From: cav@bnr.ca (Rick Cavasin)
Subject: Splits 'n' Suedes LONG (was Expensive Armour)
Reply-To: cav@bnr.ca (Rick Cavasin)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Date: Thu, 01 Oct 92 19:12:33 GMT

Greetings to the Rialto and to Twcs from Balderik!

Twcs asks about splits/suedes.

The topic of suedes came up about a year ago.  Several
gentles came up with references to suede in later period.
Unfortunately, I do not now have any of their postings.  I can
however offer some info from my own research.

First, I'll address suedes.

Given that most modern suedes are machine sueded and chrome
tanned, they are obviously not period.  However, if we focus
on the product itself, I see no reason why a nap could not
be raised by hand on a leather that was tanned by period
methods.  If such an analagous product was produced in a 
garment weight I cannot say.  I do not know whether or not
they would have called it 'suede'.

The only period leathers that I know resembled modern suede
(at least superficially) are oil tanned leathers.  Examples
are wash leathers (chamois) and buff leathers.  The grain is
removed from these leathers by a process called 'frizzing'.
This facilitates the penetration of the oils that through
a process of oxidation 'tann' the leather. (see Ancient Skins,
Parchments, and leathers, by R. Reid).  Buff leathers
were used in for armour points (straps) and for buff coats
(see Leather and the Warrior, by J.W. Waterer).
I do not know whether or not it is possible to dye an oil
tanned leather by period methods.  It may be that buff leathers
were only available in one colour - buff, or some limited
range of colours.  Although true oil tanned leathers resemble
suede in that they lack a grain surface and can have a nap,
I'm not sure that the two should be treated as interchangeable.

In conclusion, it was possible to produce leathers that resemble
modern suede in period.  Whether or not such leathers were produced, 
and to what uses such leathers were put, I do not know.

NOTE:
tandy's advertizes several leathers as being water proof 
because of special 'oil tanning' - this is CACA.  Oil tanned
leathers are distinguished by the fact that they very readily
absorb water - see either of the previous references.

Splits.

It was certainly possible to split an untanned hide by hand
in period (and indeed long before period).  I believe that
all my references to this process concern parchmenting
as opposed to leather tanning.  Most all the references are
extremely vague.  This, combined with my own experience, made
me skeptical.  However, I recently came across a paper which
gives a detailed description of Talmudic parchmenting methods.
In it, I finally found the crucial detail.  The author specifies
that for spitting to be feasible, the hide must be unhaired using
the fermentation method.  In the medieval European parchmenting 
methods, the fermentation system of unhairing had been almost
entirely superceded by the use of lime.  I've always used lime 
to unhair hides.  The author also gives the text of a letter he
received from a skeptical parchmenter who, based on an
earlier article by the author, unhaired a hide by fermentation
and found it a simple matter to spit the hide by hand.
The book containing the paper is at home so I cannot provide
the reference at present, I can't even spell the title since
it is in German.    
According to Reid, although the fermentation system of unhairing
hides was replaced by the use of lime in parchment manufacture
during the middle ages, the use of lime in leather production
was virtually unknown until relatively recently (18th or 19th
century).  Given that the fermentation method of unhairing which
facilitates the splitting of hides was still in use for leather
production in period, it would appear that hand spit leathers
were possible.  Did they do it?  I'll have to check my references,
but I can't think of any evidence for this practice off the top
of my head.  I would suspect that a medieval tanner would 
make thin leather from the skin of a smaller animal, and used
thicker hides to make thick leathers.  The demand for leathers
of various weights and the demographics of the animals slaughtered
probably differed from those which make splitting hides a viable
option today.  The technology certainly did.

Phew!
Balderik