Types of Leather
Buckskin or
brained leather is a tanning process that uses animal brains or other
fatty materials to alter the leather. The resulting supple,
suede-like hide is usually smoked heavily to prevent it from rotting.
Patent leather
is leather that has been given a high gloss finish. The original
process was developed in Newark, New Jersey, by inventor Seth Boyden
in 1818. Patent leather usually has a plastic coating.
Shagreen is
also known as Stingray skin/leather. Applications used in furniture
production date as far back as the art deco period. The word
"Shagreen" originates from France and is commonly confused
with a shark skin and stingray skin combination.
Vachetta
leather is used in the trimmings of luggage and handbags, popularized
by Louis
Vuitton. The leather is left untreated and is therefore
susceptible to water and stains. Sunlight will cause the natural
leather to darken in shade, called a patina.
Slink is
leather made from the skin of unborn calves. It is particularly soft,
and is valued for use in making gloves.
Deer
Skin is one of the toughest leathers, partially due to
adaptations to their thorny and thicket filled habitats. Deerskin has
been prized in many societies including indigenous Americans. Most
modern deer skin is no longer procured from the wild, with "deer
farms" breeding the animals specifically for the purpose of
their skins. Deer skin is used in jackets
and overcoats, professional sporting equipment such as kendo
bogu, as well as high quality personal accessories like handbags
and wallets. It commands a high price due to its relative rarity
and proven durability.
Nubuck is
top-grain cattle hide leather that has been sanded or buffed on the
grain side, or outside, to give a slight nap of short protein fibers,
producing a velvet-like surface.
Nappa
leather, or Napa leather, is chrome-tanned and is extremely soft
and supple and is commonly found in higher quality designer handbags
& wallets, toiletry kits, and other personal leather goods. |
