Select from the list below:

Leather Hides
Leather Tanning
Leather Selection
Leather Correction
Leather Finishing

Leather Hides
The hides used in leather upholstery come from anywhere in the world where cattle are raised. Generally, the highest quality hides come from the US and northern Europe, middle quality hides come from Australia and South America, while inexpensive hides are typically from Africa and Asia. Hides are sold in 1000 lb lots to tanners, who begin process of manufacturing upholstery leather which includes four steps: tanning, selection, correction and finishing.

 

Leather Tanning
Tanning, in the first step in leather production, is an ancient art first practiced thousands of years ago. It preserves the hide, by removing all of the natural oils and fats, and replacing them with non-biodegradable materials. A tanned Hide is also called a “russet hide”.

 

Leather Selection
After tanning, russet hides are closely examined for imperfections, such as barbed-wire scars, and ranked on a scale of 1 to 10. A “number 1 hide” is perfect, without any scars or other imperfections. As one moves down the scale to a “number 10 hide,” the scars or other imperfections become larger and more numerous. Only hides receiving a ranking of four or better are used in the upholstery market, as these are hides with the necessary durability and nearly flawless surface required for fine furniture.

 

Leather Correction
" Correction" is the artificial removal and/or alteration of the leather’s grain to achieve a more uniform surface. Some hides are buffed, that is, imperfections such as scar tissue are removed with abrasives. Some hides are embossed using heat and pressure to create an artificial grain. The new grain is typically pronounced, and obscures smaller imperfections in the original grain. Only hides that receive a rating of 3 or 4 go through either of these correction processes. Those that are rated 1 or 2 skip this step and go straight to finishing.

Leather Finishing
Leather upholstery uses three types of finishing methods. The first is called "surface pigmentation." In this method, pigment is sprayed on directly onto the surface of the leather. There are no dyes used in this method. The second process is called “aniline dyeing”: The hide is tumbled in a large drum while soaking in an aniline solution in which there are suspended polyurethane pigments. No finish is applied to the surface of the leather. The third process is called “semi-aniline dyeing,” and it is a combination of both the previous methods. First, the leather is tumbled until the colour is soaked through the hide. Then, a light surface-pigment layer is sprayed on the hide. The advantage of this third method is that it combines the softness and breath ability of a dyed hide with the durability of a pigment-coated hide. Semi-aniline dyeing, while a relatively new process, has quickly become the preferred method in the furniture industry.