innovative uses of leather is leather countertops. Typically, residential and commercial countertops are made out of hard materials such as stone, concrete, marble, or granite. With the new innovative use of leather, this provides a soft countertop that has never been seen in the interior design world to date. There have been many concerns with such a countertop by many clients in the early stages. Countertops are typically used in kitchen and bathroom type spaces. In spaces such as these, there are many considerations that must be met such as sharp objects used for cutting food in the kitchen, water splashing out of sinks in bathrooms and kitchens, and the high traffic that both of these spaces bring. The different types of stone countertops are susceptible to smudges, fingerprints, and watermarks if they are not cleaned regularly. Because of leather’s texture, these countertops wipe up beautifully, do not show fingerprints, and have a subtle sheen to them that is able to hide spills and crumbs. One of the only companies selling this innovative product is EcoDomo. Because of their innovative product design and
exceptional performance of our recycled leather veneer, the application possibilities are endless. EcoDomo has made to order countertops readily available in a 1 inch or 2 inch thickness in sizes up to 48 inches x 68 inches seamless or 48 inch x 96 inch with seams. EcoDomo is a market leader for sustainable creative applications of leather. This company fulfills client’s needs for high-end ecological and renewable products by creating architectural pieces made of recycled leather. Their countertop product features durable wear, anti-bacterial, and water resistant finishes to ensure top performance. EcoDomo leather countertops are available in five different colors at this time.