25 Leather Facts, History & Types That You Must Know About

The leather industry has been around for thousands of years, producing incredible amounts of goods used by people all over the globe!

Leather is an age-old product that has gained popularity due to its versatility, toughness, abundance, and multipurpose nature. Generating a revenue of more than $53 billion USD worldwide, the leather industry is the world's oldest industry.

Leather footwear and shoes are not only the biggest global consumers of leather material but they also account for almost 60% of the revenue of the leather industry. Leather has been used widely since the dawn of humankind, essentially for shoes, clothing, and shelter.

Leather products date back to 3000 BC when the Romans used leather sails for their ships and boats. It was also used to make tents, body armor, weapons, and house furniture.

The use of leather became more popular when Egyptian women began to use leather for fashion purposes. Today, the leather industry generates more revenue than that of coffee, tea, rubber, and cotton combined.

Types Of Leather

One may feel overwhelmed by the variety presented to them but all kinds of leather fall into one of the five categories which grade the leathers based on the volume and layers of animal hides that the end product has: full-grain leather, top-grain leather, genuine leather, split-grain leather, and bonded leather.

Full-grain leather is the highest quality leather and is durable and reliable for tough use. It has waterproof qualities and is used for footwear, saddlery, and furniture.

Top-grain leather is the second-best choice for leather. It is thinner, softer, and easier to handle and is commonly used in the production of various high-end leather goods like leather shoes, purses, handbags, and wallets.

Genuine leather undergoes treatment to give off a uniform look, thus, losing many preferred attributes during processing. It is usually used to make belts.

Split-grain leather is not as useful as top-grain or full-grain so it is used as finishes in other leather products.

The lowest grade of leather is bonded leather which is made from finely shredded leather scraps, bounded together by polyurethane or latex and then made into sheets.

Italy's leather business is acclaimed all over the world!

China's exports of leather goods are the largest, closely followed by Brazil and Italy.

16th century Englishmen made use of handmade leather mugs to enjoy drinks at the local pubs.

Process Of Manufacturing Leather

The manufacturing process of leather consists of three fundamental phases: preparatory stages, tanning, and crusting.

The preparatory processes include liming of the hides, and the removal of hair, extraneous flesh, and tissue by machine, decreasing, and pickling.

The process of leather tanning reconstitutes the protein of the raw hides which prevents it from decaying or breaking down.

After the tanning process, the tanned hides are lubricated by the process of crusting, and the tanned leather gets colored afterward.

Due to ease of care, cowhide is the most widely used skin in leather production amongst all types of available skin. It is the thickest leather available with its weight ranging from 1-12 oz (28-340 g).

Producing white leather is an arduous task. It can only be made from high-quality hides. No wonder white leather is the most expensive!

Leather can also be made from alligators, deer, kangaroo, snake, lamb, and ostrich.

Leather can also be manufactured from salmon skins! Salmon leather is extremely durable and eco-friendly due to the use of vegetable tanning methods.

This highly versatile animal hide product has mind-blowing physical properties that make it an ideal material for upholstery.

Durability Of Leather

Leather is an insanely durable material, prized not only for its endurance but also for its overall beauty, which gets enhanced with age. To maintain the lifetime of your adored leather possessions, you have to pay extra attention to the care of your leather items.

Stingray leathers are the world's most durable leathers.

Full-grain, real leather is the most durable of all, offering a lifetime of comfort.

If taken care of, a top grain leather product can last easily for a span of 10-15 years.

The 19th century witnessed the replacement of wooden golf balls with leather ones, stuffed with feathers that could fill up a top hat!

It is also environment-friendly and a naturally renewable resource, so it makes a good substitute for artificially made, faux leathers.

Leather changes its texture based on the environment.

Ethics Of Leather

Any vegan person will deny leather being ethical but a non-vegan person is likely to consider it as ethical as long as it is sourced as a byproduct of cruelty-free industries. Faux leather is a better choice when debating the ethics of real leather.

Statistically, at any given time, a person is wearing an average of four leather items every day, namely watch straps, leather shoes, belts, and of course, wallets.

Vegan leathers like wine, apple, mushroom, cork, and pineapple leathers are ideal substitutes for real leather commodities.

This animal-hide material was considered a very fashionable wallpaper in 17th century Venice, Italy, and Florence.

Leather has undoubtedly been a symbol of style and status since the beginning of time.

With its amazing properties, it so appears that leather is also going to be around for a long time, attracting future generations with its charisma.

FAQs

Why does leather peel?

Leathers of inferior quality tend to crack and peel after a while. Often, using the wrong products to clean and maintain leather can also cause it to get dry and eventually peel.

How long does leather last?

Leather itself can last for a hundred years before decaying but if a top-quality leather piece is properly oiled and stored, the leather can last up to a good 30 years.

Is it cruel to wear leather?

Real leather is a byproduct of animal slaughter and hence, some people do consider wearing leather as brutal and inconsiderate.

Why is leather famous?

Leather is available naturally and is famous for its breathability, strength, and comfort.

Are cows killed for leather?

Cows are seldom killed for leather; it is mainly obtained from the ones who are slaughtered for meat.

What is leather known for?

Leather is known for its durability, strength, and flexibility.

When was leather invented?

The oldest recorded artifact made from leather dates back to 1300 B.C.

What is leather made of?

Leathers are made from the skins or hides of almost every animal.