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Leather lexicon

Leather allergy

A leather allergy as such does not exist. However, it is still possible for contact reactions to occur on the skin when it comes into contact with leather...

  • PU leather

    PU leather general This leather is dyed-through cowhide split leather with an embossed or dyed surface. Split leather is generally not very durable, but the polyurethane (PU) coating makes the...

  • Vegetable tanning

    Vegetable tanning general Vegetable-tanned leather, also known as vegetable-tanned leather, is tanned with a purely vegetable tanning agent. This tanning method was predominant for many centuries. Today, however, only about...

  • KLICKfix

    KLICKfix General You don't always feel like carrying a bag on your back while cycling. That's why there are many different bike bags with a KLICKfix system for attaching the...

  • Nylon

    Nylon General Nylon is the first man-made fiber produced entirely inorganically by humans. The chemical interaction of air, water, and carbon creates long chains, resulting in so-called polymers, from which...

  • Scar side general

    Scar Page General The grain side of the leather is the hair side. It has a smooth, grained surface. Different types of leather have characteristic grain patterns that vary in...

  • Nappa leather

    Nappa leather general Nappa leather refers to chrome-tanned, full-grain smooth leather from various animal species, processed with the hair side facing out. The term "nappa" originally comes from the American...

  • Nailing

    Leather drying general Leather drying is a step in the tanning process. It is repeated a maximum of two times. The goal is to avoid dents and wrinkles in the...

  • Retanning

    Retanning general Retanning allows you to subsequently add properties to the leather, such as fullness, softness, or color, that weren't achieved through the primary tanning process alone. You should only...

  • Retanning agents

    Retanning General To achieve certain properties of the finished leather (e.g., color, softness, body), the primary tanning process is often insufficient. Therefore, the leather is often retanned. One cannot expect...

  • Leather cleaning

    Leather is generally a very delicate material, so only gentle treatment is recommended. However, the type of leather also plays a role. We'll explain how to clean leather properly and...

  • Leather care

    Why do you need to look after leather? The amount of time and effort you need to put into cleaning and caring for your leather product depends on a variety...

  • Remove leather smell

    Ventilate when leather smells Newspaper and grease You can also wrap the leather piece tightly in newspaper and store it in a box for a few days. The paper should...

  • Leather smell

    Leather smell general As a natural product, leather has its own odor, which is often perceived as pleasant, but which can become stronger or change depending on the tanning process....

  • Crisping

    Crisping in General Crisping, also known as Levanting, is a process in leather processing where the leather gains flexibility and the grain is emphasized. The Crisping Process The tanned and...

  • Combination tanning

    Combination tanning General Among other factors and steps in the leather production process, the type of tanning primarily determines the final properties of the leather. By combining different tanning methods,...

  • Keratins

    Keratin General Keratin is one of the most important components of animal skin and forms the outermost layer of the epidermis. Many of you are probably familiar with this active...

  • Calfskin

    Calfskin General Calfskin is either of South American or European origin and is one of the highest quality leathers. Generally, a "calf" is defined as a young animal that has...

  • Indigo colouring

    Indigo is a famous blue dye. The color originally comes from the Indian indigo plant. Indigo can now be produced artificially, but the color will be more intense and darker....

  • Impregnate

    Impregnation of leather during production Leather is impregnated or hydrophobicized to make it more water-resistant. In this case, experts refer to this as hydrophobic leather. Impregnation is particularly necessary for...

  • Skin-layers

    The Skin General The skin is the largest organ of a living being. Its primary function is to separate the body from its environment and protect it from environmental influences...

  • Airline hand baggage sizes

    When traveling by plane on vacation, the question always arises: Can I take my bag as hand luggage? We'll answer this question for you here, so you can be sure...

  • Pit tanning

    Pit tanning general Pit tanning is a process of vegetable tanning, or bark tanning, or vegetable tanning. Here, the tanning process is carried out using plant extracts from sources such...

  • Tannins

    Tannins General Tanning agents, or chemically known as polyhydroxy compounds, are characterized by their ability to alter the properties of protein structures, causing them to become cross-linked. The proteins denature...

  • Fat tanning

    Fat tanning general Tanning originated with the preservation of animal hides using animal fats. The craft gained a bad reputation in the Middle Ages due to the use of feces...

  • Defects in the leather

    The term “leather defects” refers to defects in the finished leather, which arise, for example, from damage to the rawhide or errors during storage. Color defects in the leather Discoloration...

  • Barrel tanning

    Vegetable tanning and barrel tanning Barrel tanning is a process of vegetable tanning, or bark tanning, or vegetable tanning. Here, the tanning process is carried out using plant extracts from,...

  • Colouring

    First colouring through tanning Tanning is the primary color factor in leather: depending on the tanning agent, whether natural or chemical, the color varies. Vegetable tanning (as in our Nature...

  • Colour of the leather

    The colour of the leather is initially determined by the tanning agent used in the production process. Vegetable tanning agents tend to make the leather brown, alum tanned (leather tanned...

  • DIY - Do it Yourself

    The Gusti Leather Craft Corner The idea behind our crafting corner in our stores is very clear: to utilize all the resources we have and maximize their value. Therefore, we...

  • Stretchability of leather

    What is leather’s stretchability? A hide’s stretchability depends on the tannins used to tan it and the part of the animal the skin comes from. Chrome-tanned leather tends to be...

  • Chrome Tanning

    What is Chrome Tanning? Chrome tanning was discovered after a series of experiments with chromium salts in 1858. This discovery was a huge breakthrough for the leather industry and chrome...

  • Chromium Tanning Agents

    What are leather tanning agents? Tanning is the most important step in the leather production process. This is the part of the process where the skin is turned into leather....

  • Buffalo leather

    Buffalo leather overview Buffalo leather comes from swamp or river buffalo. Swamp buffalo are bred in Asia, while river buffalo mainly come from Europe and North America. Buffalo leather characteristics...

  • Box Calf

    What is box calf leather? Box calf is the name of the leather that comes from calves. It’s mostly used to create men’s shoes, as well as bags and leather...

  • Naked Leather

    What is naked leather? Naked leather refers to the hide once the hair has been removed from the top side and the meat and fat have been removed from the...

  • Blank leather

    What is blank leather? Blank leather is vegetable-tanned, brown or tan-coloured leather. This finished leather has a fat content of 4 to 10%, so it’s considered a “moderately greased” leather...

  • Beeswax

    What is beeswax? Beeswax, or propolis, is a liquid created by carpenter bees that can be used to look after leather. Bees have wax-producing glands that they use to create...

  • Breathability

    What does breathability mean? Breathability is a material’s ability to allow moisture vapour to pass through it. Materials that are highly breathable are more comfortable to wear, especially clothes and...

  • Aniline leather

    What is aniline leather? Aniline leather is smooth open-pored leather. It doesn’t have a pigmented colour layer so it’s sometimes called “natural leather”. This missing layer makes the leather feel...

  • Ashing

    General Overview of Ashing Ashing is an important step in leather production. Ashing takes place before tanning and serves to loosen the hair and epidermis (the outermost layer of skin)...

  • Drying leather

    Drying leather overview Drying the leather is an important step when manufacturing leather. It serves as a rough pre-drying process after the leather has been tanned. Mechanical dewatering The freshly-tanned...

  • Dye transfer

    Leather dye transfer It’s not unusual for leather products to rub off on other materials and leave marks and there are many reasons why this might be happening. Dye transfer...

  • Flesh side

    Flesh Side What is the flesh side of leather? Leather has two sides: the backside of the leather is known as the flesh side. This side of the leather was...

  • Smooth leather

    Smooth leather Generally All types of leather whose scar side are processed externally, are called Smooth leather . It is the collective term for all types of leather that come from the top (...

  • Tanning

    Tanning is an essential process in leather production, transforming raw animal hides into durable leather. Treating the hides with various tanning agents preserves their properties, improving their flexibility, strength, and...

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