Leather

A number of rock groups, particularly Heavy Metal groups such as the Scorpions and Judas Priest, are well-known for wearing leather clothing. The Adam mantels are in wood enriched with ornament, cast in molds, sometimes copied from the carved wood decoration of old times. Leather fetishism is the name popularly used to describe a fetishistic attraction to people wearing leather, or in certain cases, to the garments themselves. Towards the close of the 18th century the designs of the Adam Brothers superseded all others, and a century later they came again into fashion. As leather can also be a metonymical term for things made from it, the term leathering is as logical as tanning in the sense of a physical punishment (such as a severe spanking) applied with a leather whip. Figure sculpture, generally represented by graceful figures on each side, which assisted to carry the shelf, was introduced, and the over-mantel developed into an elaborate frame for the family portrait over the chimneypiece. When motorcycles were invented, some riders took to wearing heavy leather jackets to protect from road rash and wind blast; some also wear chaps or full leather pants to protect the lower body. and XV.

The enduring image of a cowboy in leather chaps gave way to the leather-jacketed and leather-helmeted aviator. In the 18th century, the architects returned to the Inigo Jones classic type, but influenced by the French work of Louis XIV. Leather, due to its excellent abrasion and wind resistance, found a use in rugged occupations. In the latter part of the century the classic architrave was abandoned in favor of a much bolder and more effective molding, as in the chimneypieces at Hampton Court, and the shelf was omitted. Leather can be decorated by a variety of methods, including:. The English chimneypieces of the early 17th century, when the purer Italian style was introduced by Inigo Jones, were extremely simple in design, sometimes consisting only of the ordinary mantel piece, with classic architraves and shelf, the upper part of the chimney breast being paneled like the rest of the room. Various treatments are available:. In France, the finest work of the early Renaissance period is to be found in the chimneypieces, which are of infinite variety of design.

The natural fibers of leather will break down as time goes by. Piranesi, who in 1765 published a large series, on which at a later date the Empire style in France was based. These bumps are then usually dyed white to highlight the decoration. B. The leather is often dyed black and covered with tiny round bumps in the natural pattern of the back ridge of an animal. The most prolific modern designer of chimneypieces was J. Sting ray leather is as tough and durable as hard plastic. and others of the royal family of Spain.

In Thailand, sting ray leather is used in wallets and belts in the same way as regular cow leather. In the early Renaissance style, the chimneypiece of the Palais de Justice at Bruges is a magnificent example; the upper portion, carved in oak, extends the whole width of the room, with statues of nearly life size of Charles V. Ostrich leather has a characteristic "goose bump" look because of the large follicles from which the feathers grew. The largest chimneypiece existing is in the great hall of the Palais des Comtes at Poitiers, which is nearly 30 feet wide, having two intermediate supports to carry the hood; the stone flues are carried up between the tracery of an immense window above. As a side product, ostrich leather became available and is currently used by all the big fashion houses like Hermès, Prada and Gucci. In domestic work of the 14th century, the chimneypiece was greatly increased in order to allow of the members of the family sitting on either side of the fire on the hearth, and in these cases great beams of timber were employed to carry the hood; in such cases the fireplace was so deeply recessed as to become externally an important architectural feature, as at Haddon Hall. In the 1970s, farming of ostriches for their feathers became popular. At a later date, in consequence of the greater width of the fireplace, flat or segmental arches were thrown across and constructed with archivolt, sometimes joggled, the thrust of the arch being resisted by bars of iron at the back.

For this reason certain snakes and crocodiles have been hunted to near extinction. The earliest chimneypiece known is that in the Kings House at Southampton, with Norman shafts in the joints carrying a segmental arch, which is attributed to the first half of the 12th century. Leather made from more exotic skins has at different times in history been considered very beautiful. Up to the 12th century, rooms were warmed entirely by a hypocaust, or with braziers, or by fires on the hearth, the smoke finding its way up to a lantern in the roof. Kangaroo leather is favored by motorcyclists specifically because of its lighter weight and higher abrasion resistance as compared to cowhide. For many centuries, the chimneypiece was the most ornamental and most artistic feature of a room, but as fireplaces have become smaller, and modern methods of heating have been introduced, its artistic as well as its practical significance has grown less. Kangaroo leather is used to make items which need to be strong but flexible, such as motorcycle gloves. Mantelpiece is now the general term for the jambs, mantel shelf, and external accessories of a fireplace.

Lamb and deer skin are used for soft leather in more expensive apparels. A mantelpiece or chimneypiece is the projecting hood which in medieval times was built over a fireplace to catch the smoke, and at a later date to the decorative framework, often carried up to the ceiling. Today, most leather is made of cow hides, but many exceptions exist. This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, a publication in the public domain.. Other leather manufacturers state the thickness directly in millimetres. The weight is usually given as a range because the inherent variability of the material makes ensuring a precise thickness very difficult.

Hence leather described as 7 to 8 oz is 7/64 to 8/64 inches (2.8 to 3.2 mm) thick. The thickness value can be obtained by the conversion:. Although the statement is in ounces only, it is an abbreviation of ounces per square foot. In some parts of the world top-grain thicknesses are described using weight units of ounces.

Leather is sold in a variety of thicknesses. There are two other descriptions of leather commonly used in speciality products, such as briefcases, wallets, and luggage. Other less-common leathers include:. In general, leather is sold in three forms:.

For further information on the production of leather see tanning. Frequent oiling of leather, with mink oil, neatsfoot oil or a similar material, keeps it supple and improves its lifespan dramatically. This supplements the natural oils remaining in the leather itself, which can be washed out through repeated exposure to water. Leather—usually vegetable-tanned leather—can be oiled to improve its water resistance.

There are a number of processes whereby the skin of a dead animal can be formed into a supple, strong material commonly called leather. . Leather with the fur still attached is simply called fur. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology.

Leather was a very important clothing material, and its other uses were legion. Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. beading. pyrography.

leather embossing. leather stamping. leather carving. leather painting.

leather dying. Conditioners. 1 oz/ft² = 1/64 inch (0.4 mm). Napa leather, or Nappa leather, is extremely soft and supple, and is commonly found in higher quality wallets, toiletry kits, and other personal leather goods.

Belting leather is the only kind of leather used in luxury products that can retain its shape without the need for a separate frame; it is generally a heavy weight of full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather. It is often found on the surface of briefcases, portfolios, and wallets, and can be identified by its thick, firm feel and smooth finish. Belting leather is a full grain leather that was originally used in driving pulley belts and other machinery. The resulting supple suede-like hide is usually smoked heavily to prevent it from rotting.

Buckskin or brained leather is a tawing process that uses animal brains or other fatty materials to alter the leather. Shagreen is now commonly made of the skins of sharks and rays. Shagreen is a rough and grainy type of untanned leather, formerly made from a horse's back, or that of a wild ass, and typically dyed green. Modern patent leather usually has a plastic coating.

The original process was developed in Newark, New Jersey by inventor Seth Boyden in 1818. Patent leather is leather that has been given a high gloss finish. Latigo is one of the trade names for this product. For example, in one process, glue is mixed with one side of the suede, which is then pressed through rollers; these flatten and even out one side of the material, giving it the smooth appearance of full-grain.

However, as the look of full-grain is in demand, manufacturers use a variety of techniques to make suede appear to be full-grain. Suede is cheaper because many pieces of suede can be split from a single thickness of hide, whereas only one piece of top-grain can be made. Suede is less durable than top-grain. It is "fuzzy" on both sides.

Suede is the interior split of the hide. Top grain leather generally must be heavily painted to cover up the sanding and stamping process. The hides, which are made from inferior quality raw materials, have all of the natural grain sanded off, and an artificial grain applied. The smooth side is the side where the hair and natural grain used to be.

Corrected Leather is fuzzy on one side and smooth on the other. Corrected-Grain Leather. The finest furniture, and footwear, are made from Full Grain leather. Rather than wearing out, it will develop a natural "Patina" and grow more beautiful over time.

The natural Full-Grain surface will wear better than other leather. The natural grain also has natural breathability, resulting in greater comfort. The grain remains in its natural state which will allow the best fiber strength, resulting in greater durability. Only the hair has been removed.

Full-Grain leather, made from the finest raw material, are clean natural hides which have not been sanded to remove imperfections. They are known for their exceptional softness and their ability to be washed. They are made by a labor-intensive process which uses emulsified oils (often those of animal brains) and which has not been industralized. Brain-tanned leathers are exceptionaly absorbent of water.

More esoteric colors are possible using chrome tanning. It is more supple and pliable than vegetable-tanned leather, and does not discolor or lose shape as drastically in water as vegetable-tanned. Chrome-tanned leather, invented in 1858, is tanned using chromium sulfate and other salts of chromium. Historically, it was used as armour due to its hardness and light weight, but it has also been used for book binding.

Boiled leather is a hide product (vegetable-tanned leather) that has been hardened by being immersed in hot water, or in boiled wax or similar substances. Rawhide is stiffer and more brittle than other forms of leather, and is primarily found in uses such as drum heads where it does not need to flex significantly; it is also cut up into cords for use in lacing or stitching. Like alum-tanning, rawhide is not technically "leather", but is usually lumped in with the other forms. Rawhide is made by scraping the skin thin, soaking it in lime, and then stretching it while it dries.

Very light shades of leather are possible using this process, but the resulting material is not as supple as vegetable-tanned leather. Purists argue that alum-tanned leather is technically "tawed" and not tanned, as the resulting material will rot in water. Alum-tanned leather is tanned using aluminum salts mixed with a variety of binders and protein sources, such as flour, egg yolk, etc. In hot water, it will shrink drastically and plasticize, becoming rigid and eventually becoming brittle.

Vegetable-tanned leather is not stable in water; it tends to discolor, and if left to soak and then dry it will shrink and become less supple and harder. It is supple and brown in color, with the exact shade depending on the mix of chemicals and the color of the flesh. Vegetable-tanned leather is tanned using tannin (hence the name "tanning") and other ingredients found in vegetable matter, tree bark, and other such sources.