Fine leather goods have been a marketable product since the days of the Roman Empire. It is the skin of an animal that has been tanned, or processed, in a certain way to make it soft and supple enough to be made into articles of clothing or other items such as belts, bags, hats, boots, and much more.
The Tanning Process
Leather’s Tanning Process begins with the Preparatory Stage. Included in this first stage of tanning are a number of ways to remove pieces of the animal’s skin that are not wanted. Not all of the options will need to be used. Depending upon the type of leather being treated, the most effective and appropriate method will be chosen.
The next stage in the Tanning Process is the tanning itself. It is the process by which the leather is materialized and softened in order to be able to be used for manufacture into hundreds of types of clothing and accessories.
The last stage is called Crusting. This process is when the prepared and tanned leather is thinned out and lubricated for pliability. Again, as in the Preparatory Stage, there are many options by which Crusting can be carried through. Not all options are used for every skin. The best one for that particular material will be chosen.
In ancient Rome people used leather for boat sails, tents, even weapons because of its strong composition. Much later women in Egypt began to wear clothing made of leather because it showed them to be very fashionable.
Moving on into modern times, fine leather goods are no less popular now than they were with the women of ancient Egypt. They are worn or carried by both men and women, even children in one form or another. Some preferred items made from leather are leather totes for women, leather belts for men, leather keychains, and leather messenger bags. Most often the type of people purchasing fine leather goods will be younger business people, between 22 and 35, for whom the richness of the look and feel of the material represents their ambitious nature and their passion to move ahead. Other circles of people most likely to use leather in their fashion choices would be both men and women between the ages of 35 and 64, working professionals who are looking for quality items to reflect success. Fashion designers use leather in the manufacture of seasonal garments which they model at high-end fashion shows.
Products such as oil and grease can be absorbed by leather; therefore, any form of this material must be handled with clean hands. It is also recommended that leather be cleaned every six months or so. It needs to be conditioned so that it will remain free of any staining. In addition, leaving any kind of leather out in a climate with humidity lower than 40% for long periods of time will dehydrate, or parch, the material, injuring it beyond repair.
Because fine leather goods have become so popular and are so diversely used, it is easy to find anyone who is wearing at least four different types of leather at any given time.
Leather has become a very versatile product throughout time. There are probably items in everyone’s home that are at least made in part from leather. Its adaptability will be the push that continues moving it forward toward an even more productive future. Read more about this topic at this link. See this reference for more.