Genuine leather is defined as leather made from animal skins, the most common of which are cowhide , sheepskin and horsehide. It is generally used for clothing accessories and furniture, such as leather bags, leather shoes, sofas, etc. In terms of material , it can be divided into full-grain leather, first-layer leather , second-layer leather and recycled leather; according to the type of cow , it can be divided into fetal cowhide , calfskin , medium cowhide , steerskin, cowhide and male leather. Cowhide, etc.; if distinguished by processing method , it can be divided into tanned , benzene-dyed leather , coated leather , embossed processing , etc.
Full analysis of genuine leather: cowhide is actually the most common leather
Generally speaking, the so-called genuine leather is leather made from animal skin, and cowhide is the most commonly used leather raw material in the world. Compared with sheepskin and horsehide, the area that can be made into leather from one cow is relatively large, and the production volume is large. In addition, cattle are widely raised all over the world, so most of the leather products we come into contact with daily use cowhide. The following will introduce the differences of various animal leathers in detail.
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cowhide
Cowhide has dense fibers, fine pores, breathability, and is easy to wick away perspiration. Its texture is elastic, firm, and wear-resistant . In addition, the leather itself has flat, shiny properties. It is widely used in accessories such as leather shoes, bags, belts, or handicrafts. According to different The level of cowhide can be divided into full-grain leather, cowhide leather, cowhide split leather and recycled leather.
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sheepskin
The pores of wool are oblate and jagged, and the leather feels soft. It is the most delicate texture among all leathers. It is suitable for making gloves, leather jackets, boots and other products that fit the body. However, its tensile strength is not as elastic as cowhide. Compared with Other leathers are also more susceptible to scratches and cracks.
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horsehide
Horsehide has the roughest fibers and the hardest leather among all leathers. It is mainly used in products that require wear resistance and durability, such as boot shafts and soles. Compared with other animal leathers, it is relatively rare on the market.
Considering the requirements for elasticity and wear resistance when making bags, all LEEKEE LEATHER STUDIO original handmade leather series leather goods are made of cowhide. The following will introduce the classification of cowhide in detail.
Leather part: It turns out that different products are suitable for different parts of leather!
Each part of cowhide has different characteristics, and the products are most suitable for application according to its characteristics. Among them, the most common ones we usually see are cow neck, cow tripe , cow back and cow shoulder.
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cow neck
The neck of the cow has thick fibers and many lines. It is also the thickest area among all parts of the cowhide. Because the neck of the cow is thick and laborious to process and has a small area, it is more commonly used for small accessories, such as belts, bags, jewelry, etc. , which is characterized by rich and unique growth patterns, and the price falls approximately in the middle range.
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tripe
Tripe fiber is loose, light and thin, and is characterized by softness and high ductility. It is suitable for decoration or small accessories. Due to the highly extensible and loose structure of tripe, it is easier to deform and is not suitable for large-area use, so the range of use is relatively small. limitations.
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cow back
The fiber direction of beef back is even and dense, and it also has obvious growth lines. It does not have the disadvantage of tripe being easily deformed. It also has the beautiful lines of cow neck. It can be used in a large area and is strong and thick. It is the most essential part of cowhide and is commonly used. For large leather bags, belts, etc.
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beef shoulder
Beef shoulder fibers are dense, soft, and have many textures. Its advantage is that it is strong and solid. Therefore, it is often used in products that require high-intensity use, such as horse gear and insoles, and is also an area with a high usage rate.
Cowhide layering: Which is better, first layer leather or second layer leather?
Leather is composed of epidermis, silver surface layer, and mesh tissue. In order to make full use of the entire animal leather, the leather is often layered and cut into full-grain leather, first-layer leather, second-layer leather, and regenerated leather. It is elastic and breathable. There are differences in strength and feel.
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full grain leather
Full-grain leather generally refers to animal skin leather. The grain layer of the leather is complete and modified with paint. The original grain patterns and pores of the animal can still be clearly seen. It is also called front-side leather . It is characterized by being breathable, soft and retaining the animal skin. The original texture, due to the high threshold of raw material leather required to make full-grain leather, excessive fighting scars must be avoided, and the required processing procedures are complicated, so the quantity is rare and the price is high.
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Top layer of skin
The first layer of skin consists of epidermis, silver surface layer and some micro-reticular tissue. It combines the thickness of the natural epidermis's grain layer and the advantages of the fine-fiber silver surface layer. It is excellent in terms of elasticity, breathability and skin-friendly touch. Split-layer leather is the most ideal choice for leather applications . It is often used in high-end leather goods. The only disadvantage is that the price is higher than others. It is usually used in conjunction with split-layer leather to prevent the overall production cost from being too expensive . In addition, the top layer of leather retains the original texture characteristics of the leather, such as wrinkles, scars, blood vessels, insect bites, etc., which are all normal.
The second layer of skin is composed of the remaining mesh tissue. Although the overall ability of the second layer of skin is not as good as the surface texture of the first layer of skin, it can be created through exquisite polishing, spray painting, tree finger covering or film and other processing techniques. It has rich texture and can be used normally after being thickened to increase its strength. In addition, it is cost-effective and can be used in a wide range of applications. It is often used in shoes, belts and furniture.
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Regenerated skin
Recycled leather is made from cowhide scraps plus leather waste, and covered with a layer of natural resin. It is also called composite cowhide. Since the leather loses some of its genuine leather properties after processing, the leather is hard and not as wear-resistant as the first layer of leather. It is a two-layer leather, but it still retains the advantages of real leather such as moisture absorption, breathability, waterproofness, and high and low temperature resistance. The price is also lower than the first two, and it is very environmentally friendly. It is widely used in shoe soles, belt soles, book covers, furniture, etc.
Age of cowhide: Calfskin turns out to be just one of a kind!
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Fetal cowhide
Fetal cattle generally refer to calves that are naturally stillborn or within about one month of birth. Compared with other types of fetal cattle, the number is relatively small. In addition, international regulations prohibit the artificial production of fetal cowhide, so it is very rare. Fetal cow leather has a smooth surface, almost no scars, and a soft and delicate texture. It is quite different from the touch of adult cow leather. Because fetal cow leather has not yet fully developed , it is less durable and strong than adult cow leather, so it is not resistant to dirt, scratches, etc. Special attention should be paid to marks.) The durability cannot be compared with other fully developed adult cowhide. It requires more care and maintenance during use to prevent the leather from being stained.
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calfskin
The first six months after birth are called calves. Compared with adult cow leather, the skin of calf leather is softer and thinner. As the cow ages, the leather will gradually become thicker and harder, and the pores on the surface of the leather will become larger. The touch will also become relatively rough. Calf leather has a delicate and smooth touch, small surface pores and almost no wrinkles. It is regarded as a high-end leather material in the industry. However, due to its relatively rare quantity , the unit price of calf leather products is expensive. Its softness and thinness make it durable. The strength and ductility are limited, so you must avoid stretching the surface to avoid cracking. If you have calfskin-related products, you need to take extra care.
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Medium cowhide
Medium cows refer to cows that are born within about 6 months to 2 years. The surface has some micro-textures and scars, and the touch is delicate and smooth. The thickness and fiber density are higher than fetal cowhide and calfskin, so they are relatively durable and have both mature and mature qualities. The advantages of cowhide and calfskin are mostly regarded as high-grade leather.
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Steerhide
Steers refer to bulls that have been castrated within six months of birth and have grown to more than two years old. Since the temperament of bulls becomes even after castration, there are fewer scars from fighting on the body, and the surface is as fine as medium cowhide, and is also more delicate than medium cowhide. It is thick, durable and has a larger area, making it more suitable for making large-sized leather goods. In addition, steers are mostly raised as food cattle, with stable quality and large output, so they are widely used and are currently the most common type of cowhide in the world.
In addition, most of the world's food cattle are currently steers, so the output is quite large, making steer hides the most widely circulated cow hides on the market.
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cowhide
Cow refers to a female adult cow that is one and a half to two years old and has production experience . The thickness is between mid-cow leather and steer leather. Because of its soft touch and fine surface texture , its range of uses is also quite wide. Cow leather refers to a female cow that is 1 and a half to 2 years old and has production experience. It is thicker than medium cow leather and has fewer traces of fighting on steer leather. It also has the delicate and soft advantages of both leathers. Therefore, cow leather is used globally. The rate will not be lost to that of steer hide.
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Bullskin
Bulls refer to uncastrated adult bulls over 3 years old. Because adult bulls have a ferocious temperament and have many scars and obvious lines on their leather, they are also the hardest and thickest of all cow hides, making bull hides difficult to process and low in usage. It is relatively low and relatively rare in the market. It is mostly used for shoe soles or belts of industrial machinery. In addition, the rough texture of bull leather is often used to make belts. The distinctive texture changes under long-term use. Through the interaction of sunlight, water and oil on the cowhide, new texture and color will be added to the leather. form its unique appearance.
Cowhide tanning method: Is vegetable tanned leather real leather? Tanning Process and Principle Explanation
Tanning refers to the process of soaking tanning stains with tanning agents and converting animal hides into stable leather. The most common tanning methods are divided into "vegetable tanning" using natural tanning agents and "chrome tanning" using chemical tanning agents. The differences are The tanning process also creates differences in the properties of the leather.
Vegetable tanning is made from tanning agents extracted from natural plants. It is thick, skin-friendly and can retain more of the original growth lines of the leather. Due to the complicated production process, it takes a long time and the production cost is higher than other tanning methods. .
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chrome tanned leather
Chrome tanning is made from chemical tanning agents. It is characterized by its thinness and wide variety of styles. It can produce large quantities in a short time and reduce production costs. It is currently the most common tanning method on the market.
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Semi-vegetated leather
Semi-vegetated leather means half vegetable tanning and half chrome tanning. It has the advantages of thick vegetable tanning and elasticity of chrome tanning . It has the advantages of both . It is often used in the production of leather shoes.
Finished cowhide grade: a key step in determining the processing method of cowhide!
Benzene-dyed leather refers to leather that has been dyed, has not been sprayed with paint on the surface, and has a natural leather surface. Clear pores can be seen on the surface. Since there is no paint modification, benzene-dyed leather needs to be made from high-grade leather embryos without insect spots or scratches. They are expensive to produce and are prone to wear or dirt.
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Light paint leather (semi-aniline dyed leather)
Compared with benzene-dyed leather, light-coated leather has a paint layer modification, and the standards for selecting leather embryos are looser. Leather embryos with slight surface flaws can be used after being lightly sanded and sprayed with paint. Light-coated leather can retain the softness and elasticity of the leather. , the paint can also cover the base color of the leather to create saturated, bright colors, and even provide basic water-repellent and anti-fouling effects.
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Heavy paint leather (heavy benzene dyed leather)
Heavy-coated leather is currently the most widely used leather. You can use a leather embryo with serious flaws, remove the scars and then spray a thicker coating on it. The coating layer can also prevent water absorption and protect the leather from wear and tear, but it has a different feel in terms of touch. Compared with light paint leather, it is less elastic and softer.
How to process cowhide: What is cross-grain leather? Introduction to leather post-processing
There are many types of cowhide processing, and the interaction between the processes can produce countless changes. The following will introduce the common processing methods.
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Cowhide tanning method
Animal skin becomes leather after tanning process, which is divided into vegetable tanning using natural tanning agents and chrome tanning using chemical tanning agents.
Embossing processing uses rollers or large-area steel plates, combined with appropriate pressure and temperature, to imprint specific patterns on the leather surface. It can be applied to any of the above leathers to produce large-area and consistent patterns and to modify defects. The coating technology can effectively improve the utilization of leather and reduce discarded scraps. It is relatively environmentally friendly and can effectively reduce production costs. It can add different styles and enhance product value, such as: litchi pattern, cross pattern, imitation crocodile, lizard, etc., but Because the leather fibers are compressed, it feels stiff and the texture is not easy to change with the distortion of the leather surface.
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suede texture
Suede is a leather made through polishing and tanning. It is characterized by three-dimensional, thin, soft, versatile, breathable and waterproof. Therefore, it has a wide range of applications and is often used in shoes and clothing.
After reading the above detailed explanation of the production process and characteristics of genuine leather, you will be able to more intelligently examine the quality of genuine leather products in the future, and you can also choose the most suitable leather goods based on your personal budget and usage needs. 