Glossary of terms
terms related to leather and leather cleaning
Glossary of Leather Definitions:
A
Acceptance of a lot- is the approval of a leather lot which has met specified criteria.
Agitation- is mechanical action. Home washers have a 'agitator' in the middle that rotates in a back and forth motion. The movement of the water and clothes safely remove soils and stains from garments.
Alligator- grained leather may come from calf, sheep, or cattle. A pattern resembling that of a alligator hide is printed or embossed onto the skin.
Altered Leather- has original surface buffed or sanded off. After the imperfections are removed, a grain pattern is embossed into the leather.
American Bison- Buffalo Skins
Aniline Leather- is dyed leather without applying a top coat of finish. Fine quality skins are used and all imperfections and blemishes are untreated and are apparent in the finished skin. There is not much protection against moisture or beverage spills.
Antique Effect- is a finish design giving a leather a worn or old look. Sometimes called distressed leather.
B
Bag Leather- is used in making suitcases, travel bags, and some purses.
Barkometer- is a hydrometer that determines the specific gravity of tanning solutions
Bark Tanning- is a vegetable tanning process combined with tree bark.
Baseball Leather- is the leather cover of a baseball. Alum-tanned Horsehide is used on most baseballs, though some cheaper varieties come from kip or sheep skin.
Bate- means to de-haired skins and hides with a warm liquid solution of enzymes that remove the nitrogen in the solution.
Beam- is a convex slab made from wood that is used for trimming extra flesh and ragged edges, usually by hand.
Belly- is the part of the hide below the belly line. The belly often has fat deposits and stretch marks.
Blemish- is an imperfection in a skin. Leather is a natural fabric. Animals are subject to abrasions from brush, briers, and insect bites. They also have vein marks. A lot of these blemishes re filled in or corrected during the tanning process
Block- is a word we use in pressing a garment. Some skins change shape during cleaning. Some may draw up or shrink. Others may become loose and tend to stretch out. We have much experience in making sure each garment is properly shaped. Properly 'blocked' garments are very close to their original shape.
Bovine- refers to any animal belonging to the ox or cattle family.
Breathability- is a trait of full-grain leather because of it’s pore and intact grain structure. The leather is able to adjust to temperature. It is very comfortable and is able to wick away moisture and body heat.
Brands- are simple marks burned onto cattle which provide a simple identification. These marks are usually cut out of the hides.
Brining- is a process of curing skins by soaking in a salt solution (NaCl)
Brush applied coloring- is a means of applying dye to the surface of the leather. They do not fully saturate the hide.
Buckskin- is leather from elk or deer, often used for gloves or shoes. It comes from the outer cut of the skin which the surface leather has been removed. It is referred to as ‘Genuine Buckskin’. The under cut side is called ‘Split Buckskin’
Buck Sides- are cattle skins which are processed to look like buckskins.
Buffed leather- comes from full grain leather that has it’s top layer removed through abrasion or blades.
Buffalo- leather comes from hides of Far East water buffalo, not American Bison
Bullhides- come from bulls and are characterized by thick and rough head, neck, and shoulders, and by coarse flanks. They are often poor in quality and very heavy.
Buckskin- is suede leather made from deer skin with the grain layer removed. May be tanned in fish oil or formaldehyde process ( or both)
Butt- refers to the hide covering the hind part of the animal
C
Cabretta- are skins tanned from Brazilian sheep and are used principally for glove and garment leathers. They are commonly called cape leather.
Calf Leather- leather is made from the skins of young cattle. They have a finer grain and are lighter and more supple than cowhide or kip leathers.
Cape Skin Leather- is a fine grain skin from sheep. Fine-grained leather, superior to wool sheep for gloves and garments.
Carpincho Leather- is leather from the skin of the carpincho, a large South American rodent. Skins from this rodent are used for glove leather and are usually chrome-tanned and washable. In the glove-leather trade, it is classified as a pigskin. It resembles pigskin in appearance, a characteristic being the occurrence of bristle holes.
Case Leather- refers to leathers used in traveling bags and suitcases. Lighter leathers are usually used for purses handbags. The staple material for bag and case leather at present is leather made from the hides of animals of the bovine species, although other skins are used.
Cemented Process- is used to construct ladies footwear by attaching the outsole to the sole using cement instead of stitching, nailing, or pegging.
Chain Stitch- is a single thread stitch that the entire thread may be pulled out when one stitch is cut or broken.
Channel- has a groove cut made around the edge of an outsole or insole. The groove is provided for the stitching and to keep the line of thread below the surface of the leather. This is commonly called “channel-stitched.”
Chamois leather- comes from sheep or lamb skins. It is a suede material and is very absorbent.
Chestnut Extract- is tanning solution made from the chestnut tree and used in tanning heavy leathers.
Chromium Salts- are used in the tanning process. These minerals are essential in making the leather soft and supple. They add durability and are vital to Chrome Tanning. The results are a soft hide which accept dyes readily.
Clean and Glaze- refers to techniques applied to furs to achieve look of newer garment.
Cockle- is common skin disease caused by an insect attack while the animal is alive. It shows up as circular spots resembling raindrops.
Colorado Steer- is a side-branded steer hide that may originate in Colorado or elsewhere.
Composite Sample- is a part of leather scraps from the cuttings of test specimens, that has been taken from each of the sample units constituting the sample. The leather is gathered for the purpose of testing a lot for chemical properties.
Combination-tanned- is a tanning process that combines 2 or more tanning processes like chromium and vegetable extracts.
Cordovan Leather- is made from a portion of horse butts. It is a tight grained leather and has very fine pores .It has a waxy finish and is very durable.
Corrected Grain- is a process of fixing cowhide skins whereby the grain of the leather is leveled with a chemical product. The process is generally performed on lower-quality skins with deep abrasions.
Country Hides- originate from off butchers and farmers and are generally lower in quality.
Cowhide Leather- refers to leather made from hides of cows. Cowhide is any leather tanned from hides of animals of the bovine species.
Crop- is a term that refers to a term describing pressing. Properly 'cropped' garments are returned with a shape consistent with original manufacturer's specifications.
Crushed Leather- is leather made from chrome vegetable-retanned kidskins. The skins and grains accentuated by boarding or other processes.
Crust- refers to vegetable-tanned leather that has been tanned but not finished.
Curing Leather- is a process in tanning that cleans the skins using soaking, liming, and fleshing. Curing minimizes putrefaction and bacterial action. but to enable the skins to be Curing prepares skins for tanning.
Cut Stock- refers to bottom stock for shoes, such as soles, taps, lifts, blocks, and strips of sole leather.
D
Davey Tip-is a term used by glovemakers describing tip of a finger made with a turn-back welt.
Deep Buff-is the first cut under the top grain, hand buff, or machine buff. This layer has no traces on the grain.
Deerskin-is usually used in glove leather. Deerskin comes from deer is tanned and finished with the grain surface intact.
Defects-of leather can include fiber quality, soft spots, brands, cockle, scratches, fat wrinkles, bug bites, grain damages, grub damage, cuts, skiving marks,and fleshiness. They are an essential part of the natural charm of leather.
Degrained Leather-has the grained removed after being tanned, usually by a splitting method.
Distressed-refers to a process of finishing on a variety of skins -cow, lamb, goat which simulate a worn or age
Doeskin-is a l term for white leather from sheep or lambskin, tanned with alum or formaldehyde or both. It is Not female deer skin.
Double hiding-occurs naturally in some lambskins. It relates to separation of the layers of the skin, with the formation pockets of air between the layers of skin.
Drape-is the manner in which the finished garment hangs on the person.
Dressing-describes the post-tanning processes that influence color and handle of leather. Top coating and surface finishing, then take place
Drum-( or wheel)- A large vessel or vat for the processing of the skins.
Drum-dyed leather process-is a dyeing process where dye is added to a vat and the leather is colored by full immersion and allowed to fully soak in.
Dry-Cleaning-refers to a chemical process in which a dry cleaning such as Hydrocarbon solvent is pumped into a machine. Garments are immersed in the solvent. They go through a series of agitation and then are dried under controlled conditions. Use of dry clean solvent limits shrinkage in certain fabrics. 'Care Labels' sometimes read 'Dry Clean Only' or 'Professional Leather Cleaning' or 'Leather Dry-cleaning'. These labels refer to our process.
Dry Pickling-is a method of curing skins from wool sheep with sodium sulfate and sodium chloride.
Dry Salting-is another method of curing hides in which the hides are first greensalted and then dried.
E
Elk Leather-is term used to designate chrome-tanned cattle hide for uppers of work shoes, hunting boots, some children’s shoes. and others requiring flexibility and durability. A more accurate description of this type of leather is Elk-finished Cowhide. Elk hides are known as ‘buckskin.’
Extract-is a liquid, powder, or solid form of vegetable tannin, which is concentrated. It is obtained by evaporating a solution of the tannin material obtained from natural sources.
Eyelet-refers to a ring of metal or other material inserted in leather to provide a durable ring for lacing. Eyelets are driven in from the outside of the leather.
Emboss-is a means of changing the normal grain of the skin by printing a pattern, often shiny
Exotic skins-may be any one of a number of unusual animal skins that are tanned primarily for leather fashions, may be lizard, snake, alligator, or crocodile, ostrich skins, etc.)
F
Fat liquor-is An combination of oils or greases and water, usually with an emulsifying agent, used to lubricate the fibers of leather.
Fat Wrinkles-
occur naturally in leather and are part of the charm and beauty of natural skins. They are fat deposits in the skin.
Fillers-are used to fix voids or indentions in skins prior to finishing.
Finish-refers to a top layer of dressing or leather paint. It is also a technique of adding color to a skin. A finish is applied after the skin has been tanned
Flank-refers to the underbelly of the animal.
Flesh-The interfacing side of the skin, not the outer portion of the skin.
Flint dried hides-are air or sun-dried without other curing.
Formaldehyde Tannage-uses formaldehyde as a means of processing white leathers and washable glove leathers.
Fourchette-is a term used by glove makers. It is a fork shaped piece of leather used in making the fingers of a glove.
French Kid Leather-is a Kid skin leather tanned using an alum or vegetable process.
Front-refers to the forepart of a hide or skin. Particularly in horsehide leather, the front is used for garments, baseballs, etc. It is the part left when the butt is cut off..
Full Grain Leather-is leather that has the original grain surface left in tact after the hair has been removed from the skin.
Fur Storage-Proper fur storage creates an environment where both humidity and temperature are controlled. Fur owners should consider having there garments stored in such an environment where the temperature can be maintained in the low 40 degree range and the humidity can be controlled.
G
Gauntlet-is a part of the glove which covers the wrist.
Glazed finished leather-is a glossy, smooth leather. It is polished to a sheen using glass or steel rollers.
Glazed Kid-is Goat leather which is chromium tanned and polished to a very smooth texture.
Glazing-Technique of adding chemicals that nourish a fur for purpose of making hair stand up like that of a newly purchased garment.
Glove Leather-has 2 different types. Leather used for dress gloves, including those for Sportswear and more dress-up occasions. sports These are tanned from hair sheep, wool sheep, and lamb skins and to a lesser degree from deer, pig, goat, and kid skins. The other type of glove leather used for work gloves and made of a variety of hides and skins, of which the most important are horsehides, bovine splits, calfskins, sheepskins, and pigskins.
Glove Splits-Split from chrome-tanned cattle hides. Glove Splits are used for work gloves
Goodyear Welt-is the most commonly used type for shoe construction. There is chain-stitched inseam that holds the upper, welt, insole, and lining together A lock-stitched outseam attaches the outsole to the welt.
Grain-is the natural texture of leather that consists of pores, wrinkles, insect bites, scratches and vein marks.
Grain Sueded-or ‘Nubuck’ leather is a natural finish that includes the skin being buffed on the grain side to achieve a velvet nap.
Green Salting-is a name for the process of curing skins in which they are treated with salt on the flesh side and stacked in piles and allowed to cure for at least 10 days.
Grub Hole-refers to a type of defect. It is an insect bite or hole through the hide caused by the penetration of the grub of the warble fly.
Gunn Pattern-refers to Protective gloves. used in the welding trade.
Gusset Leather-is a soft flexible leather used for gussets in shoes, bags, and cases.
H
Hair-on Leather is tanned without removing the hair from the skin or hide.
Hand-refers to the texture and feel of leather.
Hand Buffs-describes upholstery leather of the same type as full top grain except that the surface of the hide is lightly snuffed or sandpapered all over. Snuffing removes only the top of the hair follicles.
Hand Spotted-Each garment crosses a special area where stains are identified and treated. We carefully inspect each collar for dirt and oil. 'Ring Around the Collar' shows up on many garments, especially light colors. We look for food and beverage stains and treat spots for ink.
Harness Leather-is defined as collar and saddlery leathers and comes from cowhides or pig skins that are vegetable-tanned.
Hat Leather-is a term for sweatbands of hats. The grain splits of sheepskin or calfskin are vegetable-tanned for this purpose.
Head-is part of the skin from the snout to where the shoulder flares out.
Heavy Leather-is a loose term that includes vegetable-tanned sole, belting, and strap leathers made from unsplit cow hides. Thick side leathers are also ‘heavy leathers’
Heel Base-is the part of the heel next to the sole to fits the heel seat.
Heel Breast–refers to the forward face of the heel.
Heel Lift-is a single layer of leather part of a built-up heel.
Heel Seat-describes the part of the sole to where the heel is attached..
Hide-is the skin of an animal
Hide Grades-is a means of describing the quality of a skin. There are standards associated with each grade
Hide Split-is taking a hide and splitting it in to 2 pieces. Thick leather may be split several times.
Horsehide Leather-refers to skins made from horses or a colt. They are used in baseballs and aviator jackets
Hydraulic Leathers-are used in machinery, especially pumps, and are known as ‘Gasket Leather.
I
Imitation Leather- is a variety of simulated textiles that are made to look like leather. These types of materials do not have the imperfections and scars of actual leather. (Ultra-suede and Vinyl are some examples)
India-tanned skins- come from India, and are considered a semitanned raw material. They are generally retanned in the United States before finishing.
Inseam– is a term used in many parts of the textile industry. The shoemaker’s inseam is the hidden seam of a Goodyear-welt shoe holding together the welt, upper, lining, and insole. The glovemaker’s inseam is on the inside of the finger. A pants manufacturer describes the inseam from the crotch to the bottom of the leg.
Interfacing- is a man-made material that is applied to lapels, collars, seams, or hems by using heat and glue that gives the garment added strength and structure.
Insole or Innersole- is a piece of leather or other material cut the size and shape of the bottom. It conceals the nails used in construction and adds support to the shoe.
Iron- refers to a term used for measuring thickness of sole leather. 1 iron =1/48 in. (0.53 mm).
Iron Tannage- is tanning using iron salts.
J
K
Kid Leather- Fine leather usually taken from a young goat used in making kid gloves
Kangaroo Hide- is leather from the hide of the Australian kangaroo, usually chrome-tanned and with a glazed finish. Resembles glazed kid but has a fine grain and is one of the strongest of all leathers.
Kip- is a Bovine skin in between a calf and a cow.
L
Lace Leather-is a rawhide leather used for lacing together sections of power-transmission belts prepared with an alum and oil, chrome, or combination tanning.
Laces-Leather Strings made from tanned animal hides used for shoes, boots, baseball gloves, etc…
Lambskin Leather-comes from either lambskins or sheepskins.
Larrigan Leather-uses oil-tanned cowhides used for moccasins.
Latigo Leather-is special type of lace leather, alum and vegetable tanned often used for saddles.
Leather-refers to animal skins that have been tanned and dyed to make ready for apparel, furniture, shoes or other use.
Leatherboard-refers to a type of fiberboard in which the fiber content is at least 3/4 leather combined with other kinds of materials and resins.
Levant-is a term describing goatskins which the grain pattern is enhanced in tanning and then is embossed.
Liming-is the hair removal process prior to tanning animal skins
Lining Leather-is any leather used for making shoe linings.
Linings-refers to quarter lining, sometimes called vamp lining. It is the upper lining at the back of the shoe, extending forward to the vamp line. Lightweight leathers are usually used, kid and sheep for women’s shoes, calf and kip for men’s shoes. Coated fabrics resembling leather in appearance are also used. In high shoes cotton drill or twill is often used. Vamp lining extends from the vamp line to the toe. Cotton fabrics are most widely used; leather is used for punched or perforated vamps.
Load-refers to the amount of non-protein material in vegetable-tanned leather or can be the tannin in vegetable-tanned leather.
Loading-means adding glucose, magnesium sulfate, or other materials necessary to give leather the physical properties needed for working in modern shoe machinery.
Lock Stitch-is a technique of double-thread stitch that locks the threads together within the material. If one stitch is broken, it does not permit the seam to unraveled.
M
Mange-is parasitic skin condition of animals. It results in leather with coarse and scarred grain, prominent hair pockets, and soft spots in the leather.
Matte Finish-refers to a dull or flat finish.
Metallic Finish-is leather that has received a shiny finish using foils or powders.
Matadero Hides-are Argentinean cowhides which are muck like rough butcher or small packer hides in the U.S.
Mean-is the arithmetical average of a set of numbers.
Median-is a mathematical term for the average or middle value in the numerical values.
Midsole-is sole placed in between the outsole and the insole.
Mild Heat-in the tumbling step is between 85-95 degrees. We use a little heat when 'fluffing' garments and reversing action. Mild heat in pressing has an entirely different meaning, around 250 degrees.
Milling-refers to a natural softening process by which leather is tumbled in a drum.
Mineral Tanned-is a tanning process which uses chemical compounds of mineral origin without using vegetable tanning materials. Chromium tanning compounds are the principal type of mineral tanning. It is a process that uses mineral salts like Aluminum, Chromium, or Zirconium Salts to convert raw animal skins into leather.
Moccasin-is a type of footwear, worn by Native Americans made from a single piece of leather and hand-stitched
Mocha Leather-comes from hair sheep. After the grain has been removed during the liming process known as frizzing, the fine fibers below the grain are made into suede.
Montpelier Pattern-refers to a type of welding gloves.
Morocco Grain-is an embossed imitation of natural goat grains onto other kinds of leather.
Morocco Leather-is tanned using a vegetable process on goat skins and have a distinctive pebbled grain.
Mouton-is type of sheepskin which is tanned and finished for use as fur; usually with the wool straightened. It is a type of shearling.
Mukluk Leather-comes from hides of deer, elk, or something similar.. It is tanned white using formaldehyde, alum, or syntans. It is highly permeable to moisture vapor and retains its flexibility at very low temperatures.
N
Nailed Process-is a method of assembling of men’s work shoes in which the upper is attached to the insole with tacks that clinch against the metal bottom of the last. The insole and outsole, previously stitched together, are attached by nails passing through the entire bottom and clinched.
Nap-Raise hair of a suede, much like a new carpet.
Nappa-is a finished lamb, sheepskin, or cowhide, on the grain side. Nappa is made from unsplit skins and is tanned in chromium salts along with dyestuff.
Native Hide-refers to a cowhide without a brand.
Natural Markings-are the markings on leather which distinguish genuine leather from imitations and man made materials. Other marks which can appear on the surface of leather are healed scratches and scars, barbed wire marks, stretch marks, vein marks, wrinkles, brands and insect bite. This is where leather gets it’s charm and character..
Neck Wrinkles-are creases from the neck and shoulder areas of the skins
Nubuck-refers to a finishing method of leather. The grain side of the skin is sanded away, leaving a suede effect. Nubucks are similar to to suede and has a velvet-type nap.
O
Oak Bark Tanning- uses tree bark in the tanning process and is applied loosely with vegetable extracts.
Oil tanning- uses oil to tan skins and produces chamois leather.
Orthopedic Leathers- is general term for various types of leather used in the making artificial limbs, braces, etc., for orthopedic purpose. The leathers may range from chamois and horsehide glove to case and strap leathers.
P
pH-is a measurement of alkalinity. It refers to acids and bases. A solution at pH 7 is neutral and lower numbers indicating acidity and higher numbers indicating bases or alkalinity.
Packer Hides-are skins from meatpacking facilities.
Parchment-Translucent, smooth material used for writing and binding books that comes from sheep or goat hides by drying out the limed materials where no tannage is applied. It is thouroughly cleaned to remove grease and smoothed out during the process.
Patent Leather-is a heavily finished effect producing a highly lustrous, baked enamel type appearance.
Patina-or ‘weathering’ is a condition that develops on a full-grain leather over time giving an aged look.
Pearlized finishing-has a soft sheen resembling that of a pearl. It comes in a variety of colors.
Pebbled Grain-describes an embossed leather grain finish resembling a pebbled surface, ranging from fine pebbled Morocco goat to heavy scotch grain upper leather. Footballs have this type of grain.
Peccary-refers to a type of wild boar domiciled in Central and South America. These hides are usually chrome-tanned and shaved to thin specifications used for glove leathers. It is different from pigskins and carpincho leather because the bristle holes occur in straight line pattern groups of three.
Pelt-is a trapper’s term for raw skin with hair. A pelt refers to fur animals like fox, raccoon, beaver, etc…
Persians-come from India-tanned hair sheepskins.
Perforated Leather-has small patterned holes that are cut into the material
Plated Leather-is made by pressing leather under high pressure heated metal plates to remove imperfections.
Pickle-means to treat un-haired hides with a solution of salt and acid in to preserve them for mineral tanning. It is a temporary step used until they reach the tannery.
Pigmented dye process-is a process of finishing leather where the color is applied in the final stage of finishing. The pigment is applied to the surface of the skin instead of being absorbed into the skin like the drum-dyed leather.
Pigskin-is a type of hide, which is a byproduct of the pork industry. It is made from the skin of pigs or hogs. Many times, football is called ‘pigskin’ when it is really cow-hide.
Pinhole-is a natural defect related to skins. When thick hair follicles or clumps of hair follicles are removed from the grain of the leather, they can leave a hole the size of a pin prick in the surface of the skin similar to a pore.
Pit-describes a small hole or indention on the grain surface of leather, due to natural causes or due to machinery.
Printed Leather-refers to either embossed or silk-screened leather
Press-Garments may change shapes while being cleaned. Much time and care is spent removing wrinkles and making sure garment is returned properly blocked. Leather is pressed using special machines designed for the industry. We control and limit the heat and pressure each garment receives. Our pressers are experienced in handling even the most challenging garments.
Proper Temperature-Our 'controlled' temperature is an important part of our process. Water boils at 212 degrees and becomes steam. For each pound of steam pressure, a degree is added to the temperature. A typical laundry operation may use 90 lbs. of steam to press there garments. That means the presses used are around 302 degrees. The temperature for pressing leather is much less and should not exceed 250 degrees. If you do the math, the presses are operated at around 30 to 40 lbs of steam pressure.
Q
Quarter-describes the part of the shoe upper, above the vamp line.
Quebracho-is a tanning extract which comes from from the wood of a tree found in South American.
Quirk-is a glovemaker’s term meaning the small triangular piece of leather used between the fingers of a glove.
R
Rand-is a strip of leather used around the edge of a leather or composition heel at the base to fill the gap between heel and sole. It is beveled on the inside to a thin edge to provide a good fit
Raw-hide-is untanned leather. It is used principally for mechanical purposes, such as belt lacings, gaskets, pinions, and gears, luggage, shoe laces, snowshoes, etc.
Raw Streak-is an un-tanned center layer of leather and visible in cross section as a light-colored streak, especially as applied to heavy leather.
Relax-Skins are often stretched during the tanning process. During the normal wear or during the cleaning process, a garment may become tighter or in fact looser. We use the term 'relax' because some skins actually stretch out during wear. If a skin draws up, the term 'shrink' is a slightly stronger word for condition, since the condition is corrected when 'blocking the garment'.
Retan-is a term describing leather tanned first with mineral compounds and then with another process like vegetable tanning
Rigging Leather-is a type of strong, flexible, leather tanned using vegetable tanning.
Roan-is a sheepskin that has not split.
Rough-tanned leather is tanned, but not fully processed. Skins are simply dried out Some vegetable tanning uses this method.
Russet-has several meanings in the leather trade. It describes both color and tanning. Russet calf is the natural color of unfinished calf leather resulting from tanning using vegetable extracts. Russet sheepskin is leather tanned in cold-leached hemlock bark and used for shoe linings, with color resulting from the hemlock. Russet upholstery skins have been tanned but, not finished.
S
Saddle-has different meanings in various areas of the leather trade. To the shoemaker, it means a piece of leather extending from the shank over the throat of the vamp and upward to the top of the quarter on both sides.
Saddle Leather-In the equestrian world, saddle leathers are vegetable-tanned cowhides and are used for harness and saddlery, usually of a natural tan shade and rather flexible.
Saladero Hides-refer to Argentinean hides and are similar packer hides in the United States.
Salt Stain-is a discoloration on the surface of hides and skins, developed during the curing process where salt has accumulated.
Satin Finish-is another term for a dull finish or matte finish.
Sauvage-is a 2-tone appearance that adds depth and character during either tanning or finishing.
Scars-Natural occurring defect in skins caused by brush, briars, or even barbed-wire.
Score-is cut made by a knife on the flesh side during removal of the skin from the carcass of the animal
Scotch Grain-is a pebbled-grain pattern embossed on cowhide or calf leather.
Scud-refers to leftover tissue, hair, dirt, etc., left in the hair follicles after unhairing of the hides and skins.
Scudding-simply is the removal of scud from unhaired hides by scraping with a blade and can be done by hand or machine.
Selecting-refers to the sorting and grading of hides by thickness and grain quality.
Semi-Aniline Leather- is a term describing dyed leather which a surface coating is applied. The natural grain is allowed to show and it has more protection than an aniline dyed skin.
Shave-is a mechanical process of cutting leather down to a particular thickness from the bottom of the hide.
Shank-is a shoemaker’s term referring to the part of the shoe that comes under and supports the arch of the foot.
Shank Piece-is the backup for the shank between insole and outsole and is made of metal, wood, leather, or fiberboard. ‘Steel Shanks’ are popular in work boots,
Sharkskin-is leather comes from the top grain of the skins of sharks. It has various natural occurring grain markings.
Shearling-is a natural lamb skin with the leather side often sueded and worn on the outside. color variation and blemishes are usually present, Wool fur lining is left intact.
Shell-is that portion from the butt end of a horsehide, from which leather of tight, firm fiber structure and fine grain is made. Cordovan comes this part of the horse hide.
Shoulder-in the leather trade refers to the fore part of the hide. It is cut off at right angles to the backbone line at the break of the fore flank.
Shrunken grain-is a term used in describing a special tanning process. The skins are tanned in a way that the grain layer shrinks to an uneven look. It enhances the grain of the leather.
Skive-is a way of reducing the thickness of leather.
Skiver-is a soft, thin leather made from the grain side of a split sheep or goat skin.
Split leather-is made from the bottom section of skin after it has been split. They are usually printed or embossed to simulate grains.
Square foot-is a unit of measurement of a skin by which all leathers are purchased from tanners by manufacturers. Each skin will have a unique amount of square footage.
Strap Leather-is a heavy duty leather used for industrial purposes.
Suede-skins are finished on the flesh side of the skin. By doing so, the tanner raises a nap. If the tanner desires a fine smooth appearance, the individual fibers are closely cropped and the skin has a fine nap.
T
Tannin-is an astringent or solvent used in the tanning process. It comes from plants.
Tanning-is a chemical process by which animal skins are made into fabric. They are preserved and dyed.
Tensile Strength-in the leather trade, refers to the force per unit of the original area of the un-stretched sample which is applied at the time of rupture of the specimen. To calculate the tensile strength, divide the breaking force in pounds by the cross-section of the un-stretched ample. It is measured in square inches.
Tipped Leather-has a contrasting color applied with a roller to the tips of an embossed grain.
Top grain Leather-is a term describing corrected grain leather.
Trim-is the removing of the outer edges of a hide unsuitable for making leather. Trim also refers to combination textile/ leather garments which are ‘trimmed’ with leather. Combining leather and textile fabrics can complicate cleaning process.
Tumble drying-is a gentle drying process that uses reversing motion to soften leather items that have been Air dried. We control the heat and agitation in order to safely 'fluff-up' leather garments.
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Upholstery Leather-is a general term describing all leathers used for furniture, airplanes, busses, and autos, etc…. Raw materials in this country consists of cowhides, split at least once and in many cases two or three times. The top grain cuts go into the higher grades and the splits end up in the lower grades.
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Vegetable Tanning-is a process using vegetable derived agents to make leather. It is used in shoe soles, belts, and other items
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Wet Cleaning- refers to a chemical process where the solvent used to get clothes clean is water. Leather cleaning for some garments is best done in a 'Wet-Cleaning' Process. Wet Cleaning uses controlled temperatures and limited agitation to get clothes clean. Use of water and chemicals designed specifically to get leather clean is helpful in removing general soil, food, and beverage spills.
Worn edges- Several areas tend to show wear and tear on leather jackets. The areas around the cuffs and the zipper often show abrasions. We inspect each area and add touch up leather finishes. Our leather finish exceeds most original leather finish.
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Yield-refers to how much usable area is available after all waste is removed. It is measured in square feet.
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