Most people who own leather upholstery, have no idea how leather can be taken from a cow and be mysteriously transformed into a soft, luxurious, upholstery covering. The mystery surrounding leather has probably come about, because very few people have had the opportunity to visit a tannery. In order to help you understand your leather, here's a whirlwind tour through the tanning process.
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How Leather Gets From A Cow To Your Couch Or Car
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1. Curing The Leather - Once the hides have been removed from the cow, they are cured by soaking them in a salt solution to stop them from deteriorating or rotting, while they await the tanning process.
2. Cleaning The Hides - The hides are then soaked and cleaned to remove the salt solution. Lime is added to remove hair, dung and excess flesh.
3. Sorting According To Defects - The hides are sorted according to the number of defects they may have such as scarring, tick marks, barb wire marks and holes. Upholstery leather requires larger areas of unblemished hide, whereas other leather products such as shoes, saddles etc can utilize the smaller pieces. As a result, this makes upholstery leather generally more expensive.
4. Splitting the hides Into Two - The hides to be used for upholstery are then split into two. The top is split away from the bottom using a machine with a very long, sharp blade. The top layer is called the Top Grain or Top Split, whereas the bottom layer is called the Bottom Split. Now the Top Grain is the strongest and most supple part of the hide and this is used for upholstery. The Bottom Split is used in other products such as shoes, etc.
5. Tanning Preservation And Strength - The hides are then put into a large rotating drum containing chemicals to preserve them... permanently. This is called Chrome Tanning which also helps to increase the strength, durability and reduce shrinkage of the leather.
6. Grading According To Quality - After tanning, the hides are, once again, sorted or graded according to their quality which is determined by the number and size of imperfections such as those mentioned in sorting procedure.
7. Re-Tanning And Dying - The leather is put into another large rotating drum containing oils for lubricating and softening the leather and other chemicals for adding firmness, tear strength and fastness. Dye is also added to stain the leather to a color related to the intended final color.
8. Drying - As you can imagine, the leather is absolutely saturated at this point and is then stretched out on large frames and force dried in a drying room.
9. Embossing The Leather Surface - Leather with excessive scarring is then sanded smooth and embossed with an artificial grain. If you have seen leather with an even grain, looking similar to vinyl, then the chances are, it has gone through this process. This leather is called Corrected Grain leather. Now Full Grain leather has had nothing done to alter the natural surface and is softer and contains the natural markings of the hide.
10. Softening - The leather is then softened in a large rotating drum, very much like a tumble clothes dryer.
11. Coloring The Leather - The leather is put through an automated finishing machine, which sprays on the desired color. Several coats are applied.
12. Clear Sealer - Once the color has been applied, a clear sealer is sprayed on for added durability. The luster of this coating can be adjusted to give a high gloss, satin, or dull finish. This sealer coating contains waxes and modifiers added to give the leather its feel qualities.
13. Final Grading - The leather is finally graded according to quality, color and weight. Each hide is then put through an automated measuring machine, to measure its area. Upholstery leather measures around 48 to 55 square feet.
Tanning Leather Hides - 13 Steps Used by the Tanneries to Make Upholstery Leather
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