LEATHER CRAFT

The first kind of clothing used by man is made of leather. The first leather used by primitive was
sun-cured. It was stiff and hard. Soon, however, they learned to treat raw hide with bark of trees.
Tanning originated this way.

When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, in the early part of the 16th century, the Filipino
where already adopt in tanning leather. Leather during those days was used as clothing, shelter,
footwear, water container, and was also used by Romans as money. Today leather is used in
making purses, billfolds, card cases, portfolios, belts slippers, watch fobs, sheaths, shoes key
holders, gloves, bags,

jackets etc.

Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal raw hide
and skin, primarily cattle hide. It is animal skin that has been processed to retain its flexibility,
toughness, and waterproof nature.

TYPES OF LEATHER (according to surface grain)

FULL-GRAIN LEATHER

FULL GRAIN

Refers to the hides that have not been sanded, buffed, or snuffed (as opposed to top grain or
corrected leather) to remove imperfections (or natural marks) on the surfaced of the hides. And
the leather which has not had the upper "top grain" and "split" layers separated.

TOP GRAIN

CORRECTED-GRAIN LEATHER

It is any leather that has had an artificial grain applied to its surface. The hides used to create
corrected leather do not meet the standards for use in creating vegetal-tanned or aniline leather.
The imperfections are corrected or sanded off and an artificial grain embossed into the surface
and dressed with stain or dyes.

TOP-GRAIN LEATHER

(Is the second highest quality) it has had the "split" layer separated away, making it thinner and
more pliable than full-grain. Its surfaced has been sanded and a finish coat added to the surface
which results in a colder, plastic feel with less breathability. It is typically less expensive and has
greater resistance to stains than full-grain leather, so as long as the finish remains unbroken.
FULL GRAIN

TOP GRAIN

SPLIT LEATHER

A leather created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the top grain of the raw hide has
been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation, the top-grain and drop split are
separated. The second layer or lower layer of the skin left after removing the Full Grain layer is
the Split Suede and will be suede on both sides. These types of leathers also will come in
various thickness depending on application. It is less costly and therefore utilized in products
where Full Grain is not required such as tool pouches, moccasins, suede garments etc.

This layer of the skin can also be further processed by the application of a synthetic finish and
hair cell to one side of the suede to create an artificial look of Full Grain leather, known as
"finished split" hide. This is used extensively in lower cost furniture and garments and
represented as "Genuine Leather" which technically it still is although it may look like something
it is not.

KINDS OF LEATHER (according to source)

Some of the most common kinds of leather being used for leather craft are calf skin, cow hide,
sheepskin, goat skin, carabao hide, and horse hide. Other sources;

Mule

Ostrich leather

Kangaroo leather

Eel skin

Crocodile

Snake kips

Seal skin

Shark skin

Lizard kips

Whale skin
Walrus

Pig skin

Deerskin etc.

MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER

Pelts are the undresses skins of animals with furry coats.

Sources of pelts

➤ Hides are obtained from large size animals such as cows, horses, elephant, carabao, and
camel.

➤ Skins are obtained from the small sized animals like calves, sheeps, goats, kangaroos, pigs,
and alligator.

➤ Kips are the pelts of undersized animals like snakes, lizards.

RAW MATERIALS

Skins/hides

From cows, pigs, goats, and sheep

Exotic animals such as alligators, ostriches, and kangaroos

Tanning materials

Vegetable- extracts from the bark and wood of trees (oak, wattle etc.)

Mineral- trivalent chromium sulphate

Aldehydes-formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, or oxazolidine

WHAT IS TANNING?

Tanning of leather is the process by which pelts, skins and the hides have been chemically
treated to preserved quality, natural beauty and are smoothen and made pliable, so they will be
ready for use. The chemical procedure used to ready raw animal hides for use is called
"tanning". This is simply made by immersing the pelts in chemical solution, or extracts from
barks of tree like chestnuts and many others to produce a strong, flexible leather which is able
to resist decay and spoilage. It is the process removing volatile natural oils from animal hides,
preserving it with tannins or chemicals, and re-introducing shelf-stable oils for flex and
suppleness.

METHODS OF TANNING

VEGETABLE TANNING

➤ This is considered the earliest method in tanning leather. Uses tannic acid, which extracted
from tree bark. The bark of trees, leaves, and sometimes wood are used and this is called "bark
tannage". This is very slow process for it requires several months to finish. The pelts is hung on
sticks and immersed in vats containing water and extract from hemlock, oak, and other plant
material. Every day the liquid is made stronger by adding more tanning extracts.

➤ Used on shoe soles, luggage belts, and some upholstery. Vegetable tanning produces stiffer
leathers.

Advantages:

Produces "one of a kind" leather and products

High durability, can last a lifetime

Only utilizes natural ingredients

Bio-degradable and environmentally friendly

Will have a rich patina that gets better with time and use

Disadvantage:

Vegetable tanned leather is porous (can be treated with oil or wax to make it water resistant)

Scratches easily, however scratches can be buffed out

Can be a bit stiff when first tanned, but softness will increase with time as well as darkness in
color

Being in heat for extended period of time will cause the leather to dry out or cracked

Because of the lengthy and involved process, it can make leather and goods made with this
leather more expensive

CHROME TANNING
➤ Is done with use of chemical like chromium salt. This applied to the hide which will then
produce leather very much different from that produced in bark tanning method. Other chemical
are also included like salt, copper, crystal, sodium carbonate, and chrome alum. When these
chemicals are dissolve, the pelts are immersed in the solution to open the pores of the skin. The
pelt should be thoroughly immersed. Twelve hour is sufficient to finish the chrome tanning.

➤ Most upholstery, shoes, garments, bags. Chrome tanning produces softer leather.

Advantages:

Is produce quickly and inexpensively

Leather and products made with this leather are less expensive and are made in greater
abundance.

There can be a wide variety of colors to choose from, and the color of the leather will not
change over time

It is thinner and softer than vegetable tanned leather.

Disadvantages:

Not environmentally friendly (the process results in toxic waste water that will negatively impact
the environment

The leather is not biodegradable

The look of the leather is not very natural, and will typically have a chemical smell

FUR METHOD

This is considered as the easiest method. The hair of the pelt is preserved as a decoration on
the leather. The chemical compounds used are the grease, oils, or any other compound which
may be possible produce leather with different characteristics. The application of the compound
is only on the flesh side and never at all on the grain side because it will destroy the hair. The
brush is used to apply the compounds and application done three times is enough. Splitting is
done with the hands and never with the machine.

Where to obtain leather?

There are number of ways of obtaining leather for your projects. We shall mention a few in the
following paragraphs.
Some dealers sell leather in big quantities. The leather is sold in various standard sizes. If you
need only a small piece for a certain project, it is useless to go to these stores. Most likely you
will be shown a big piece of leather.

Some retailers, however, are willing to cut out the size need from a big piece. You will only pay
for the cost of the number of square inches of leather you buy. Some stores even cut leather
into small sizes which suits the need of buyers. Scrap leather may be bought from second-hand
stores. However, you may not be able to get the size which you need. Or you may get the poor
kind of leather. You should buy the best kind of leather in order that your project may be well
done.

LEATHERCRAFT

The decorative working on leather, called leather craft, has been practiced for many centuries.
Fine examples of this ancient craft still exist in many places, especially in the museums. Many
useful things, such as, purses, card cases, portfolios, belts, slippers, watch fobs, sheaths,
billfolds, shoes key holders, gloves, bags, jackets etc. Leather craft is pleasant work which may
be practically done anywhere.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENTS YOU WILL NEED

Some of the tools which you need for this craftwork are cutting board, ruler, small square,
sharp-pointed pocket knife, whetstone, leather strop, water container, sponge, glass,
straight-edge, edge creaser, modeller, tracer, stipple or background tool, stamping tools, and
mallet.

1. Cutting board softwood, preferably tangili or lauan, is a good material for cutting board in
leatherwork. The knife, when cutting through the leather, will not be drawn off its course by any
irregular hardness of the wood grain.

2. Leather strop the cutting edge of the knife ought to be very keen. This can be done by honing
it on a leather strop so that the wire edge produced by the whetstone will be removed. A good
strop may be made by gluing a piece of

leather, preferably cowhide, to a piece of tangili.

3. Glass for leather modelling, a smooth and hard surface is necessary. Glass called flat
modeling and the other is embossing. When no part of the design is raised above the original
surface, the method is called flat modeling. The method of tooling leather by raising some parts
of the design above the surface in relief is called embossing. This is done by depressing the
background, by raising some areas from the inside.

TOOLING LEATHER
After you have transferred the design, you can start tooling the leather. A stipple is used for this
purpose. Stippling is the process of developing a background which give contrast to a design
and makes certain desired lines stand out. In tooling leather, hold the stipple perpendicular to
the leather to the leather and strike it moderately and uniformly with a mallet.

There are also stamping tools which may be used to develop backgrounds or make designs
stand out. These tools are used like the stipple.

PREPARATION OF MATERIALS FOR LACING

There are a few tools which you need in preparing the material for lacing. Some of these are a
straight, preferably a square, a spacing wheel, an awl, a fig, a drive punch, and a revolving
punch. The spacing wheel is used for marking the place for stitching. The awl is used for making
small holes, the fig for enlarging the awl holes. A drive and a revolving punch are used to make
holes. These tools facilitate the preparation of the material for lacing. Practice with each tool
before using them on your project.

TYPES OF LACING STITCHES

Some projects need lacing, for lacing adds beauty to the project. Good lacing needs even width
of the lace; uniform distance of stich; and correct placing and tension of the lace or thong.

Clean the surface of the project carefully. It should be free from oil or grease. Use a small
camel's hair brush for applying the dye. When you use two or three colors, be sure not to use
the same brush unless it has been carefully cleaned first. Much care is needed in applying a
dye. Because once it is applied it is difficult to remove.

DYEING ON THE PROJECT

Dyeing is the process of coloring leather with the use of dyes. There are many kinds of dyes,
but the most common is the water dye. It is sold in powder form, and water is used to dissolve it.
In all packs of dyes, definite instructions are given. They should be followed carefully in order to
get best results.

HOW TO ATTACH ANAP FASTENERS

In belts, billfolds, key holders, and other similar projects, you need a snap fastener.

Snap fasteners are used to hold down the flaps of purses, billfolds, key cases, or

belts. Much care is needed in attaching these fasteners, because the utility of the

article is dependent on the strength of the fasteners.