The Ultimate Guide to Leather
When were leather belts invented?
The history of real leather belts dates back to the Roman age. The accessory was much loved by gladiators and emperors and worn either a functional accessory or a show of wealth.
Gladiators would wear decorative leather belts to keep their hands free and also hold their weaponry. In contrast, emperors’ belts tended to be lavish and golden and were used to hold up their robes and togas.
When was leather first created?
History dictates that leather making has been practised for more than 7,00 years.
The benefits of using dried animal skins were first recognised in the prehistoric era. Civilisations would use early forms of leather for clothing and shelter. Experts say that fresh animal skins were dried in the sun to get rid of any moisture. Through a trial and error process, many found that the hides could be softened by pounding in animal products such as fat and brains.
Salt and smoke was then used to preserve the animal skin and stop it from decomposing. The tanning process as we know it today was very different when leather was first discovered. History says that the art of tanning leather using bark from trees probably originated among the Hebrews.
Characteristics of Leather
As a material, leather is very tough, hard wearing and resistant to tearing. There are just a handful of the many reasons why leather is so popular within the fashion industry.
Leather is a very durable material and is resistant to flexing, stretching and puncturing. It is an ideal material to be worn all year round, as leather is very resistant to wind and water, and any changes in temperature that may occur. Leather fibres are known to hold large quantities of water vapour meaning leather is able to absorb perspiration.
Leather has good thermostatic properties which means it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, an ideal material to be worn all year round. Another characteristic of leather is its ability to be moulded and retain a new shape. This is particularly useful when it comes to a leather belt, as a belt can mould to the user.
Where does real leather come from?
Real leather comes from the hide of animals such as cows, sheep, pigs.
Cowhide is the most popular way to make leather due to it being widely available across the world. Cowhide leather tends to be heavier and is therefore a better choice for clothing such as coats and furniture such as sofas.
Sheepskin is often used to make clothing items such as slippers and rugs. Leather made from the hide of pigs often lends itself to creating items such as gloves, shoes and sportswear. Real leather is made from animal skin – usually cow, sheep or goat.
To become leather, the animal skins are prepared, tanned and then crusted. Depending on the end product, sometimes leather producers also add an additional layer coating after the leather is ready.
Real vs Fake Leather
There are many differences between fake and real leather, although these differences are sometimes hard to spot for the consumer/customer.
The smell of a leather product is a big indicator of whether it is fake leather or real leather. Real leather is known for having a distinct smell that cannot be replicated by fake or synthetic leather. The feel of a product can also determine whether it is real or fake leather. Real leather is generally less smooth and consistent in texture, whereas fake leather can feel smooth and plastic like. The edges of a leather product are also a good indicator, as real leather has a more natural rough edge. Synthetic or fake leather on the other hand often has a smooth, almost perfect edge to it. The pores of leather can also demonstrate whether a product is fake or genuine.
Real leather has an inconsistent pattern of pores due to it being a natural product, whereas synthetic or fake leather has a consistent, repeating pattern. The elasticity of leather is also a good indicator. Faux leather stretches wider than genuine leather does, but real leather has better elasticity. Faux or synthetic leather is made from fabric that tends to be treated with dye, wax or polyurethane.
Faux or synthetic leather can end up looking a lot like real leather, but it does not have the same quality as the real kind. Genuine leather has a protein from the animal skin that has been put through the tanning process, so the end result is a stable yet flexible material that is suitable for various uses.
Where is the best quality of leather made?
At Peachy Belts, we use the finest vegetable tanned Italian leathers to make our belts here in England. They are nubuck lined and suited to ensure the belts keep their shape and have minimum stretch. All Peachy Belts products are handmade in England. Italian leather is used for goods such as belts, bags, wallets, shoes, and even car interiors.
The fashion industry highly regards Italian leather due to its long lasting strength. Italian leather is generally produced using natural tanning methods, which is why this kind of leather turns out to be resistant, elastic and smooth.
Different kinds of leather
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FULL GRAIN LEATHER
All these qualities mean that full grain leather is often the most popular type of leather used in the fashion industry. Full grain leather has two product types: aniline and semi-aniline leather.
ANILINE LEATHER
There are however some disadvantages to using this type of leather to make a product. Aniline leather is known to be excessively elastic and susceptible to stains and marks.
Due to being susceptible to stains and marks, a product made from aniline leather must be cleaned immediately after any spills.
Another disadvantage is that this type of leather is also vulnerable to scratches which can often occur when a product such as a leather jacket, bag or belt are worn on a daily basis.
SEMI-ANILINE LEATHER
This leather is usually covered with organic pigment which increases its resistance to wear, resistance to light and resistance to stain.
This kind of leather will show less markings compared to airline leather and tends to be more resistant to damage by scratches, liquid, stains or sunlight.
A challenge in the production of semi-aniline leather is producing a highly resistant leather product but maintaining the feel of pure aniline leather.
NUBUCK LEATHER
CORRECTED GRAIN LEATHER
After being coated heavily with organic pigments a replacement grain must be embossed on the material to help recreate the natural appearance and look of the leather. Corrected grain leather is considered to be highly resistant to wear, light and stains.
There are however some disadvantages to using corrected grain leather. One of the disadvantages is that due to the process required in producing corrected grain leather, this kind of leather is considered to be less breathable and less supple.
Corrected grain leather is also prone to cracking over time, so for products such as leather jackets or leather belts, it may not be the best kind of leather to use.
EMBOSSED LEATHER
Embossed leather can be made from alligator, crocodile and ostrich hide. When it comes to tanning embossed leather products, manufacturers tend to use the chrome tanning method.
Here at Peachy Belts we use embossed leather from a producer who supplies to Louis Vuitton and many other major fashion brands.
PIGMENTED LEATHER
When pigmented leather is created for a decorative purpose, the pigment will give off a somewhat shiny appearance.
A huge advantage of pigmented leather is that leather producers consider it more durable compared to aniline and semi-aniline leathers.
Interested to learn where real leather comes from?
Brief steps of how leather is made
Leather is made from the natural skin or hide of an animal.
To make leather, first any hair is removed so that only the skin of the animal remains. When an animal hide is prepared, the skin is removed from the animal and then the flesh must also be removed from the animal.
Next, the animal hide should be salted, as salt is used to stop the hide from decomposing. Hides tend to be stored, salted and folded with the flesh sides touching and will remain salted until the hide is ready to be turned into leather.
Hides are then soaked to remove any hair from the skin. During this process, the hide gets full of moisture and swells up, meaning it can be sliced into two layers. The outside layer of the animal skin, also known as top grain, is leather.The hide is sliced so that separate parts of the skin can be used to create different leather products.
The upper part of the leather is for the highest quality leather products, such as full grain leather. The bottom part will be used to create cheaper leather products.
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Step 1: The Tanning Process
- Vegetable Tanning
Leather that is dyed using vegetable tanning tends to look more natural. Hides are then shaved to a particular width and shavings can be used to make accessories such as belts. The process of tanning means raw leather is soaked in large oak vats filled with various vegetable dyes. A second tanning process can help get the leather fully ready for its purpose. Hides are then dried, with air drying or vacuum drying being the most common form used in the leather industry.
The tanning process creates a natural feeling leather with a colour which constantly evolves with time and usage.
- Chrome tanning
Chrome tanning involves soaking the hide in a bath of salts to create a skin that is ready to be finished and coloured. At the end of the tanning process, special fats are added to the leather which will strengthen and soften it. Chrome tanned leathers tend to be softer, and the tanning process is similar to the vegetable tanning. The only difference is that re-tanning and dying are used to create a more consistent feel and colour to the leather.
The last stage in the leather making process is finishing where leather will be worked to ensure it has a flexible nature. This tanning process creates a natural feeling leather with a colour which constantly evolves with time and usage. Historically chrome tanning started in the 20th century and quickly became the most widely used process.
One of the main advantages of chrome tanning is that the material is simple to dye, water-resistant, elastic and can easily be used to make items of clothing. Another advantage is that chrome tanning takes considerably less time than vegetable tanning.
Step 2: Dying Process
The process of dying leather can be a very time consuming process. Animal hides are added to a large drum along with the chosen dye colour for a long period of time to ensure that the animal hide absorbs the dye.
Step 3: Finishing Process
The leather is first softened and stretched with natural oils added which will lubricate the fabric. The stretching motion also helps to tighten the structure of the leather and therefore ends up creating a higher quality finish that is more desirable to customers.
Finishing spray is then added, and this can change depending on what type of product the spray is being applied to. During large-scale production of leather products, the leather will be hung and moved through the spray line. The leather will then be placed into an oven to be cured.
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