Genuine leather is the best material for production, needlework, and creativity. It is interesting to every master who is engaged in the manufacture of the author’s products.
It is used both for sewing accessories and for creating large furniture. Let’s talk in more detail about the differences between the most common types for production and needlework.
Qualitative characteristics
The quality of natural leather raw materials, as well as other materials donated by nature, is influenced by the methods of its preparation and types of technological processing. The main objective factor that provides the main quality indicators and further use is the type of animal. The condition of the material also depends on the age and gender, living conditions, and nutritional value of the animal’s diet. The technological reasons include the procurement process, cutting, and final processing. Die cutting is convenient for many different applications, from hobby to industrial use. If you look up the definition of rotary steel rule dies, you will learn that they are used most often for industrial purposes, but they also have specialty uses.
In evaluating the quality indicators, special attention is paid to the external data of the skin.
For example, the skin for creating clothing is primarily evaluated by the appearance of the surface, the absence of damage and defects, plasticity, resistance to external influences.
Leather that is used for manual creativity or for creating works of art is evaluated according to other criteria. The main thing, in this case, is the aesthetic indicator, the uniqueness, and the uniqueness of the natural plate. Comfort and maximum convenience during the creative process are also important.
In pieces of pelt for a strong and reliable shoe sole, a combination of thickness and abrasion resistance, water resistance, and fracture resistance is considered. So, the requirements for the quality of pelt intended for the creation of some products differ significantly from the characteristics aimed at other production purposes.
Types of leather: what are they and what are they used for
Cattle Skin
It has become the most widespread among all types of genuine pelt and is used for sewing products of various types. The largest share is accounted for by the skins of domestic cattle. Unusual skins of related species of wild animals are also used in sewing and creativity.
The quality characteristics of cattle skin are high. It is dense, elastic, and very durable. The dressing of hides using various technologies gives the output of high-quality natural material, which is resistant to mechanical influences and is not afraid of climatic and temperature changes.
All the quality indicators of raw materials depend on the sex and age of the animal. The main qualification indicator ultimately determines the most important parameter of the material – the thickness of the skin.
Methods of pelt dressing allow you to adjust its parameters, obtaining a material with the necessary properties. The most modern and time-consuming processing methods are not able to give the skin of buffaloes or bulls, which goes to the manufacture of belts, the properties of young calfskin.
In the most expensive and high-quality cattle pelt, the natural pattern of the front surface is valued above all. In the process of technological processing, they try not to damage and preserve its natural beauty as much as possible. In budget and affordable versions, the front surface is subjected to various methods of adjustment. In its process, mechanical damage is removed, defects are sanded and the natural color is leveled.
After such treatment, the scope of application of the skin expands, acquiring a universal purpose. Leather raw materials obtained from cattle hides are used for the production of shoes and clothing, accessories and haberdashery products, car covers, and upholstered furniture upholstery.
Cattle pelt is used for production purposes and for technical needs. Its varieties are irreplaceable in narrow and specialized areas. Thanks to the design imagination of the creators, plastic, but dense pelt has found a place in the production of original souvenirs.
Sheepskin
The use of natural leather obtained from sheepskins is not as widespread as the use of calfskin. But in terms of quality indicators, functional characteristics, and beauty, it is not inferior to common types of cattle skin. And in some respects it surpasses them. Sheepskin with excellent quality of dressing is characterized by special strength, water resistance, and aesthetics. It is highly appreciated by professional craftsmen due to its soft texture, plasticity, and ease of processing.
For the production of leather sheepskin, skins are taken that are not suitable for creating fur and fur products. These include skins with a wool cover shorter than the specified standard or specimens whose hair cover is rare, heterogeneous, with noticeable damage. For fur production, such quality indicators of the skin are unacceptable. Whereas for the leather industry, they are a clear advantage: hides with a thick hair cover can cause loose skin.
Sheepskins from the tannery produce two types of leather:
- chevre – leather, which was made from the skins of young animals;
- sheepskin – is the skin obtained after processing the skins of adult individuals.
Despite the age difference, all sheepskins are thin and small in area. Sheep’s skin is characterized by increased elasticity and pliability. It is soft, gentle, with amazingly pleasant tactile sensations. Chevret and sheepskin are easy to handle and it holds its shape well.
These properties of the pelt are used by experienced tanners who like to work with sheepskin. It makes original designer clothes, exclusive hats, stylish accessories. It is more often used for sewing premium-class author’s models.
When choosing leather for production, needlework, and creativity, several indicators of natural material should be taken into account. The main ones are:
- skin quality;
- type of dressing;
- the thickness of the skin.
It is believed that the thickest skin is one of the main options. Each type of product is recommended for types of leather with certain parameters. A wide range allows you to select the skin that is ideal for a creative project. It is impossible to sew a miniature women’s purse or clutch from a rough leather plate, which is used for the manufacture of travel accessories and men’s belts.
Also, an important indicator of the material for the master who works with it is pliability. So that it can easily take a given shape and preserve it well.
In the choice, it is desirable to take into account:
- the type and purpose of the creation that is planned to be made (clothing or shoes, a travel accessory or small haberdashery, furniture decor, or a souvenir product);
- what will be the final finish;
- The style of decor (carving or embossing);
- what conditions are expected for the product during operation (whether it requires moisture-repellent impregnation or treatment with wear-resistant protective coatings)
Most often, the leather plates that are sold are sorted by purpose. This allows you to quickly determine the choice of the most suitable skin and save time.
Online store Leffler leather has a huge assortment of genuine leathers of different types. Masters are offered both low-cost natural materials of mass use with conventional processing, and elite types of pelt, rare and exotic species.
A rich color palette and various finishing treatments allow professionals not to worry about time-consuming coloring or additional visual effects. The excellent quality of the leather plates offered by the manufacturers guarantees comfort during the creative process and the high aesthetics of the finished product.
