The Finished Product
We all must have leather in our homes, our cars or even on our person. If you don't, I salute you for standing up for the right to protect animals. I do love animals too, but have grown up differently and use leather, and actually love anything leather.
The first thing that may come to mind is the wallet or purse you carry, probably both. Belts and shoes round out an outfit and while there is a huge variety of shoes and boots available, leather is not always cheap to come by.
Some stars, which of course have more money then they know what to do with, carry around name brand purses costing upwards of $20,000.....just because they can! Or they wear name brand shoes that cost $8,000. Personally, it's made the same way so I'll just take a pair of Baker's and be happy!
The seats in my car are leather, they hold up much better than cloth or vinyl and they don't retain odors, not saying anyone riding in my car smells, but there is the dropped french fry, the hot and humid days, the spilled drink and all that perfume and cologne! The couch in my house is leather but it cannot withstand completely, the cat who jumped up on the arm and was scared he/she clawed it permanently! The patina from years of sitting on it and rubbing body oils on it from your arms have darkened the leather - it no longer matches what's under the blanked thrown over the top :)
But it's durable. You can take your office with you, your lap top and set it down, spill on it, toss it around and it takes it. You can make another notch in your belt, or downsize your strap on your purse, cram so much money into your wallet that it will stretch to fit - too bad our budget isn't like that - and it will take it and keep on loving you as you continue to abuse and love it.
Cleaning leather is as easy as cleaning your skin - a wash cloth with warm water.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
The Accidental, or Maybe on Purpose, Process
At one point in time, man had discovered the tanning process otherwise known as preserving and/or softening leather to make it more pliable, last longer, change color or easier to work with.
Remember the 'heavy leather shirts' the soldiers wore into battle? Image them being pliable and easy to move about in. My nice leather couch with half a patina? If it were stiff and hard, it wouldn't be very enjoyable. I don't see how a cowboy can ride atop a hard, very hard seat all day, but at least its contoured and I've seen a leather crafter at work contour a piece of vegtan (leather tanned with natural extracts from plants, but mostly chemicals from Oak Bark) into a beautiful but stiff holster. I've seen him careful wet it down, but not too wet, and shape it around a blue gun (much like a dressmaker's form) and work it with his fingers into shape. I've seen the beautifully shaped finished product now ready for stitching and final touches.
Depending on the use, there are a variety of tanning methods. Some smell like fish and actual fish is used in this process. Most however, are tanned from chemicals that come from the bark of trees.
As far as dye and color, some is all the way through and some is painted on. Of course all the way through is a much better choice as it won't bleed onto things such as your hands and clothing.
Did you know that leather doesn't smell? It's the chemicals used that give it that "leather' smell we are so familiar with and the many types of smells we catch walking into various leather shops.
At one point in time, man had discovered the tanning process otherwise known as preserving and/or softening leather to make it more pliable, last longer, change color or easier to work with.
Remember the 'heavy leather shirts' the soldiers wore into battle? Image them being pliable and easy to move about in. My nice leather couch with half a patina? If it were stiff and hard, it wouldn't be very enjoyable. I don't see how a cowboy can ride atop a hard, very hard seat all day, but at least its contoured and I've seen a leather crafter at work contour a piece of vegtan (leather tanned with natural extracts from plants, but mostly chemicals from Oak Bark) into a beautiful but stiff holster. I've seen him careful wet it down, but not too wet, and shape it around a blue gun (much like a dressmaker's form) and work it with his fingers into shape. I've seen the beautifully shaped finished product now ready for stitching and final touches.
Depending on the use, there are a variety of tanning methods. Some smell like fish and actual fish is used in this process. Most however, are tanned from chemicals that come from the bark of trees.
As far as dye and color, some is all the way through and some is painted on. Of course all the way through is a much better choice as it won't bleed onto things such as your hands and clothing.
Did you know that leather doesn't smell? It's the chemicals used that give it that "leather' smell we are so familiar with and the many types of smells we catch walking into various leather shops.
Leather's History.
It's been around as long as man. In prehistoric times, it was used it for clothing and bedding and even the occasional decoration. It has been used for shelter and later, man made armor.
In Egypt, women prized their fur piece as a luxury as exquisite as her jewelry. Roman soldiers used heavy leather shirts as part of their uniform.
In each society, empire or period of time, the craftsmen used leather to their advantage in the way they needed it; whether it be clothing or decoration. Much of the hides and furs were also used for trade such as currency is used today.
Today, we sit on leather, have leather wall hangings, wear leather around our waists and put our guns in it. Women overload it with cosmetics and 'stuff' and men use it comfortably atop a horse to round up their cattle, maybe for many more hides. And PETA will always be there to tsk tsk tsk at our many uses of the hide.
It's been around as long as man. In prehistoric times, it was used it for clothing and bedding and even the occasional decoration. It has been used for shelter and later, man made armor.
In Egypt, women prized their fur piece as a luxury as exquisite as her jewelry. Roman soldiers used heavy leather shirts as part of their uniform.
In each society, empire or period of time, the craftsmen used leather to their advantage in the way they needed it; whether it be clothing or decoration. Much of the hides and furs were also used for trade such as currency is used today.
Today, we sit on leather, have leather wall hangings, wear leather around our waists and put our guns in it. Women overload it with cosmetics and 'stuff' and men use it comfortably atop a horse to round up their cattle, maybe for many more hides. And PETA will always be there to tsk tsk tsk at our many uses of the hide.
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