Leather is one luxurious material that goes through various refining processes, and tanning is one treatment for hides that prevents rotting and putrefaction of the leather. The different types of leather offer unique characteristics, which are further influenced by the method of tanning they go through. This inspires to know how many types of leather tanning are there, and what method seems best?
From vegetable tanning to chrome tanning, there are different tanning methods employed by leather tanners. And all these refining techniques have various merits and drawbacks while tackling a common issue – removing moisture from the hide’s collagen.
Have you ever wondered what steps are involved in refining raw leather hides? Not to worry, this article covers all you should know about leather tanning processes.
Different Types of Leather Tanning
Once leather hides are sourced, they are subjected to certain pre-treatments. These treatments often involve salting and liming – this helps preserve the animal skin before it gets to the tannery. Then, the next step is tanning, which is done in different steps.
So, what does it mean to tan leather? Leather tanning is a procedure that completely alters the hide’s protein structure while making it less susceptible to rotting and decomposition.
You should know that leather dates back to prehistoric times, employed for making various items. In such ancient times, animal skin was preserved through various means, with some curing methods quite effective and others not sustainable.
Nevertheless, tanning has come a long way, and you can now find various tanning routines with specific improvements. While there are various leather tanning methods, you would find most tanners choosing a type of tanning based on what they need for their final product’s appearance.
To understand the leather material’s uniqueness, it is crucial to learn about the different tanning methods. Hence, you should know that there are four types of skin tanning for leather and these widely familiar methods include:
- Vegetable tanning
- Chrome tanning
- Chrome-free tanning
- Zeolite-based tanning
Vegetable Tanning
Vegetable tanning of leather refers to a traditional tanning method that employs tannin-rich plant extracts derived chiefly from tree bark, trunks, and leaves. What’s more, tanners blend the tannin extract according to the choice of strength, feel, and color needed in the final product.
Some plants employed for this purpose include Mangrove, Chestnut, Oak, Hemlock, Redoul, Wattle, and Quebracho. The more the hide absorbs the tanning solution, the more its physical properties change.
This type of tanning method is the oldest and one of the most environmentally-friendly option you can find. Vegetable tanning dates back more than 5000 years ago, traced to the Ancient Egyptians.
For thousands of years, the Romans controlled and regulated the industry, and the orthodox recipes have been concurrently modified. Modern vegetable tanning now uses avant-garde technologies.
However, the three significant steps involved in vegetable tanning are explained below.
- The pre-treated and de-haired leather hide is soaked in a vat or tub filled with the tannin extract blend.
- For an excellent result, the hide is left to soak for at least 1-2 months.
- Then