U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE • FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE • AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 465
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The terms and words used in this Dictionary were drawn from sources in 60 countries and countless contacts with tanneries and packinghouses.

The author wishes to give special thanks to Roger Ferguson, Summer Intern,

Foreign Agricultural Service, for his untiring assistance. Bhornchai Kunalai, former

Agricultural Specialist, in the Office of the U.S. Agricultural Attaché, Thailand, who

was particularly helpful with ideas and suggestions.

Thanks are given also to others in the hide and leather industry and government who

have been a source of many ideas; unfortunately an attempt to list them all would not

be feasible.
Foreword

Hides, skins, and leather were probably some ofthe first products in internationaltrade and, over

the centuries, they have continued to be a basic part of that trade. Nevertheless, no publication has

been compiled until now to define and cross-reference terms used in the hides and skins business of

major trading, producing, and consuming countries.

This Dictionary presents these terms primarily for the use of the English-speaking business community. It is the hope, however, that traders, tanners, and others in this Hemisphere and elsewhere

will find the volume useful. To this end, the key words and phrases of the trade are shown in French

and Spanish and often in Itahan, German, Portuguese, and Hindi as well. Most of the terms are

cross-referenced to the English. Foreign words and terms are grouped by language and

alphabetized; they appear at the end of each alphabetical section.

The user may find that the same word has different local meanings or that different words have

the same meaning. Careful observation of these lexical complexities should, it is hoped, help

eliminate misunderstandings resulting from regional differences; help simplify international transactions of the hides, skins, and leather trade; and speed contract negotiations.

April 1974

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.

Washington. D.C. 20402

i
DICTIONARY

of terms used in the

HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER TRADE

Compiled by DUGGER HARRIS • Export Trade Services Division

Acacia or Wattle. The popular name for several species

of shrubby acacias native to Australia and South Africa. Its

bark is very rich in catechol tannin content.

Acetic Acid. A weak organic add with a characteristic

pungent odor (CH 3 COOH). It is a clear colorless liquid

and it is also known as vinegar acid because vinegar is a

dilute impure acetic acid.

Acetone. A colorless liquid composed of carbon,

hydrogen, and oxygen (CH3COOH3). It has a characteristic minty taste and odor, and is soluble in water, alcohol,

ether, chloroform, and most volatile oils. Its principal use

of interest to the leather industry is in the manufacture of

varnishes, lacquers, artificial leather, adhesive mixtures,

plastics, rubber cements, and celluloid. It is also used in the

extraction of tannins from nut galls.

Acorn Cup. The base of an acorn obtained from

Turkish oaks; tannins are obtained from these cups.

Acrobatic Shoe. A shoe with extra-light uppers and

plain Indian-tanned buckskin soles, used for mat or

acrobatic work. The term is also more broadly applied to

similar shoes used for other purposes.

Addis-Ababa Goatskins. Goatskins from Africa

whose name is derived from the district in Ethiopia. These

skins are fine grained and the takeoff is generally good. The

skins are flint dried or dry salted.

Adipose Tissue. (Also known as sebaceous tissue.) The

third layer of a hide or skin, the '*flesh." In the preparation

of the skin for tanning, the adipose tissue is thoroughly

removed by the fleshing operation in the beamhouse.

This Handbook was begun while the author was assigned

to the Livestock and Meat Products Division.

African Goatskins. A general term which includes

several types of goatskins from Africa.

Agras. Well-cleaned dry-cured hides of good leather

substance, the flesh side of which is yellow in color.

Air-Dried Hides. Hides cured by exposure of the flesh

side to mild rays of the sun until they are dry; usually the

hides are suspended from a wood frame.

Air Speed Drying. Very rapid air drying in which

relatively high temperatures and controlled humidity are

used.

Albumen, Egg. The dried whites of eggs. The drying of

the egg white is usually done in shallow pans, reducing the

water content to about 15%. The product is in the form of

chips or granulated powder. Because egg albumen is free of

iron or coloring matter, it is used for finishing the better

grades of glazed colored leathers. Preservatives such as are

used for blood albumin must also be used for egg albumin.

Albumin. Any of a class of proteides forming the most

important constituent of serum in blood, milk, egg,

vegetables, etc. The albumins of chief interest in connection with leather manufacture are blood albumin and

egg albumin.

Albumin, Blood. Also called serum albumin. The dried

serum of the blood of cattle. It is obtainable by centrifuging

clotted blood. Blood albumin is used in making leather

finishes for high luster on glazed leathers.

Alcohol. A series of compounds which form numerous

liquids having somewhat common characteristics. All

alcohols are distinguished by their possession of the

hydroxyl (OH) radical. Denatured alcohol is used in the

manufacture of both leather and shoes as a solvent in preparing many kinds of finishes, adhesives, dyes, stains,

blackings, etc.

1
Aldehyde Leather. Washable leather, which in its

natural state is white, prepared usually from sheep or lamb

skin splits or degrains and tanned with formaldehyde or

other aldehydes. (See Doeskin.)

Algiers Goatskins. Goatskins from Africa which derive

their names from the district in which they originate. These

skins are important to the French kid leather industry,

Algln. A mucilaginous material obtained from dried seaweed. The weeds are washed thoroughly to remove

inorganic matter and are then dissolved in â boiling

solution of caustic soda. This forms a thick jellylike

alkaline salt and, from this salt, by the addition of acid, the

algin is precipitated. Algin is used as a leather-fmishing

material.

Algoa Bay Goatskins. Goatskins from South Africa.

The takeoff is generally good. The better grades are dry

salted, but a large proportion is sun-dried stock and bring

lower prices.

Alizarine Dyes. A group of dyes derived from

anthraquinone. They are usually applied to leather

dissolved sodium dichromate, are made more soluble by

the addition of borax, and are fixed upon the fiber by

means of an acid. Alizarine colors are very color-fast and

penetrate deeply into the leather.

Alligator. A general term used for leather made from the

skins of all aquatic species, with a boxlike grain with sharp

indented outlines separating the section of the grain;

similar to the American alligator, which cannot be killed

legally, and therefore, is not used by the U.S. industry.

Alligator Grained Leather. Calf, sheep, or cattle hide

embossed with an alligator grain effect, as distinguished

from the genuine reptilian leather; terms suchas "alligator

calf or "aUigator sheep" are not permitted by the Federal

Trade Commission. * All Weight Hides. Hides classified without regard to

weight division.

Alum. The common name for two double salts

isomorphous with potash alum K AL (804)2. 12 H20and

ammonium aluminum sulfate NH^ Al (804)2. 12 H2O.

The name is often used in reference to any doublerait containing aluminum sulfate. AI2 (804)3.

Alum-Dressed Leather. Same as alum-tanned leather.

Alum-Tanned Leather, or Alum Tannage. Leather

prepared solely with a mixture of which the essential active

ingredient is an aluminum salt, often but not necessarily

alum. The usual combination is alum, sodium chloride, egg

yolk, and some other substance, generally, flour. The

natural color of the leather is white. Chrome-tanning has

replaced this method in tanning all but glove leathers.

Aluminum Palmltate. A yellowish-white chemical

derived by heating aluminum hydroxide, plamiticacid,

and water; the mixture then being filtered and dried

(Al(Cj5 ^42 ^4 h^- ^^ ^^ ^^^^ *" *^^ manufacture of

leather for waterproofing; also in finishing leather to

produce a high gloss.

Aluminum-Potassium Sulfate. Also knownas potash

alum. White crystals derived by roasting alunite (a natural

hydrated basic sulfate of aluminum and potassium).

leaching the melt, and recovering the salt by crystalization

A 12(804)3X2804 24 H2O.

Aluminum SuHate. Commonly known as alum, pearl

alum, and pickle alum. It is made by treating pure kaolin

or aluminium hydroxide with sulfuric acid. Aluminum

sulfate is a white crystal soluble in water and insoluble in

alcohol. It is used as a tanning, agent, a mordant, and a

clarifying agent for fats and oils.

Aluminum salts have been used for tawing (tanning)

leather since the early days of leather making. In modern

practice, aluminum sulfate is used chiefly for tanning

glove and white lambskin leathers. Alum tanning was one

of the first forms of mineral tanning until the introduction

of chrome-tanning processes. Aluminum sulfate is used in

the process witlv chrome tanning of white and light-colored

leathers; also used with phosphate tannage.

Ammonium Chloride. Also known as sal ammoniac

and ammonium muriate. White crystals or a greyish

fibrous mass derived from the action of ammonia or

ammonium salts on hydrochloric acid, or by neutralizing

galvinizer's pickle, or as a byproduct of the ammonia-soda

process, or by the action of ammonia on calcium chloride

solution (NH4 Cl). It is soluble in water and glycerin^ Used

by the tanning industry as a powerful deliming material, in

the manufacture of various ammonia compounds used in

tanning processes.

Ammonium Hydroxide. Also known as aqua

ammonium, aqua ammonia, and ammonium hydrate.

Common usage of the word ammonia is usually in

reference to ammonium hydroxide. A solution of ammonia

gas in water (NH4 OH) used in various ammonium compounds for saponifying fats and oils, in organic synthesis,

as a detergent, in fatHquors, dyes, leather finishes, and

bleaches.

Ammunition Leather. Vegetable-, chrome-, and

combination-tanned leather curried and finished for

military leather goods.

Amrltsar Goatskins. Goatskins from India which

derive their name from the district in which they originate

in the dry region of the Punjab and Sind in northwestern

India. They have a large spread and are desired for upholstery and carriage work.

Aniline. An oily, poisonous basic liquid, C6H5NH2,

used to make dyes.

Aniline Dyed. Leather that has been thoroughly dyed

by immersion in an aniUne dye bath and has not been

coated with pigments or other opaque materials.

Aniline Stained. Leather that has been stained by

brushing, padding, or spraying with aniline dyes. It

receives no coating with pigments or other opaque

materials, thus having a transparent finish so that the grain

pattern of the leather is seen.

Annatto. A dye of vegetable origin, orange-red in color,

obtained from native trees in South America.

Antelope-fInish Suede. Applied to lambskin, goatskin, or calfskin, sueded or finished to resemble the

silky soft texture of genuine antelope leather. It is used
more commonly than genuine antelope leather because it is

cheaper and antelope skins are almost nonexistent.

Antelope Leather. A fine soft leather made from an

antelope or gazelle skin, velvety in texture and appearance,

sueded on the flesh side or brushed on the grain side; so

rare, that for all practical purposes, it is virtually

nonexistent.

Anti-Blushing Agent. A material added to a lacquer to

prevent precipitation during the evaporation of the

solvents.

Antique Grain. A surface pattern of markings or

creases, usually irregular, in which the hollows or valleys

are given a contrasting color to produce a two-tone or twocolor effect. The creases are produced by embossing,

boarding, or other similar means.

Antiseptic. A term which, in common usage, is given a

broad definition and which popularly includes not only the

specific meaning of antiseptic but also that of disinfectant

and of germicide.

Apron Leather. Leather used for workmen's aprons,

and also in guards on machinery that keep materials in

process from the moving parts. Generally it is made of

heavy sheepskins or of cattle hides, vegetable- or chrometanned.

Areolar Tissue. The fibrous and fatty tissues which connect hide or skin loosely to the underlying parts of the

animal body.

Arm Staking. A process occasionally employed in small

operations to soften skin by hand. Used mainly in countries with large sources of cheap labor and low industrial

development.

Army Grain. Embossed grained leather used for military

leather goods.

Arsenic Bisulfide. Also known as ruby arsenic, red

arsenic sulfíde, and red arsenic. It is an orange-red

poisonous powder, soluble in acids and alkalies, which is in

wide commercial use (AS2S2). It is insoluble in water.

Arsenlcated Hides. Dry hides treated with a solution of

sodium arsenite. Arsenication is usually done at the warehouse before export in order to protect the hides from

insects. Also called poison-cured hides.

Assorters. Experts in selecting, grading, and sorting

hides and skins; known in the raw hide trade of India as

"jachandars."

Automobile Leather. See Upholstery Leather.

Antilope. Antelope.

(Grain) Antigüe. Antique grain.

(Cuir) Argent. Gold and silver leather, some as "or et

argent."

(Cuir pour) Articles de Voyage et d'Ecolier. Case

leather (hide).

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Abrillantada. A leather finished on the grain side with a

bright, smooth, glossy or glasslike surface obtained,

according to the type of leather, by glazing, plating,

ironing, or polishing (Glacd).

Abrillantado. Glazing.

Acabada con Lana. Sheep or lamb skin tanned and

dressed with the wool on.

Acabado. Finish.

Acabado con Apresto Final. Top finished.

Acabado con Pigmento. Pigment finished.

Acabado con Resina. Resin finished.

Acabado DIfumlnado. Shadow finish.

Acabado por la Ror. Grain leather.

Acabado Semianllina. Semi-aniline finished.

Adobado. Dressed leather.

Adobado ai Alumbre. Alum-dressed leather.

Adobado Combinado. Combination tanned using two

or more substances such as chrome and vegetable.

Afelpado. Suede and term for leathers that have been

finished to look like suede.

Afelpado para Botas. Hunting suede.

Agujeros. Holes made in the process of tanning,

skinning, or putrefaction.

Alee. Elk.

Algaroblila. A domestic product of Chile obtained from

the algarobilla tree (carob-tree) used for tanning.

Ante. Suede, same as Afelpado.

Ante Desflorado. Degrain.

Ante Doble Cara. Suede sheading. Similar to "piel

esquiladd afelpado."

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

FRENCH-ENGLISH

Agneau. Lamb.

Agneau-Castor. Beaver lamb.

Agneau avec Laine. Woolen sheep or lambskin.

(Cuir a r) Aldehyde. Aldehyde leather.

(Teint) Aniline. Aniline dyed.

(Finissage) Aniline. Aniline stained.

Agnellino Persiano e Tipo Persiano. Slink lamb.

Agnello. Lamb.

Agnello Castoro. Beaver lamb.

Anfibio. Waterproof leather.

Antelope. Antelope; applied to chamois-dressed skin

that is similar to antelope leather.

A Peino Spessore. Full.

Apprettato. Top finished.

Ayamcorpo. Front, applied only to cattle hides when

tanned.
GERMAN-ENGLISH

Abgestobener Narben. Prized leather.

Alaugares Leder. Alum-dressed leather.

Aldehyd - Leder. Aldehyde leather.

Aitgegerbt. Sole leather produced as the result of

tanning with tree barks over an extended period. Oak bark

is generally used but other tree barks may also be

employed. (See Altgerbervache.)

Altgerbervache. A light-weighing, unbleached, barktanned leather, tanned cold in the pit, the period of tanning

being at least 9 to 12 months embodying layering for at least

3 months. Oak bark is the basis of this tannage.

Anillngefarbt. Aniline dyed.

Anlluinzugerictet. Aniline stained. In Germany, there

is no distinction between dyeing and staining.

Antlkieder. Antique grain.

Antilope. Antelope, both leather and brushed suede

leather.

Asa - Leder. The common abbreviation in Austria and

Germany for leather used in protective articles, usually

made of chrome-tanned cattle hide leather and apron

leather. (Arbeiter - Schutz - artikel - ASA.)

AusgerecMe^anke. Pinned belly.

Ausgerecrete Hals. Pinned shoulder.

Avern, Term used in Austria for "belly.*

HINDI-ENGLISH

(Atso other Indian Languages)

Aarhat. Warehouses for hides and skins where dealers

bring hides and skins for sale to buyers, chiefly exp<)rters

and tanners. These warehouses, or godowns, are the hide

markets and are located in all major cities.

Aarhatdar. The proprietor of the aarhat who acts as an

agent for the sellers. Usually he finances the seller by

advancing him the value of a consignment against a railway receipt and he is responsible for the safe keeping of

goods until sold. The aarhatdar negotiates terms and

prices with the buyers; the sejjer generally does notinterfere

in the selling of the hides. For this service, the aarhatdar

charges a commission which the seller pays.

Aarhatdarl. The<;ommission that a seller has to pay to

an aarhatdar yfhcn the hides are sold.
B

B.A. Pampas Goatskins. Goatskins from the rural part

of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, from whence they

derive their name. They are air dried and the takeoff and

trim are generally good. ^

Baby Calf. Calfskin leather made from small, lightweight skins with a smooth or finely boarded grain surface, free from any artificial surface pattern.

Back Boarding. Boarding leather with the flesh side in,

merely to soften it. The finish is more or less glossy and is

produced by glazing, ironing, or jplating.

Back. The main portion,of a raw hide, obtained by first

cutting the hide longitudinally along the backbone, then

trimming off head and belly, leaving a "bend" and

shoulder. {See also Bend and Shoulder.) Leather made

from the back is called "back" or "back-leather."

Backer. A packinghouse worker who specializes in

removing the back, shoulder, and base oftail of a hide from

the carcass. Also, a firm which specializes in backing shoe

upper leather or fabrics with a coated cloth to increase their

plumpness and strength.

Backing. Also called combing. Laminating a piece of

fabric to leather or other fabric used for shoe uppers. Thé

purpose of backing is to make the leather or shoe fabric

plumper, stronger and firmer.

Bacterial Action. Effect on hides, skins, or leather

produced by bacteria.

Bag Hide. Flexible leather generally embossed with a

grain pattern, oat grain being the most usual. Made from

cattle hide, usually vegetable tanned, split to a suitable

thickness; sometimes it is hand or machine boarded,

especially in the Netherlands and Spain.

Bag Leather. Any leather used in the manufacture of

traveling bags, suitcases, brief cases, straps, and similar

leather goods that are known to the trade as bag, case, and

strap leather. It does not include the leather used for

making ladies' handbags (see Handbag Leather).

Bahia Goatskins. Skins from the^ahia area of Brazil.

They are small, fine-grained, high-quality hides which are

air dried.

Bai. A front-laced shoe of medium height in which the

quarters meet and the vamp is stitched over the quarters at

the front of the throat. The word is an abbreviation of

Balmoral the English name of the shoe which originated

from the name of the Scottish castle where the shoes were

supposedly first worn.

Balloon Toe. A trade term for a high, full-rounded shoe

toe.

Bank. A pile of hides, which is allowed to stand to permit

draining off of the excess moisture remaining after curing.

Barium Ciiiorlde. A compound of barium with chlorine

(BaCl2* 2H2O). It consists of colorless, poisonous flat

crystals soluble in water and alcohol. It is used by the

leather industry chiefly in tanning white leathers and as a

mordant in dyeing and finishing.

Bark Mill. A machine for grinding raw vegetable tanning

materials for leaching, mostly barks.

Bark Tannage. The tanning of leather through the use

of barks from many trees such as oak, chestnut, hemlock.

Bark Tanned. Vegetable-tanned leather mainly by

means of the tannins contained in barks of trees or other

plants.

Barkometer. A special hydrometer used in tanneries to

test the strength of tanning liquids by specific gravity.

Barqulsmeto Goatskins. Goatskins from Venezuela

which derive their name from the district in which they

originate. The skins which come from the coastal region of

the country are soft and fine grained. The takeoff is good

but the trim is generally poor. They are dry salted.

Baseball Leather. Leather used for covers of baseballs.

The better quality balls have covers of alum-tanned horsehide front leather. Hence the term "horsehide" for the

American baseball. Lesser quality baseballs are made from

kip and sheepskins.

Basil. Term applied to uncolored, vegetable-tanned or

bark-tanned sheep and lambskins. Generally applied to

unsplit pelts. In Germany, the term is not only applied to

rough-tanned sheep leather, but is also used as a

description of origin in the case of wooled sheepskin. In the

United Kingdom, this leather is sometimes called *ïull

sheep."

Bastard. A term applied to sheep with hair. No

biological verification exists that sheep and goats, the

reputed source of "hair sheep," will interbreed. It is more

probable that "hair sheep" are the result of domestication

and selective breeding. (See Cabretta Leather and Hair

Sheep.)

Bate. Any material used in bating leather to prepare the

dehaired skins for tanning and to remove undesirable

plumpness left after the removal of the skins from the lime

liquor. A wide variety of artificial bates are now commonly employed, replacing the earlier use of dung and

similar natural substances. A bate liquor usually consists of

a solution of neutralizing or buffering salts and an enzyme.

Bate Runs. Skins damaged by too violent action with

bacterial bates.

Bating or Batelng. Deliming and cleaning grain of

leather in preparing hides for tanning. Bating renders the

final leather fine and silky on the surface and soft and

supple to the touch. The deliming substance is the "bate."

Baume. A scale for determining the density of liquid

calibrated in accordance with, or according to, either of

two arbitrary hydrometer scales for Hquids lighter than

water or for liquids heavier than water that indicate specific

gravity in degrees.

Beading. Term infrequently used for folding the edge of

a shoe upper part. Also, used synonmously with wheeling.

The term is also used to describe the application of beads

and beaded designs to shoe uppers.
Beam. A rounded slab of wood over which hides and

skins are placed for trimming, unhairing, or scudding by

hand. Like the draw knife (see Beam Knife), which is used

in performing some of these operations, the beam is one of

the simplest and earliest pieces of tannery equipment.

Beam Knife. A two-handled draw knife, slightly curved

to a shape corresponding to that of a beam, and used for

several operations in the beamhouse of a tannery. It is one

of the oldest known tools for the preparation of hides and

skins for tanning.

Beamhouse. The area of a tannery where non-leatherforming substances are removed prior to tanning. The

beamhouse operations include washing and soaking,

fleshing, liming and dehairing, and bating. The name

"beamhouse" was originally applied to the building where

skilled artisans fleshed hides and scraped away all hair and

epidermis prior to tanning. The skin was spread over a

broad oval wooden beam and, hence, the name.

Beaming See Scudding.

Beamster. A tannery worker who scuds the grain of

unhaired skins over a beam, using a curved draw knife.

Beaver. An apparatus consisting of two long heavy

planks put together in the form of an inverted "V" and used

in the packinghouse to scrape the salt off the hair side of

hides after curing.

Beaver Lamb. Sheep or lamb skin with short fine wool

which has been dressed with the wool on, dyed and finished

by a process giving a weather-resistant straightness and

brightness to the wool. (See Shearling.)

Bellows Hide. Curried, flexible, and air-proof leather

made from split hide.

Bellows Leather. Leather which is either light- or airproof for fires, organ, camera bellows, etc.

Belly. The underside of a hide between the fore and the

hind legs.

Belly Grain. The tanned outer hair or grain, side split

from a belly.

Belly Middle. The middle part of a cattle hide belly.

Belt Leather. Any leather used for making waist belts.

The term does not include leather used for power transmission belting and similar purposes, which is known as

belting leather.

Belting Butt or Belting Butt Bend. The butt portion of

selected cattle hide that has been specially tanned, curried,

and dressed to produce strong flexible leather.

Belting Lace. Chrome-tanned back, about 2.5 mm.

thick, heavily dressed with material grease, suitable for

cutting into strips for the purpose ofjoining transmission

belting.

Belting Leather. Heavy leather tanned from high-grade

cattle hides and used in the manufacture of power transmission belting, etc.; similar to sole leather, but tanned by

different methods and more flexible than most finished sole

leather.

Bend. The portion of a catfle hide remaining after the

hide has been cut in half and the shoulder and belly

portions have been trimmed off. Also, one-half of the butt.

The bend is usually the best part of the hide and is used for

making soles of boots and shoes and machine belting. Bend

is only used in referring to tanned leather, croupon for

untanned hides.

Bentonlte. A collodial clay having a great affinity for

water. It is used by the tanning industry as a filler for

leather.

Berberah Goatskins. Goatskins from the Berberah

area of Saudi Arabia. These skins are fine grained with a

good takeoff. They are either flint dried or dry salted.

Berlin Blue. A blue pigment also known as Prussian

blue and Paris blue. It is obtainable by precipitating a

ferrous (iron) salt from solufion of a ferrocyanide of iron.

The resultant white precipitate is washed with water,

oxidized with a suitable reagent, washed again with water,

and then dried at a low temperature.

Bichromates. Compounds of chromium with other

metallic elements such as sodium and potassium, in which

two chromium atoms with a valency of six are present, for

example, potassium bichromate (K2Cr207). The

bichromates are used in the chrome-tanning process and

are among the most important chemicals employed by the

tanning industry. The most important bichromates are

potassium bichromate (bichromate of potash) and sodium

bichromate (bichromate of soda).

Biffing. Removal of salt from hides by slapping them

several fimes on a rack to shake loose salt from the hair,

after which they are swept free of salt.

Big Packer Hides. Hides taken off and cured by the

largest meat packing firms which are commonly known as

the "Big Four."

Binder. A caseinlike plastic material used in finishing to

hold together finely ground pigments tenaciously to the

surface of the leather.

BIsulfitlng. The treatment of hot solutions of vegetable

tanning extracts with sodium bisulfite (Na (50^)2 in order

to increase their solubility.

Black Pigments. Three principal black pigments are

used in making pigment leather finishes: Bone, carbon, and

iron oxide.

Blacking. A common term for black paste shoe polishes.

Bleaching. The process of blanching or lightening the

color of leather by removing part of the surface tan.

Bleeding. Diffusion of uncombined materials from the

interior leather to the outer surface where they may contaminate other materials or mar the appearance of the

leather.

Blocking. Cutting a shoe sole or upper part into a shape

roughly approximafing the desired finished outline.

Blocked soles are rounded by machine into the desired

shape. Upper parts are generaUy blocked only when it is

desired to complete the cutting on a cutout machine.

Blood. The whole blood of cattle is extensively used in

finishing black and dark-colored leathers.

Blood Albumin. The dried serum ofthe blood of cattle. It

has many of thé properties of egg albumin and is used

extensively in leather finishes.

Bloom. A deposit of ellagic acid frequently appearing on

the surface of leather tanned with solutions of chestnut

wood or pyrogallol tanning agents.
Blue. Usually, the phrase "in the blue" is applied to hides

or skins that have been chrome tanned.

Blushing. A milky opalescence which sometimes

develops on leather as a film of lacquer dries. It is due to the

.deposition of moisture from the air or to precipitation of

one or more of the solid constituents of the lacquer or to

both of these conditions.

Boa Leather. Leather made from skins of the boa, a

snake of the python family, found in Central and South

America. The scales of the boa are usually smaller than

those ofthe python, but the markings are similar in pattern.

Boa leather is used as a shoe upper and trim leather and for

handbags and small leather goods. The boa grain is frequently embossed on other types of leathers, which must

not be confused with genuine boa leather.

Boarded Leather. Leather that has been tanned,

finished with a firm surface, and then creased or wrinkled

by being rolled under a curved cork-covered board. Creases

generally run at right angles to each other, giving a pleasing

appearance and forming little squares sometimes called

"boxes." Variations ofthe design creased in this mannerare

Scotch Grain, Box Calf, etc. Leather was originally

"boarded" to hide imperfections or a coarse grain but, in

recent years, styles have changed and much perfect leather

is now boarded. The boarded effect is often imitated by

embossing.

Boarding. The process by which boarded leather is

made.

Book Leather. A bark-tanned India sheepskin leather

retanned in sumac and then embossed. Used for bookbindings and leather specialities of many kinds.

Bogota Goatskins. Goatskins from Colombia. They

are fine grained and are used by domestic manufacturers

and also exported. The takeoff is good, but the trim is frequently poor.

Boiling Test A test applied to chrome-tanned leather

during the tannage to ascertain whether or not it is fully

tanned. Certain types of finished leather, particularly

chrome and chrome retanned leather for mechanical

purposes, are also tested by this method. No definite

standard prevails, but the test in general is practiced quite

uniformly as follows:

A piece of leather is placed in boiling water for 1-5

minutes, during which time the water is held at the boiling

point. If the leather curls or shrinks, it is considered not

fully tanned or neutralized.

Bone Black. A fine black powder also known as animal

black. It is made from selected animal bones by calcination,

and is used in making pigment leather finishes. (See also

Drop Black.)

Bookbinding Leather. Leather used for binding books:

made of skins, cattlehides, buffings and splits, cowhides,

sheepskins, goatskins, calfskins, and, rarely, sealskins.

Borax. A natural sodium borate found on the shores

of Tibetan salt lakes and in marshes of shallow lakes

in the States of California, Nevada, and Oregon

(Na2B407: IOH2O). It is used in the tanning industry in

soaking raw stock, fatliquoring, neutralizing, dyeing, and

finishing. When used for soaking dry hides, borax cleanses

the dirt from the hair, softens up the grease which has dried

on the grain, and forces the water into the body of the hide

much quicker than other substances. Borax is also useful in

neutralizing any free acid that may remain in vegetal- and

chemically tanned skin and permits a fuller striking of the

dye.

Boric Acid. Also known as boracic acid. A weak acid

composed of boron, hydrogen, and oxygen (H2BO3'). It is

in the form of white crystals or powder, soluble in water

and alcohol. Used as an antiseptic agent in tanning, it is an

important deliming agent and is also used in leather

dressing compounds and as a mordant.

Bottom Leather. A term covering all types of leather

used for the bottoming of footwear. Often includes the

bend, belly, and shoulder.

Bovine. Animals in the ox or cow family.

Box Calf. Full-chrome-tanned calf leather, black or

colored, smooth or boarded. In the United Kingdom, it

must be black. When it is other colors, it is Willow Calf.

Box Side. Full-chrome or combination-tanned leather

made from cattle hide sides, black or colored, smooth or

boarded. In France, the leather may also be synthetic

tanned. In the United Kingdom, any tannage may be used,

but leather must be black.

Branded Bulls. Hides from bulls or stags which are

branded on any part of the hide. The weight selections are

the same as for native bulls.

Branded Cows. Cowhides which are branded in one or

more places on any part of the hide. The type includes

branded cowhides weighing 23 pounds and up and may

also include extreme light branded steers.

Branded Hides. Hides with marks of scars caused by

branding the live animal with a hot iron. The portion of the

hide thus branded is lost and the value of the hide is considerably reduced.

Branded Steers. Three general classifications of

branded steers are applied to domestic packer hides: Texas

steers in three weights—heavy, light, and extreme; buttbranded steers in two weights—heavy and light; Colorado

steers in two weights—heavy and light.

Branding. Marking or printing with a hot iron, freeze

process, caustic soda, or punch. Cattle are branded with

markings which identify ownership and also damage the

hide.

Brannlng. The treatment of pelt with bran infusion.

Branning opens up the pores of the skin besides dissolving

the lime in the pelt. (See also Baring and Drenching.)

Brazil Wax. Also called carnauba wax. It is an

exudation from the leaves of the wax palm, and one of the

hardest, most expensive of the commercial waxes.

Brazilian Goatskins. Goatskins from Brazil, including

a number of varieties each of which derives its name from

the point of its origin.

Break. The "break" of leather is the tiny wrinkles formed

on the grain side where it is bent grain inward. Leather

buyers frequently fiex upper leathers in order to discover

the manner in which they will break—with coarse or fine
wrinkles—as an indicator of the manner in which the

appearance of the leather will be preserved in a shoe during

wear.

Breaking Iron, Blunt iron knife used for breaking hide

on the beam.

Bridle Leather. Strong, flexible type of harness-finished

strap leather of reasonably uniform thickness with a plain

finish and a close shaved flesh. Made from cowhide,

vegetable tanned and curried.

Brine. A strong solution of salt and water used, in

varying degrees of strength, for preserving raw stock in the

preparation of leather.

Brine Curing. -S^^ Curing.

Brining. Soaking hides, after flaying in a strong solution

of common salt before packing in dry salt. (See Frigorífico

Method of Curing.)

Brogue. Originally a heavy shoe made in Ireland of

untanned leather with the hair left on. In modern application, the term is applied to heavy oxfords having a long

wing tip and trimmed with pinking performations and

stitching.

Bronze Leather. A variety of leather which is purposely

finished with a bronze appearance. Bronze leathers are

made by staining with concentTated solution of basic

aniline dyes or by coating the leather with a bronze powder

or leaf.

Broutards. Kidskins from animals which have been

weaned and allowed to graze.

Brown Pigments. Four principal brown pigments are

largely used in making leather finishes: Raw Sienna, Burnt

Sienna, Raw Umber and Burnt Umber.

Brush Coat. The second coat of varnish applied in

finishing patent leather.

Brushing. After rolHng, a coat offinish is applied to sole

leather, which is then brushed, producing a lustrous finish

by means of a machine equipped with a revolving brush.

Another form of brushing is removing the leather dust produced by buffing the surface oflight leathers by passing the

skin between two rotary brushes.

Buck Sfdes. Cattle hide upper shoe leather, with grain

surface buffed to simulate genuine buckskin. Sometimes

designated by proprietary trade names, such as Nubuck,

Rybuck.

Buckstdn. General term applied to leather from deer

and elk skins; used for shoes and gloves and, to some

extent, in clothing. Only the outer cut of the skin from

which <he surface grain has been removed may properly be

defined as genuine buckskin. Leather finished from the

split or undercut of deerskin must be defined as split buckskin. Most buckskin is oil dressed, which produces a soft

pliable leather having a buff color and resembling, before

finishing, chamois leather.

Buff Hides or Buffs. Country hides weighing from 45 to

60 pounds untrimmed and 43 to 58 pounds trimmed.

Buffalo. Leather made from the hide of domesticated

land and water buffalo of the Far East (not the American

bison) has a distincdve rough grain.

Buffalo Liming. A method practiced mainly in America

in which hides are first treated with a solution of calcium

chloride followed by a solution of caustic soda.

Buffalo Sole Leather, ^ee Buffalo.

Buffed Grain, See Corrected Grain.

Buffed Leather. Flexible dry leather which has a cream

or white surface and is finished with a velvetlike nap. Made

from cattle hide from which the whole ofthegrain has been

removed and which has been oil tanned. (See also

Corrected Grain.)

Buffer Solution. A solution of weak acids and

neutralizing salts used to prevent wide changes in pHValue.

(See aha pn:)

Buffing. A very light cut (about one-half) of thegrain

portion of a cattle hide. Usually produced in the manufacture of upholstery leather and used for bookbindingand

fancy leather goods. In the United Kingdom, also known as

a beeswing. (Seei Machine Buff.)

Bursting Strength. Strength ofleather to resist biirsring

or cracking of the grain under strain.

Buskin, Ail ancient form of footwear or foot covering

having a strong leather sole with cloth uppers and leggings

to the knees, fastened with laces; or woman's low-cut house

shoe havinga small triangle-shaped gore at the front ofthe

instep.

Butcher Hides. Hides which are taken off and cured by

butchers.

ButL That part of the tanned hide left after the bellies

and shoulders have been removed.

Butt Brançted. A hide that is branded on the butt area

back of the break in the flank.

Butt Spilt. The underiayer split from the butt of a cattle

hide.

Byproduct. Hides and skins are byproducts ofthe meat

industry from which leather is manufactured. Hair,

gelatin and glue stock, and several other products are

byproducts of leather manufacture.

FRENGHrENGUSH

Bande. Side.

Basane. Basil.

(Cuir) Blanc. 5^^ (Cuir Blanc pour) Lacets, Fr.

Bovin. Bovine.

(Cuir de) Bovin. Cattle hide.

(Cuir si> Brídele. Bridle Leather.

Buffle. Buffalo.

Buffle Parcheminé'. See Limed Rawhide.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Badana. See Baúl or Roan, in El Salvador, it is the soft

upper leather derived from hogskin.

Bastardo. Cobretta.

Becerro. Lisather made from the hide of an immature

bovine animal; calfskins. In Venezuela, the hide weighs
between 2 and 8 kilograms and in Peru, the hide is between

1.2 and 1.6 square meters.

Becerro Tipo Guantería. Vegetable- or chrome-tanned skin of bovine origin, generally calf, with a very soft

glovelike feel and a natural grain sometimes accentuated by

boarding.

Blando (Cuero). Soft leather in general.

Botas de Deporte (Cuero para). Stout, rugged cattle

hide upper leather specially dressed to have a pliability and

waterproofness suitable for work, casual, and sports footwear. In America often called Elk.

Bovino. See Bovine.

Bridas. (Cuero para) See Bridle Leather.

Bruto. (Cuero en) Raw hide.

Búfalo. See Buffalo.

(Para) Bobina. The phrase "Cuero para Bobina" means

the hide of bovine animals. Such hides are generally tanned

with vegetal substances and have a soft finish and firm compact structure. These hides often have natural color but aresometimes dyed.

Barriga. Belly and feet of the animal cut off from the

whole hide.

Barnizado (Cuero). Varnished hide.

Becerro Nonatu. Skunk.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Baclce. See Cheek.

Bahn. Range.

Blagenleder. See Bellows Hide or Bellows Leather.

Basil. In Germany the term is not only applied to rough

tanned sheep leather, but is also used as a description of

origin in the case of the wooled sheepskin. (See Basil.)

Bastard. See Bastard.

Besatzscheriing (Pelzbesatz). Trimming shearling.

BIberlamm. See Beaver Lamb.

Blankleder. Natural or colored vegetable-tanned hide

leather of the lighter weights. It is lightly impregnated and

partly waxed. In contrast to harness leather, it i1s mostly

sold by area measurement. There is no English equivalent.

Blobe. Pelt.

Boricefahileder. See Russet.

Borkeleder. See Crust Leather.

Boxkalb. See Box Calf

Brandsohlleder. See Insole Leather.

Buffelleder. Buffalo.

PORTUGUESE-ENGLISH

Bezerro. Calf skin (excluding skin of any other animal)

submitted to a special treatment other than that indicated

for boxcalf

Bon. See Bovine.

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

Bazzana. See Basil.

Bazzana al Summacco. See Roan.

Búfalo. Buffalo. Chrome-tanned sole leather made from

bovine hide is also termed "búfalo."

Börse. See Coach Hide.

Bovino. See Bovine.

Buffeterla. See Cloak Hide.

Bulfaro. See Russian Leather.

HINDI-ENGLISH

(Also Other Indian Languages)

BaasI Camro. Stale hides.

Barsatti Dana. Rain sores on skins.

Beparis. Dealers in hides and skins who collect hides

and skins in villages or from slaughterhouses and sell them

in larger centers.

Bud GQSht. Bad skin (tail portion).
Cabretta Leather. While the origin of the term is

doubtful, in the United States it refers specifically to

Brazilian sheepskin. It is also applied to the skins of sheep

having a hair coat rather than a wool growth. Cabretta

skin? are largely used for the gloves and shoe leather.

Calcium Chloride. White crystals, granules, lumps, or

flakes derived by the action of hydrochloric acid on calcium

carbonate and subsequenticrystalization, also obtained as a

commercial byproduct, (a) CaCl2; (b) CaCl2 . H2O fc)

CaCl 6H2 O. It is soluble in water and alcohol. It is used

by the tanning industry chiefly as a unhairing agent.

Calcium Hydroxide. Also known as calcium hydrate

and hydrated lime. A white dry powder obtained by the

action of water on calcium oxide (Ca (OH)2). It is very

slightly soluble in water. It is used extensively as an

unhairing agent and to a great extent, in some sections, for

softening water. (See also Lime and Chemicals.)

Calcium Oxide. Commonly known as lime, quicklime,

and burnt lime. A white lumpy substance prepared by

heating limestone (calcium carbonate) in a kiln. It is soluble

in acid; very slightly soluble in water, uniting to form

calciurn hydroxide. It has a wide range of uses by many

branches of industry. Among its uses by leather industry

are as an antiseptic, largely for the preservation of fleshings

before they are sent to the glue factory; as a depilatory in

unhairing hides and skins (See also Unhairing); in water

purification and treatment of tannery waste disposal.

Caldum Soap. Soap produced by the combination of

fatty acids and lime. In the liming of hides and skins, lime

acts on the natural grease of these materials and gives a

calcium soap which is mostly removed from hides and skins

by a process called "scudding."

Calcium Sulfhydrate. A compound of calcium and

sulfur (CaSH). The product is form^ in lime liquors when

sulfide of soda is allowed to react with lime solution. It is a

powerful depilatory but has an unstable character which

lessens its desirability for depilating stock.

Calcium Sulfide. A chemical (CaS) derived by tieating

pulverized calcium sulfate and charcoal. It is soluble in

acids and slightly soluble in water. It is used by the tanning

industry chiefly as an unhairing agent.

Calcutta Kills. Goatskins oflarge size obtained from the

goats slaughtered in Calcutta and its neighborhood.

Calcutta Lizard. See Lizard Skins.

Calf. The skin of a young or immature bovine animal not

exceeding a certain weight: In—

Denmark, 12 kilos, salted weight.

France, about 14 kilos, salted weight.

Germany, 14 kilos, green weight.

Italy, about 14 kilos, salted weight.

Spain, 14 kilos, green weight.

Sweden, 11 kilos, salted weight (Scandinavian trim).

United Kingdon, about 7 kilos green weight (the heavier

skin of immature milkfed animals under 14 kilos green

weight is often termed "veal").

10

United States, about 7 kilos, salted weight.

Calf, Dull Finished. A fine, close-grained, flexible and

durable leather with a dull finish.

Catf, Fallen. Skin taken from a calf which has died of

natural death.

Calf Leather. Leather made from the skins of young

cattle from a few days to a few weeks old. It is soft, finegrained, and supple and possesses considerable strength in

relation to its weight and substance. It is finer grained and

lighter weight than cowhide leathers, and is more supple, as

well as lighter and finer grained than side, kip, or split

leathers which, today, are frequently used in place of calf

leather for many purposes. Calf leather may be either

chrome or vegetable tanned, the former being the most

common.

Calf Split. Split of a calfskin or the flesh layer of a

calfskin.

Calf, Waxed. Vegetable-tanned calf leather curried and

finished on the flesh side with a wax composition.

California Saddle Leather. Saddle leather tanned with

California oak baTk. It is used for various leather goods as

well as for saddlery. The term cannot be properly used in

connection with any leathers tanned by other processes or

tanned outside the State of California. (See also Saddle

Leather.)

Callosity^ A hardened or thickened place on the skin,

commonly known as a callous.

Campus Hides. Hides produced on farms and ranches

in Argentina, They correspond to U.S. country hides.

Canalgre. A variety of vegetable tanstuff grown in

America.

Candllllla Wax. A wax of vegetable origin obtained in

Mexico from the Jerba plant. It has many ofthe qualities of

carnauba wax, though not so hard and with poorer

saporification properties. It is less expensive than carnauba

wax and is frequently used as the subsfitute, and is used for

finishing.

Cape. Also Gapeskin or Cape Leather. Originally a soft

grain gloving or clothing leather made from South African

hair sheepskin; now any similar leather made from hair

sheepskin but not finished leather made from native

vegetable tanned hair sheepskin. Natural grain is preserved in capeskin.

Capetown Goatskins. Goatskins from Africa which

derive their name from the district in which they originate.

Captive Bolt. A pistol used as an alternative to the sole

ax or knife for stunning, while slaughtering cattle. When

fired, a plunger or bolt in the barrel penetrates the brain.

Carbolic Acid. See Phenol.

Card Leather, Card Clothing Leather, or Carding

Leather. The three terms refer to butt leather, vegetable

tanned, lightly curried, and fairly flexible for holding the

steel wires which form the periphery of the cylinder on the

carding machine nsed in the woolen industry for opening

up raw wool fibers.
Carnauba Wax. A natural wax taken from the carnauba

palm, found in considerable quantities in Brazil. One ofthe

most important waxes for leather finishing.

Carpincho. Grain gloving leather with a grain pattern

somewhat like that of peccary, made from the skin of a

water rodent indigenous to Argentina, Uruguay, and

Brazil. One of the leathers commonly designated as

Hogskin. (See also Glove Leather and Hogskin.)

Carragheen. Extract of Irish Moss.

Carriage Leather. Leather used in upholstering the

seats and side of carriages and for making their hoods.

Casa Blanca Goatslcins. Goatskins from Morocco,

North Africa, which derive their name from the state in

which they originate.

Case Leather. Firm dressed leather, stained or otherwise covered, generally having a smooth, more or less

glossy surface finish, sometimes embossed with an artificial

grain. Made from full grain or buffed cattle hide, vegetable

tanned, and suitable for manufacture of suitcases and

attache's cases and similar goods.

Cased SItln. Skins which have been drawn off animals

without being opened in the belly. Many sheepskins and

goatskins appear on the market in this form.

Casein. A nitrogenous substance prepared by precipitation of skim milk, either naturally or chemically.

Large quantities of casein are used by the tanning industry

in making leather finishes. It is never applied alone, but

always mixed with solutions of other materials such as

shellac or Irish moss, or with emulsions of wax, etc.

Caslc. In the leather trade, the term refers to a packing

employed for wetsalted hides and skins in wooden barrels

for export. Depending on the size of the individual hides

and skins, each cask contains about 125 to 175 pieces, the

gross weight of the container averaging between 285 to

410 kg. (847 to 902 lb).

Castor Leather. A soft leather used chiefly for gloves,

made from hair sheep or goatskins and suede finished on

the grain side.

Castor Oil. A colorless or pale yellowish oil pressed

from the seeds of the Ricinus communis or castor-oil plant,

which is grown extensively in East India, Java, the

Mediterranean countries, and the United States. It has little

odor but a nauseous taste. It is soluble in alcohol, ether

benzene, chloroform, or carbon bisulfide. It has a high

density and viscosity. Sulfonated castor oil, also known as

Turkey Red oil, is made by treating castor oil with sulfuric

acid. Sulfonated castor oil usually contains about 50 percent fatty acid, and is also used to a considerable extent in

fat liquors, leather dressings, etc.

Casualty Calf. Still-born calf.

Catechu, Cutch Tree, or Khair. Reddish-brown dyed

extract of the heartwood of Acacia catechu. The tanning

content varies from 57 to 59 percent. Catechu extract is

used more as a mordant in dyeing leather than in tanning.

Catgut. Tough cord obtained from the intestines of

cattle and sheep and used for strings of musical

instruments, tennis rackets, and for stitching in surgery.

Cattle Hide. The skin of a fully grown bovine animal.

Cattle Hide Upper Leathers. All shoe upper leathers

made from cattle hides, including kips. Large cattle hides

are split down the backbone to make them easier to handle

in tanning and the leather made from these sides is known

as "side leather" or "side upper leather." Kipskins, which

are smaller in size than cattle hides, but larger than calfskins, are tanned whole.

Caustic Potash. See Potassium Hydroxide.

Caustic Soda. See Sodium Hydroxide.

Cawnpore Goatskins. Goatskins from India which

derive their name from the district in which they originate.

Ceara Wax. Name sometimes applied to carnauba wax.

(See also Carnauba Wax.)

Cellulose. A firm substance making up the walls of

plant cells and widely used for many industrial purposes. It

is used in making certain lacquers and leather finishes.

Cellulose Extract. Ligno-sulphonic acid obtained as a

byproduct in certain processes of paper manufacture and

marketed for use in tanning as sulphite cellulose.

Cement. A term broadly applied to a number of

adhesives used commonly in shoemaking. Among the

adhesive materials commonly called "cements" are

pyroxylin or nitrocellulose cement, synthetic resin cement,

casein cements, latex, rubber solution cements.

Ceresln. White to yellow refined mineral wax obtained

by purification of ozokerite with concentrated sulfuric acid

and filtration through animal charcoal. It is used in shoe

and leather polishes and for a variety of other purposes.

Chameleon. A lizard which can adjust its color to its

surrounding.

Chamois. Originally used for leather of a characteristic

type produced from genuine chamois pelts by oil tannage,

now made by the same process but from sheepskin or lambskin splits, or from sheep or lambskin from which the grain

has been removed by frizing and tanned by processes

involving the oxidation of fish or marine animal oils in the

skin, using either solely such oils (full oil chamois) or firstly

formaldehyde and then such oils (combination chamois).

Chamois also refers to leather made from the skin of the

mountain antelope or chamois, but such leather is rare.

France and the United States restrict the term

"Chamois," without any qualification, to the fresh split of

sheepskin tanned solely with oils. In Germany, the term

"Samischleder" is applied to an oil-tanned suede leather

made from sheep, lamb, roedeer, red deer, chamois, goat

and kidskins, and cattle hide splits. In Italy and Switzerland, this leather is incorrectly termed "selle di ditto" and

"Hirchleder," respectively.

Chamois Goat Suede-finished, oil-tanned goatskin

leather.

Chaurl Chauras. Hides and skins from Chauri Chauras

(Uttar Pradesh).

Cheek. The portion of cattle hide, or the leather made

therefrom, covering one side of the head.

Cheeking. Reducing the thickness of heads of unhaired

skin by splitting; this operation is usually performed just

before bating the stock.

11
Chemicals. Chemicals are used extensively in modern

leather making: in the preparation of hides and skins for

tanning and to treat the raw stock to maintain condition for

leather-making operations and produce the most uniform

leather. They are used in tanning processes and also aid in

producing fine finishes to make leather more attractive and

serviceable,

A list of the more than 80 chemicals commonly used in

making leather are given below. This list includes both the

common names and proper names; the more widely used

chemicals are explained individually in alphabetical order.

Acetic acid (vinegar)

Acetone

Acids

AlcohoKethyl) (methyl)

Alum (ammonia alum; aluminum-potassium sulfate;

aluminum sulfate; potassiiim-chromium sulfate)

Aluminum ammonium sulfate

Aluminum palmitate

Aluminum-potassium sulfate

Aluminum sulfate

Amines

Ammonia

Ammonia alum

Ammonium

Ammonium bichromate (bichromates)

Ammonium chloride

Ammonium hydrate (ammonium hydroxide)

Ammonium hydroxide

Ammonium muriate (ammonium chloride)

Amyi acetate

Anhydride (sulphur dioxide)

Antimony potassium tartrate

Aqua ammonia (ammonium hydroxide)

Aqua ammonium (ammonium hydroxide)

Arsenic bisulfide

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

Banana oil (amy acetate)

Barium chloride

Beta-naphthol

Bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate)

Bichromate of ammonia (bichromates)

Bichromate of potash (bichromates)

Bichromate of soda (sodium bicarbonate)

Blue copperas (copper sulfate)

Blue Vitriol (copper sulfate)

Boracic acid (boric acid)

Borax

Boric acid

Burnt alum

Burnt lime (calcium oxide)

Calcium carbonate

Calcium chloride

Calcium hydrate (calcium hydroxide)

Calcium hydrosulñde (calcium sulhydrate)

Calcium oxide

Calcium sulhydrate

Calcium sulfide

Carbolic acid (Phenol)

Carbon tetrachloride

Caustic potash

Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide)

Caustic acetate

Chlorine

Chrome sulfate (chromic sulfate)

Chromic acid

Chromium sulfate (chromic sulfate)

Copper acetate

Copperas (ferrous sulfate)

Copper sulfate

Corrosive mercury chloride (mercuric chloride)

Corrosive sublimate (mercuric chloride)

Cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate)

Crystallized sulfate of soda (Glauber's salt)

Dénaturants alcohol (alcohol)

Di-Amines

Dichromate of potash (bichromates)

Bichromate of soda (bichromates)

Dichromates (Bichromates)

Di-Methylamine

Eau de Labarraque (sodium hypochlorite)

Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)

Ethyl acetate

Ethyl alcohol (alcohol)

Ferrous sulfate

Flurol (sodium fluroide)

Formaldehyde

Formalin (formaldehyde)

Formalith {formaldehyde)

Formic acid

Formic aldehyde (formaldehyde)

Formol (formaldehyde)

Glauber's salt

Glycerin

Glycerol (Glycerin)

Glycyl alcohol (glycerin)

Grain alcohol (alcohol)

Green copperas (ferrous sulfate)

Green vitriol (ferrous sulfate)

Hydrochloric acid

Hydroxbenzene (phenol)

Hypochlorite of soda (sodium hypochlorite)

Hyposulphite of soda (sodium thiosulfate)

Iron vitriol (ferrousisulfate)

Lactic acid

Lead acetate

Leucogen isodium bisulfite)

Lime

Lime hydrate (calcium hydroxide)

Liquid glass (sodium silicate)

Lithopone

Lye (sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide)

Magnesium sulfate

Mercuric chloride

Mercury bichloride (mercuric chloride)

Methyl alcohol (alcohol)

Muriatic acid (hydrochloric add)

Naphthalene

Nitric acid

Oil of vitriol (sulfuric acid)

Oxatic add

Oxymethylene (formaldehyde)

Paranitrophenol

Phenic acid (phenol)

Phenylic add (phenol)

Potash alum (aluminum-potassium sulfate)

12
Potassium acid tartrate (potassium sulfate)

Potassium acid tartrate (potassium bitartrate)

Potassium-ammonium tartrate (antimony potassium

tartrate)

Potassium arsenate

Potassium bichromate (bichromates)

Potassium bitartrate

Potassium chromate (chromâtes)

Potassium chromium sulfate

Potassium dichromate (bichromates)

Potassium hydrate (potassium hydroxide)

Potassium hydroxide

Potassium permanganate

Potassium titanium oxalate (titanium potassium oxalate)

Precipitated chalk (calcium carbonate)

Propenyl alcohol (glycerin)

Quicklime (calcium oxide)

Red arsenic (arsenic bisulfide)

Sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride)

Salt cake (sodium sulfate)

Soda ash

Sodium acetate

Sodium acid carbonate (sodium bicarbonate)

Sodium acid sulfite (sodium bisulfite)

Sodium bicarbonate

Sodium bichromate (bichromates)

Sodium bisulfite

Sodium chromate (chromâtes)

Sodium dichromate (biochromates)

Sodium fluoride

Sodium hydrate (sodium hydroxide)

Sodium hydrosulfide

Sodium hydroxide

Sodium hypochlorite

Sodium hyposulfite (sodium thiosulfate)

Sodium-meta-bisulfite (sodium bisulfite)

Sodium phosphate tribasic

Sodium silicate

Sodium subsulfide (sodium thiosulfate)

Sodium sulfate (salt cake)

Sodium sulfate crystals (Glauber's salt)

Sodium sulfhydrate (sodium hydrosulfide)

Sodium sulfide

Sodium sulfite

Sodium sulfuret (sodium sulfide)

Sodium thiosulfate

Soluble glass (sodium silicate)

Solvent naphtha

Stannous chloride

Stearic acid

Sulfur dioxide

Sulfuric acid

Sulfurons acid (sulfur dioxide)

Sulphuric acid (sulfuric acid)

Talc

Tannic acid

Tar camphor (naphthalene)

Targar emetic (antimony potassium tartrate)

Tartarized antimony (antimony potassium tartrate)

Tin bichloride (stannous chloride)

Tin crystals (stannous chloride)

Tin dichloride (stannous chloride)

Tin protochloride (stannous chloride)

Tin salt (stannous chloride)

Titanium potassium oxalate

Trisodium phosphate (sodium phosphate tribasic)

Vinegar acid (acetic acid)

Water glass (sodium silicate)

White caustic (sodium hydroxide)

White tar (naphthalene)

Whiting

Wood alcohol (alcohol)

Wood naphtha (alcohol)

Wood spirit (alcohol)

Chestnut Extract. A tanning material made from the

wood of the chestnut tree (American and European) and

used in tanning heavy leathers, such as sole, belting, and

harness. The extract is marketed in both the solid and

liquid forms, products of different manufacturers differing

in their tan content. In the sohd extract (in block or powder

form) the tanning content is generally from 56 to 76 percent (non-tan, 5.5 for 9.5 percent) and the liquid extract

from 29 to 49 percent according to the concentration (nontan, 5 to 10 percent). The American chestnut is generally

darker in color than the French. The tannin is of the

pyrogallol class and is generally used in combination with

other tanning materials, such as quebracho, mimosa,

myrabolans, and valonia in the preparation of sole leather.

It is rapid in its action on hides and gives a firm leather.

Chevreaux. Kidskin from milk-fed animals which have

never grazed.

Chevrette. The skin oi a young goat which is being or

has been recently weaned, or the skin of an immature goat

or the leather made therefrom. Light-weight goatskins or

heavy kidskin is sometimes termed "chevrette." In France,

the leather must be chrome or synthefic tanned. In Germany and the Netherlands, the term is also used for shoe

upper leather dressed in imitation and "Chevreau" (see

Glacd kid), mainly chrome tanned from hair sheep or

wooled sheep with coarse wool. The grain is smooth,

glazed, or ironed. In Germany, the term "Heberling" is

used. In Sweden, the leather must be chrome tanned. In

Spain, the term is also applied to the raw skin.

Chicken Dung Bate. Bate formeriy made from the

enzymes of chicken dung.

China Goatsldns. A general term which includes

several types of goatskins from China.

Chowching Goatslclns. Goatskins from China which

derive their name from the district in which they originate.

Chrome Leather. A bluish-green leather which has

been chrome tanned. It does not wet black readily and withstands the action of boiling water. It is stronger than

vegetable-tanned leather and is usually dyed and finished.

Chrome Liquor. Solution of basic chrome salt, usually

basic chromium sulphate, used in chrome tanning.

Chrome Re-Tan. Leather which has been first chrome

tanned throughout its thickness and subsequently further

treated or tanned with vegetable or synthetic tanning

agents, or resin filling materials; these retanning agents

penetrate, but not necessarily completely, into the interior.

13
In France, this is known as "semi-chrome" or **chrome

vegetal."

Chrome Sole Leather. After heavy stock for sole

leather has been chrome tanned, it is washed and given a

light retanning with vegetable tanning rnaterials in a drum,

a rapid process requiring only a few hours, it is then dried.

Chrome Tanned. Leather tanned either solely with

chromium salts or with chromium saltstogether with very

small amounts of some other tanning agent used merely to

assist the chrome-tanning process, and not in sufficient

amount to alter the essentially chrome-tanned character of

the leather.

Chrome Tanning Extract. Green crystals of chrome

salt, prepared by the reduction of sodium bichromate and

sulfuric acid with a reducing agent, which is supplied for

tanning pelts by the one-bath chrome-tanning.process.

Chrome Washers. Washers made from the chrome

leather. The term is specially applied in the Indian leather

trade to washers used for marking ginning rollers. When

made from chrome tanned buffalo hides, they are called

*Turi Chrome Washers." When made from chrome splits,

they are called "Composite Washers."

Chroming. Treating hides and skins with chrome liquor

for tanning. The term is specially used for the process in

which the delimed pelt is treated with an acidified solution

of potassium or sodium bichromate in the double bath

method of chrome tanning. In the case of the one-bath

process, the term refers to the treatment ofthepeh with the

chrome liquor which does the actual tanning.

Circulators (Circulator Round). A series of seven

(usuaDy) interconnected tan pits. The leathers or partly

tanned butts are suspended in six of these pits. The tan

liquor is circulated through all the seven pits, liquor being

made up in the spare pit.

Cláriffcatión of Extracts. After the extraction of the

vegetable-tanning material for manufacturing tanning

extracts, the liquor is usually clarified by settling in a tank

with or without the addition of clarifying agents.

Cleaner Out. A packinghouse worker who specializes in

the removal of the hide from the forelegs and under the

sides of the neck.

Clearing Stone. A fine stone used to remove the marks

on tools produced by the coarse rub stone.

Clearing the Grain. The process of removing; grease

from the grain surface of leather. In the case of chrometanned leather, this is done by brushing the surface with a

weak solution of lactic or acetic acid.

Cloak Hide. Flexible leather printed with a long or oat

grain; made from vegetable-tantied split cattle hide of suitable thickness; it is curried to contain sufficient grease to

render it suitable for saddlery and military equipment.

Clothing Leathers. Any leather used for leather coats,

hats, jackets, trousers, and other garments. Coats are made

of sheepskins with or without the wool and heavier coats

are made of cattle hides and horse hide^ as well as sheepskins. Jerkin leather, made of sheepskins wholly or partly

vegetable tanned, is also used for some types of clothing.

Buckskin is frequently used for riding trousers. The finer

sheepskin garment leathers are tanned with chrotíie or

alum or a combination of the two, and are either suede or

grain finished.

Coach^ Hide. Mat-finished, aniline-dyed, full-grained,

boarded, vegetable-tanned leather made from cattlç hide.

This leather is not used for cars or coaches as the ñame

suggests, but for such leather goods as hand bags and travel

goods.

Coal Tar Bâtes. Name applied to some aromatic acids,

such as crude cresotinic add, a mixture of phenol and

cresols. and oxynaphthoic acid, which have been found

useful as deliming agents.

Coast Cod Oil. Oil derived from all kind^ of fish refuse

including small or undersized herring. It is used for

making sulphated oil. It is cheaper than cod oil and much

cheaper than genuine cod liver oil.

Cobra Lealher. Leather made from the skins of the

cobra. Although the cobra is a much smallersnake than the

python or boa, its skin is very attractively marked.

Cocanada Goatskins. Goatskins from India, which

derive their name from the district in which they originate.

Cocanades. Medium-grain goatskins obtainable from

the northeast coast of Andhra Pradesh, averaging from 85

to 9Qkg. per 100 skins and yieldingabout 5.5 m^ of leather

per dozen skins.

Cochineal. Dried bodies of insects Coccus cocí/, from

whichearmine^ a red dyestuff is obtained. Its main coloring

substance is carminic acid and an alumrnum salt which is

called **carmine." It is used as a food color and water color

and a stain for microscopic preparations.

Cockle. Generally regarded as a nutritional disease in

wool sbeep. It occurs as small rounded nodules scattered

throijighout the çkin, giving rise to brownish markings on

the leather.

Cod Oil. (British Oil, Brown Oil, or Tanners* Cod Oil.)

This oil is derived from the livers of a variety of fish

including shark and cod. The oil is allowed to settle and

decanted from the settled fats or stéarine. It is widely used

for making sulpliated oils and for fat liquors arid leather

dressings.

CoidSsweat. A method of depilation. The skins are^kept

in a damp sweat pit undl the mucuous matter connecting

the«pidermis with dermis decomposes, thereby loosening

the hair without injuring the true skin. In the cold sweat

process, the ternperature is not raised.

Collagen. Protein contained in connective tissue, cartilage, and bones, the chief protein of raw hides and skins.

Cpliar Banck. Harness leather is the form of a hack,

usually of good selection, curried and having a thickness of

from 4 to 5 mm.

Collar Leather. A subdivision of harness leather. Made

of Very liglit cattle liides in full thickness, or of cattle hide

splits. Used for covering horse collars.

Cbilector Calfskins. Calfskins which are bought by

dealers or collectors from retail butcher ships and wholesale markets. They are bought in a green state and are cured

by the collector. They are usually identified according to

the point of origin and sale.

14
Collector KIpsklns. Kipskins classified similarly to

collector calfskins.

Collodion. A solution of pyroxylin in alcohol which is

used in some leather finishes and lacquers.

Colloidal Tanning. The name applied to a process of

vegetable tanning in which either a colloidal substance is

added to the tan liquor or the hides are previously treated

with it. Such substances avert the production of drawn

grain or case-hardening even if comparatively strong and

stringent. Liquors are used at the first stage of tanning.

Colophony. See Rosin.

Colorado Steers. Large-sized, rangy, side-branded

steer hides, originally from Colorado, but now from any

section and selected according to characteristics rather

than origin. Colorado steers are sorted by weight as

follows: Heavy, 58 lb. and above; light, 48 to 58 lb.

Colorados or Texas Hides. Hides branded on the butt

or side.

Colored Through. Penetration of total solubles

through the entire thickness of a hide or skin as evidenced

by coloring.

Coloring. Although coloring is not a finishing

operation, it is so closely related to the work of producing

modern finished leathers that it is sometimes confused with

the operations which are commonly grouped as *finishing."

Coloring by Dipping. Dyeing by immersing the object

in a dye bath.

Colt Leather. Leather made from the skins of colts.

Combed Leather. A leather used in connection with

combing machines in the textile industry. It is soft, mellow,

and tough; tanned from steer hides, heavily stuffed, and

usually hand boarded or otherwise softened.

Combination Oil Tannage. A process of tannage in

which the skin is first tanned with formaldehyde or other

suitable aldehyde and subsequently treated by oil.

Combination Tannage. A process of tanning leather

by a combination of tanning agents. This combination may

consist of several vegetable-tanning materials, or of vegetable- and mineral-tanning agents.

Combination Tanned. Leather tanned by two or more

tanning agents, e.g., chrome, followed by vegetable

(Chrome retan); vegetable, followed by chrome (Semichrome); formaldehyde, followed by oil (Ccrmbination oil).

Combing Leather. Strong, resilient butt leather, free

from permanent stretch, made into endless belts and used

on machines for combing wool. Chrome tanned (green) or

combination tanned (brown).

Combining. See Backing.

Commissariats. Hides generally coming from

slaughterhouses, especially from the cantonment towns of

northern India. They show fewer defects than the average

"slaughtereds."

Commons. Hides, mostly unframed and not "killeds."

Condenser Rubber. Butt leather, vegetable or chrome

tanned, subsequently dressed to give high flexibility with

freedom from stretch for use in conjunction with condenser rubbing leather aprons.

Conditioning. A process whereby dried skins are put in

a condition suitable for staking. The effect is to restore

sufficient moisture to the skins to render them strong

enough for staking. Conditioning may be done by cooling,

sawdusting, or by damping in pile.

Contract Tanning. Tanning leather from hides and

skins furnished by the consumer.

Cordova Goatsidns. Goatskins from Spain whose

name is derived from the district in which they originate.

Cordovan. Name originated in the city of Cordova,

Spain, which was noted for fine leather manufacture during

the Arab civilization. Originally, a finegrain, ^colored

Spanish goatskin leather. Now cordovan is generally

applied to leather made only from the shell of horse butts

and used for shoe uppers. It is known for its nonporosity

and long-wearing qualities.

Cordovan Leather. Leather made from the shell of

horse butts. The butt yields two cordovan shells which in a

full-grown horse ftiake altogether about 6 square feet. It

takes its name from the city of Cordova, Spain, where the

manufacture of leather was highly developed under the

Arabs and continued under the Spanish.

Corlum. The second layer of a hide or skin, containing

the fiber masswhich is the real leather-making part of the

skin. The corium, also known as the derma, or true skin, is

made up of fibers which are long strands of fine threadlike

units, or fibrils (little fibers). The fibers are arranged into

little groups, or fiber bundles and these bundles are the

architectural units of the skin.

Coro Goatsidns. Goatskins from Venezuela which

derive their name from the district in which they originate.

Corrected Grain, or Leather. Term used to describe

leathers which have been buffed to remove grain blemishes

and scars before final finishing. The grain correction

improves the appearance of the leather without necessarily

detracting from its strength and quality.

Country i-lides. Hides taken off by relatively unskilled

labor, e.g., by some country butchers or in some small

packing plants where they are more likely to be damaged

and/or less uniform and therefore command less of a price

than big-packer hides.

Cowbag or Codbag. Location of teats on females and

the scrotum area on steers.

Cowhide. The hide of any kind of cow.

Cowhide Leather. The raw skin of a female bovine

animal. Leather made from unsplit cowhide or its grain

split. In some countries (not Spain) the term is also loosely

applied to similar leather from the hide of any bovine

animal. The term is not to be applied to leather from the

flesh split. Frequently, the term is applied for heavy upper

leathers used for unlined boots.

Cracking the Grain. Opening or breaking of the grain

layer by the double fold or key test.

Crocic, Crocidng. The rubbing off of coloring, finishing

materials or residual buffing dust from leather onto other

materials.

Crop. Hair, cut short, the back of the hide, retaining

both the shoulder and the head. A "side" of leather with

15
belly cut off retaining both head and shoulder.

Croupon. Untanned half of cattle hide butt with belly

and shoulder cut off; comparable to a butt bend in tanned

leather.

Crown Leather. Leather formerly used for laces, picker

bands, light belts, and other purposes where great

toughness and flexibility were required. It is prepared from

Hmed, drenched, and partially dried skins with a paste of

flour, buttermilk, and soft fat.

Crumpled Hides. Hides that have developed wrinkles

because of being dried on the ground instead of frames. In

hilly tracts, hides are often dried on stones which become

very hot in the sun; contact with the heated stones gives sun

blisters to the hides.

Crup. In Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom

identical with Cordovan. In Spain, the equivalent of a

horse butt.

Crushed Leather. Applies to leather which has the

natural grain accentuated during the tanning by plating or

other process. Also applied to leather that has been

"grained" artifícially.

Crust. Skins which are being conditioned by crusting

and termed "in crust," (See also Crusting and Tanning.)

Crust Chrome Bend. Identical with dry chrome bend.

Crust Leather. Leather which, after tanning, has not

been further processed. In France the term "en croûte" is

applied to any kind of hide or skin, e.g., "Mouton en

croute, veau en croûte," and to any part of a hide; e.g.,

"collect en croute, croute en croute." In the United

Kingdom the term "crust" is used in connection chiefly with

skins such as sheep, while the term "rough tanned" is

similarly employed in connection with cattle hide leather.

Crusting. A tannery operation whereby leather may be

conditioned after drying and before sammying. (See

Sammying.)

Cudbear. A purplish-red powder employed as a

coloring agent, obtained by dissolving Rocella lichen with

ammonia.

Cup. A depression or hollow in the hide ofthe foreleg of

cattle at the flexing joint.

Cure Dacca. Curing done by dry salting with khari salt

in which a thick plaster is put on the hide to increase weight.

Also called "Heavy Cure." (See Catechu.)

Cure, Hard. Heavy cured. Dry salted hides thickly

plastered with khari salt to increase weight.

Cure, Light. Dry-salted hides without undue plastering.

Also called Meherpore Core.

Cure, Meherpore. Curing done by lightly dry-salting

with khari salt so that no undue coating ofsalt is formed on

the hide.

Curing. The treatment of raw hides and skins after

flaying to retard bacterial action and putrefaction. When

thoroughly cured by any one of several common methods,

the hides and skins are stored until they are taken by the

tanner, whose first operations are to soak the hides and

skins for softening and submit them to further preparatory

treatment before they can be tanned into leathers. (See also

Tanning.)

16

The most common method of curing hides and skins is

^een salting. In Latin America and Australia, the same

curing method is known as wetsalting. As soon as the hides

are removed from the carcasses, they are cleaned as much

as possible of dirt, blood, and manure. Bits of flesh are

removed by scraping; ragged edges are trimmed, and the

ears are removed. The hides are then placed in a cool place

for an hour to remove the animal heat, after which they are

laid hair down on the floor and sprinkled with fresh, clean

salt, using one pound of rock salt per pound of hide. They

are then piled into a *pack* which is allowed to cure for 30

days or more and they are then ready to be "taken up"

(taken up from the pack, inspected, bundled, and shipped).

At the end ofthe curing process, 60% ofthe original salt can

be reclaimed from the hide. The water loss ofthe cured hide

is approximately 50% of the original weight of the green

hide. It is now cured and ready to be shipped. The final

composition of the hide is 12-16% salt; 35-45% water; 40-

50% hide substance. This compares favorably to the 65-

70% water and 30-35% hide material which made up the

original, green hide.

Curried Leattier. Leather usually vegetable tanned

which has been subjected to the currying process, i.e., a

series of dressing and finishing processes applied to leather

after tanning in the course of which appropriate amounts of

oils and greases are incorporated in the leather to give it

increased tensile strength, flexibility, and water-resisting

properties. It is the process which places the hide in a condition to resist bacterial decomposition. This is accompHshed by the replacement of natural moisture in the hide

with concentrated brine. Hide shrinkage, caused by

moisture loss and the removal of blood solids from the

surface, may vary between 12 and 18 percent.

Cut-Off Vamp. See Vamp.

Cut Stock. Term generally applied to bottom stock for

shoes, such as soles, taps, lifts, blocks, and strips cut from

sole leather. Also appHed to cut-to-pattern leather.

Cut Throat. See Kosher Hide.

Cutch. The tanning extract derived from mangrove

bark, principally manufactured in Borneo and the

PhiHppines. It is a solid extract containing 55% tannin and

is one of the most important vegetable tanning materials

used by tanners in the United States. Ahhough cutch is

seldom used alone as a tanning material, in spite of its high

tannin content, it is frequently used with quebracho and

other tanning materials to increase the stability, plump-

. ness, and yield of these materials.

FRENCH-ENGLISH

Cabretta. See Cabretta Leather.

Carpincho. See Carpincho.

Chamois. 5ee Chamois.

(Cuir) Chamolse. See Buff Hides.

Chamotsoisage. See oil Tanning.

(Cuir a) Chapeau. See Hat Leather.
Chèvre chagrinée. See Hard Grain Goat.

Chèvre glacé. Glacé Goat,

Chevreau. See Chevreau.

Chevreau argent See Gold and Silver Leather.

Chevreau ganterla. See Gloving Kid.

Chevreau glacé. See Glacé Kid.

Chevreau or. See Gold and Silver Leather.

Chevreau velours. See Suede Finish.

Chevrette. See Chevrette.

(Tannage) Chrome. See Chrome Tanned.

(Tannage pour) Chrome. See Full Chrome.

Chrome Végétal. See Chrome Re-tan.

(Cuir) Ciré. See Wax Finish.

Collett. See Shoulder.

Collett a l'eau. See Pinned Shoulder.

Collet scié. See Shoulder Grain.

(Dosset a) Collier. See Collar Back.

(Tannage) Combine. See Combination Tanned.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Cabra abrillantada. See Glacé Goat.

Cabra chagFn. See Hard Grain Goat.

Cabra de Nigeria. See Nigerian Goatskins.

Cabriola. See Chevrette.

Cabrita. Leather of goats and sheep used for fine footwear and for hand bags.

Cabrltlllo al cromo. See Glacé Kid. In Spain the term is

never used to describe gloving leather, instead the term

"cabrito glacé " is used.

Cabrito. See Kid.

Cabrito afelpado. See Suede Finish.

Cabrito dorado. See Gold and Silver Leather.

Cabrito "Glacé". Term used for Glacé Kid when it is

used as glove leather.

Cabrito para guanterfa. See Gloving Kid.

Cabrito plateado. See Gold and Silver Leather.

Cachete. See Cheek.

Capa de flor. See Grain Layer.

Cardado. The hide of lamb tanned without cutting the

wool.

Carilla. See Cheek. In Spanish "cachete" is used more

often than "carilla."

Carnaza. A term used in South America (Colombia) to

denote a split. (See Split.)

Carnazudo. A term used to describe hides which have

been pooriy defleshed and have flesh left attached on the

hide.

Carpincho. See Carpincho.

Carrillo. See Cheek. In Spanish "cachete" is used more

often than "carillo."

Casco Seco. See Slats.

Cega|o. See Chevrette.

Centra de falda. See Belly Middle.

Cerdo (Piel de). See Pigskins.

Cerdo salvaje (Piel de). See Hogskin.

Chagrin. See Basil.

(Cuero de) Chanco. Pig leather in Ecuador.

Charol. See Patent Leather.

(Cueros) Charolados. In Central and South America,

patent leather with special designs.

Cicatriz (Pi. Cicatrices). The imprint of a scar or gash

which remains on the hide after the animal has been

slaughtered.

Cilindros de hilatura (piel o cuero para). See Roller

Leather.

Cinturones (piel o cuero para). See Belt Leather.

Cogote. The part of the hide which covers the neck.

Contadores de gas (piel para). See Gas Meter

Leather.

Cordero rasado acabado. See Fur Finished

Shearhng.

Cordobán. See Cordovan.

Correa tiratacos (cuero para). See Picking Band

Leather.

Correas (cuero semicurtido para). See Rawhide.

Correjel. See Cloak Hide.

Correjel de crupdn. See Rein Back.

(Cuero en) Costra. Se^ Crust Leather.

Crispado (piel o cuero). See Levant.

Cromo recurtido. See Chrome Re-tan.

Crudo. Small portion of leather which has not been

completely tanned. This is generally seen in the head or the

haunch.

Curdo (Cuero). See Limed Rawhide.

Crupdn. See Croupon.

Crupdn para correas. See Belting Butt.

Crupdn para tiratocos. See Stirrup Butt.

Cruzado. See Bastard.

Cruzado del cabo. See Cape.

Cuello. See Shoulder.

Cuello cilindrado. See Pinned Shoulder.

Cuello dividido. See Shoulder Grain.

Cuello para viras. See Welting Leather.

Cuero. See Hide.

Culata. See Culee. Fr.

Curticidn. See Tanning.

Curticidn ai aceite. See Oil Tanning.

Curticidn combinado aldehido aceite. See Combination Oil Tannage.

(Piel or Cuero) Curtido. See Leather.

Curtido a la grasa. See Fat Tanned.

Curtido a la silice. See Silica Tanned.

Curtido ai aldehido. See Aldehyde Leather.

Curtido ai alumbre. See Alum-Tanned Leather.

Curtido ai azufre. See Sulphur Tanned.

Curtido al cromo. See Chrome Tanned.

Curtido ai formal. See Formaldehyde Tanned.

Curtido ai vegetal. See Vegetable Tannage.

Curtido al zumaque. See Sumac Tanned.

Curtido combinado. See Combination Tanned.

Curtido con cortezas. See Bark Tanned.

Curtido con cortezas de Encina. See Oak Tanned

Leather.

17
Curtfdo mineral. See Mineral Tannage.

Curtfdo mixto. See Combination Tanned, In Spanishspeaking countries "Curtido Mixto" and "Curtido

Combinado" are used interchangeably.

Curtido semicromo. See Semi-Chrome Leather.

Curtido Sintético. See Synthetic Tanned.

Curtientes. General term for any substance used in the

tanning process.

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

Capo. See Cape.

Capra glace, ^ee Glacé Goat.

Capra granlta a mand. See Hand Grained.

Capra seamoseita aii'olio. See Chamois Goat.

Capretta. See Chevrette.

Capretto. See Kid,

Capretto dorato. See Gold and Silver Kid.

Capretto glace. See Glacé Kid.

Capretto lucido. See Glacé Kid.

Capretto per guantl. See Gloving Kid.

Capretto scamosclato. See Suede Finish.

Carpincho. See Carpincho.

Chevrette. See Chevrette.

Concia. See Tanning.

Concia air allume. See Alum-Tanned Leather.

Concia a|r olio. See Oil Tanning.

Concia combínate. See Combination Tanned.

Concia mista. See Concia Combínate.

Conciato al cromo. See Chrome Tanned.

Conciato alia formaidelde. See Formaldehyde

Tanned,

CoJiciato alla scorza. See Oak Tanned Leather.

Conciato alia scorza di quercia. See Conciato alla

Scorza.

Conclato alia silice. See Silica Tanned.

Conclato alio zolfo. See Sulphur Tanned.

Conciato ai minérale. 5ae Mineral Tanned.

Conciato al summacco. See Sumac Tanned.

Conclato ai vegetaie. See Vegetable Tannage.

Conclato con sinteticl. See Synthetic Tanned.

Conclato Interamente ail' olio. See Full Oil.

Conclato tutto chromo. See Full Chrome (Tanned).

Cordovano. See Cordovan.

Cromo riconciato. See Chrome Re-tan.

Crosta. S'^^ Split.

Cresta dl groppone. See Butt SpHt.

Crote scamosclate. See Suede Finish.

Culatta. In Italy and Austria (karpfen) the hind bart of a

bovine hide, comprising of the butt, the belly, thç middle

and the hind shands. In thecaseof a horse hide, identical to

horse butt.

Cuoio. 5'^^ Leather.

Cuoio bianco. See White Hide Leather.

Cuoio bianco per iaccivoll. See White Lace Leather.

Cuoio Corona. See Helvetia Leather.

Cuoio dl Russia o Búlgaro. See Russian Leather.

Cuoio grasso. See Curried Leather.

Cuoio impregnato. See Dipped Dressed.

Ciioii Ingrassato. See Impregnated Leather.

Cuoio maschereccio e Corona. See Cuoio Corona.

Cuoio maschereoclo per Lacciuoli. See Cuoio

Corona.

Cuoio non iavorato dopo la concia. See Undres&ed

Leather.

Cuoio per cacdatacchettl, .See Picking Band Leather.

Cuoio per carde. See Card Leather.

Cuoio per clllndrl. See Roller Leather.

Cuoio per cinture. See Belt Leather.

Cuoio per finlmenti. 5'ee Harness Leather.

Cuoio per fondo dl calzature. 5ee Bottom Leather,

In Italy, the following different types of bottom leather are

distinguished:

Outsole leather.

Oak bark tanned.

Chrome re-tan.

Flexible bend.

Impregnated bend.

Manufacturing bend.

Repair bend.

Crust chrome bend.

Levelled bend.

Flexible split.

Mid-sole leather.

Insole leather.

Welting belly.

Welting shoulder.

Cuoio per guamlzloni. See Hydraulic Leather.

Cuoio per manlcottl. See Combing Leather.

Cuoio per raccordo di tubh 5ee Hose Leather.

Cuoio per redlnl. See Bridle Leather.

Cuoio persi^cchi d^ cardería. See Condenser Rubber.

Cuoio per spttopledi. ^^e Insole.

Cuoio per sottosuola. See Mid-Sole Leather.

Cuoio per usi technicl. See Engine Leather.

Cuoio per vaflgeria. See Bag Hide.

Cuoio per cinghie di transmissione. See Rawhide.

Cuoio riflnlto Ingrassato. J^ee Pure Dressed Leather.

Cuoio Sfiorato. See Face and Cheek.

PORTUGUESE-ENGLISH

Cabecas. See Front.

(Pele de) Cabrito. See Kid.

Camurca. See Chamois. In Brazil, Camuaga is chamois

leather from ealf, goat, or sheep skins only.

Camurcao. See Chamois.

Carapateado (com carrapatos). Ticky or with ticks.

Ticks are a major problem with hides from Brazil.

Carnal. The side of a hide or skin with flesh on it.

(Pele de) Carnelro. See Sheepskin,

(Couro de) Cávalo. 5ee Horsehide Leather.

(Pele de) Cordelro. See Lambskin.

Couro. See Leather.

Culatra. See Culatta, It. In Brazil, the culatra also

includes the foreshank and the shoulder.

Curado. See Curing.

Curtimento, See Tanning.

18
D

Dacca. One of the four main types of raw dry-salted

hides formerly exported from Calcutta, India. It is a finegrained cowhide.

Dalssles. See Deshis.

Damping or Dampening. The process of wetting

leather uniformly before the finishing process can be

carried out. Two methods of damping are employed. The

first consists in dipping the stock in warm water for a short

time and then laying it in a pile overnight covered with a

tarpauHn. The second requires placing the leather in a pile

with damp sawdust. By either of these methods, the stock

becomes uniformly damp, without containing an excess of

moisture in any part.

Dar Es Salaam. An important center in East Africa

which gives its name to goatskins from Tanzania. The goatskins are fine-grained flint-dried skins, weighing about

55 kg. per 100 and yielding 4.5 to 5 square meters of leather.

The takeoff and trim are fairly good but skins are

frequently damaged by scratches and insect bites. Usually

sold in bales of 100 kg. weight.

Darbhangas. The best kind of cowhides from western

Bihar of India. They are air-dried, of good texture, well

shaped, clean as regards flesh and grain, and sometimes

procurable in the framed condition.

Dash Leather. Term used to describe a patent leather

finish on a cowhide spHt.

Daub. Varnish made from linseed oil, Prussian blue, and

lampblack which is used in ground coats in the manufacture of patent leather. The daub coat is generally the first

coat applied.

Deacon. North American term for the skin of a newborn calf.

Deccan Goatskins. Goatskins from India which derive

their name from the district in which they originate.

Deccans. See Hyderabads.

Deep Buff. North American term for the first split of a

hide under the top grain, hand buff or machine buff. Deep

buff is normally used for upholstery and should leave no

traces of grain. Tables show two methods ofsplitting hides:

Hair side

Buffing

Machine buff

Deep buff

Split

Slab

Flesh side

Hair side

Top grain or hand buff

Deep buff

Split

Slab

Flesh side

Deerskin. A leather finished with grain surface intact;

not removed as in the case of buckskin.

Defective Unit. A unit that fails to conform to one or

more of the visual dimensional, or tactile requirements.

Degrained Leather. Genuine suedes finished on the

flesh side of the skins. The grain is wholly or partially

removed after tanning, by splitting or abrasion. {See

Flesher.)

Degras, Moellon. Uncombined fish oil pressed out of

sheepskin splits in the manufacture of chamois leather. As

oiled skins are exposed to air oxidation in this process, the

uncombined oil pressed out is also oxidized and thereby

gets the valuable property of easy emulsification. Because

of this property, degras is much used in leather manufacture for fat-liquoring and currying: so much so that it is

now also artifically manufactured by oxidizing cod or fish

oil by blowing steam and air into it. The type of cod oil used

in chamoising on the continent of Europe remains

more or less liquid in the oil-tanned chamois leather and,

therefore, can be easily pressed out. This, when compounded, forms the moellon degras of commerce.

Degreaslng. Removal of the excess grease from pigskins, sheepskins, etc., by drumming stock in a liquor containing kerosene and salt, gasoHne, or similar substances,

before tanning. Patent leather is frequently degreased by

drumming the dry leather in naphtha after tanning and

before applying the finishing coats. The residual grease

recovered through degreasing operations is often refined

and used as a tanning oil.

Degree of Tannage. Number of parts of fixed tan per

100 parts of hide substance.

Délhi-Agras. A variety of goatskins which come from

the Ganges and Jumma Rivers in India. These skins,

which are also called North-Westerns, are medium grained,

wet salted, and dry salted.

Deliming. A tannery operation in which lime remaining

in hides or skins after the unhairing operation is removed

by washing or by treatment of the limed hide or skin with

deliming chemicals. {See also Unhairing.) Some of the

excess lime is removed at this stage by washing the stock in

cold water for about 40 minutes. In some cases it is also

neutralized by an acid wash. The hides and skins are then in

condition for bating {See Bating), which is a separate and

highly important operation.

Depilation. The process of loosening the hair on hides

and skins to permit its removal without damage to the

stock.

Depilating Action. Any action which tends to loosen

the hair and epidermis.

Dermatitis. A disease of the derma or true skin

occasionally accompanied by intense irritation. It can be

caused by contact with chrome liquors, formaldehyde, or

mineral oils.

Dermis. (Derma) The true skin or that part from which

leather is produced. Also called *Corium.'

Deshis. Cowhides from the central and western parts of

the Province of Bengal in India. These hides are cured by

dry salting and are somewhat smaller than the Daccas. The

pelt is not so plump and substandal, and is not so thickly

plastered as the Daccas. Also known as Meherpore Cured.

Detanning. Extracting vegetable-tanning materials by

means of borax or soda to prepare skins for retanning with

19
another agent, such as chrome. Also, the process of

removing tan from scrap leather to make glue.

Détergent. Any chemical, compound, or other substance whLch serves to cleanse skin, such as soaps.

Dew Chaws. Claws which are rudimentary vestiges of

fingers on the leg of an animal.

Dextrin. A gummy substance obtained by a process of

hydroiizing starch in the presence of a small amount of

acid. Different starches yield dextrins of characteristic

properties. Common dextrin is made of cornstarch.

Dextrin is used by the tanning industry in leather finishes

and sometimes as a filler for certain kinds of leather.

Dhawa or Dhaura. Tanning material obtained from the

twigs and leaves of the Combretaceae tree. Average taTining

content of the leaves is about 35% while a mixture consisting of young leaves and twigs mostly broken, called

dhawa (sumac) has a tan content of 30.5%. The leaves have

a good bleaching action, almost approaching that of Italtan

sumac.

Dipped Dressed. A term used in currying to describe

leather which has been impregnated by immersion in hot

grease.

DIvi-Divi. Tanning material obtained from the dried

pods of the divi-divi tree (Caesalpinia coriaria). The tan

content of the pods varies from 28 to 41%. It is usually

employed in combination with other tanstuffs, chiefly as a

substitute for gambir and valonia. The leather produced is

of light yellowish tint. The world's supply of divi-divi comes

chiefly from Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica and, to a small

extent, India.

Doeskin. In the glove trade, a very supple leather,

usually white or cream but sometimes dyed, with a fine

suede finish, from lamb or sheep flesh split and tanned by

formaldehyde, oil, or formaldehyde-alum processes. In the

Netherlands this leather may also be made from calf split.

Dongofa. Heavy combination-tanned goat, sheep, or

kangaroo skin which originated in Dongola, a province in

northeast Africa. The term is not commonly used in

modern practice.

Dope Split. A spHt leather which is ta-nned and finished

with^aub coats and then embossed.

Doped. See Pigment Finish.

Drawn Grain. A condition in which the grain of leather

is shrunken, shriveled, or wrinkled.

Drawn Grained. A grain showing an irregular pattern

of creases or narrow grooves, produced by tanning the skin

so that the main thickness has contracted relative to the

grain layer, which is then fixed in a puckered or "drawn

together" condition. Identical to shrunken grain.

Drench Pit. The pit in which wheat bran is allowed to

ferment and in which the hides are subsequently handled

for deliming.

Drenching (or Bating). The process of employing

ammonium salts to a hide in order to reduce the pH and to

provide a favorable medium for the action of pancreatic

proteases. The enzymes added digest the extraneous

proteins, which are capable of supporting putrefaction and

do not contribute to the final leather product. The products

of this enzyme action are then removed by thorough

washing. Simply, the process of deliming with fermented

wheat bran. (See Bating and Branning.)

Dressed Completely. Hides that have undergone brine

curing, either agitated or still. Hides start the process containing 65-70% Water and 30-35% hide but end the process

at 10-15% salt, 40^50% water, and 35-50% hide substance

by weight.

Dressed i.eather. Leather which has been processed

(other than by oiling and rolling in the case of sole leather)

beyond the simply tanned or crust state and which may or

may not be ready for use. In Germany "zugerichtetes leder"

is in every case ready for use.

Dressing. A general term for the series of processes

employed to convert certain rough-tanned hides and/or

crust leather into dressed leather. These special finishes

render the leather more flexible or waterproof or impart

some special quality found in the same leather finished by

usual methods.

Dressing Hide. Unsplit rough-tanned cattle hide,

vegetable tanned in a manner giving good tensile strength

and a mellow feel. Suitable for use as harnesses and straps.

Mainly produced in the United Kingdom and Spain.

Dried Completely Hides or Skins. A hide stored on

pallets under a roof for 24 hours. Such hides will notiose

more than 3 percent of its weight at the time of storage by

evaporation of water.

Drop BJack. A Bone Black that has been washed and

ground. It is also made in the form of drops by mixing the

pigment with glue and molding it.

Drum. A revolving cylindrical container for hides and

skins, usually equipped inside with pegs for lifting the

stock.

Drum-Head l.eather. Parchment or raw hide from

sheepskins or calfskins for musical drums. Drum skitigare

unsplit, limed and dried without applying any tannins,

shaved or btiffed smooth.

Drum Dyeing. The most commonly employed method

of applying dyestuffs to leathers. In drum dyeing, the

leather stock is placed in a drum, neutraHzed and then

washed with warm water, to remove soluble salts. Then, the

coloring matter is added to the drum, which is constantly

revolving. The dyeing procedure is generally done at

140° F. and Jasts from I to 3 hours.

DrulTiRTihg. See Trimming.

Drumskirt. Parchment or rawhide skin used as drumheads. These skins are stretched over either end of a drum,

usually made from sheepskin and slunks.

Dry Chrome Bend. Flexible chrome-tanned sole

leather bend which has not beea impregnated with wax,

grease, or similar agent; mostly used for sports shoes.

Dry Dip. A strong solution of vegetable-tan extracts in

which dry sole leather is dipped preparatory to second

bleaching and second oil wheeling to increase the firmness

and solidity of the finished leather and to add weight.

Dry Loftr A loft in a tannery where dried leather iskept

for crusting, and stored awaiting selection of subsequent

treatment, -

Dry Miiling. Tumbling pressed leather in a revolving

drum to open it up and remove creases.

20
Dry Pickling. A technique in parts of India and some

other countries. Skins which have been pickled in the

ordinary manner are dried out before shipping to save the

trouble and expense of shipping them in casks of brine.

Dry Salted Hides. Hides which have been salted in the

same manner as green salted hides, i.e., by covering them

with salt on the flesh side and piling them up for curing (see

Curing) but which are later spread out and allowed to dry in

the shade or sun. It is used as a curing method in place of

flint drying (see Drying) because the hides do not contract

during the drying and are much more readily softened in

the soaks prior to tanning.

Dry Salting. A modified form of dry curing. Salt is

rubbed on the flesh sides of the hides and skins while they

are green. Then the stock is dried in the way described

under drying.

Dry Tunnel. A tunnel in which damp leather is placed

for drying in a current of air, often under conditions of controlled temperature and relative humidity.

Drying. One of the simplest forms of curing hides and

skins; is now chiefly used for goatskins coming from

sections where other forms of cure would be difficult. (It is

used chiefly where salt is not available.) The skins are dried

spread out in the sunshine or in the shade with good

ventilation, and are called flint dried when completely

cured because of their hardness.

Dubbin (Dubbing). Mixture of cod or fish oil and

tallow in suitable proportions for currying leather. More

cod oil is used in the winter and slightly more tallow is used

in the summer. {See Curried Leather.)

Dubbing. The process of rubbing in the dubbin.

Dusting. Spreading ground raw-vegetable-tanning

materials over and between hides entering the layer vats to

add to the tanning strength of the liquors; a common

method before the days of concentrated tanning extracts.

Dye. A dye (or dyestuff) is most commonly an organic

compound used to impart color to a substance. It may be

used for the coloring of animal, vegetable, or synthetic

fibers and similar products (such as wool, leather, fur, or

cotton). Dyes may be soluble in water or may be made so by

a simple chemical reaction. Insoluble coloring matters are

called "pigments." Dyes may be classified in accordance

with their chemical constitution (Nitro, AzoTriphenylmethanes, etc.).

undergone a process that has conferred upon it special

properties.

Doublure Naturelle (Peau a). Russet-colored vegetable-tanned lining leather made from sheep, goat, calfskin, etc.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Defectuosa. See Defective Unit.

Delantero. See Front.

Delgada (Suela). Thin sole leather; sole with a

thickness of 3.5 to 4.5 mm.

Descarne. Flesh split. Descarne is used mainly in

Argentina as an equivalent.

Deseciios. Rejects.

Desencalado. UnHmed.

Desfaldado (Cuero). See Back.

Desflorado (Piel or Cuero). See Buffed Leather.

Desflorado a Cuchillo (Piel o Cuero). See Frized

Leather.

Desflorado a Mano. See Hand Buffed and Buffed

Leather.

Desflorado con Maquina de Dividir. See Machine

Buff

Desudadores de Sombrero (Cuero para). See Hat

Leather.

Dividido (Piel or Cuero). See Grain Split and Split

Hide.

Dobleche. Creases; faults which are the result of bad

packing of the dry skin which damages the grain.

Dongoia. See Glacé Kid. In Spanish-speaking countries, this does not apply to gloving leather. (See Cabritilla

al Cromo.)

Doset. See Desfaldado,

Doset para Arneses. See Bellows Leather.

Doset para Guarnlcionerfa. See Collar Back.

Dulce (Cuero seco). Sweet hide. A fresh hide exposed

to air in the shade, without any preparation for preserving

it.

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

FRENGH-ENGLISH

Daim. See Buckskin.

Depoulie. See Offal.

Dessous (Cuir). See Bottom Leather.

Devant. See Doeskin.

Dosset. See Back.

Dosset (Cote ou Demi). See Half Back.

Double Tannage (Cuir). In France, the name is applied

to a coat or hide that, before the actual tanning process, has

Daino. See Buckskin.

Dorsale. See Back.

Dorsale per Coiiari. See Collar Back,

Dorsale per Redlni. Rein Back.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Dänisch. See Suede.

Doppel-Croupon. See Butt.

Doppeliiecht. See Back.

21
PORTUGUESE-ENGLISH Dhed, Dhedh. An alternative name for chomar in

certain parts of India.

Descarne or Descarnado. See Fleshing. . , . r u • \4„^i,„o ut-o^^cv, Dhore. An alternative for chomar m Madhya Pradesh.

Dole. A small bucket made of partially tanned hides,

HINDI-ENGLISH used for drawing water from wells.

(Also other Indian Languages)

Damar Ka Dagh. Tar marks on a hide or skin.

22
E

E.I. An abbreviation of "East India." A descriptive term

applied to crust, vegetable-tanned cowhide (kip), buffalo

hide, and calf, sheep, and goatskin, originating in the

Indian subcontinent and tanned in India, mainly in the

south, and especially around Madras. Most of these hides

are mainly exported to England where they are usually

dressed for russet lining, box-side leather, bag leather, and

a variety of other purposes.

Ear Butts. The base ofthe animal ear where it is attached

to the head.

Earthy on the Flesh Side. Hides and skins plastered

with earth matter on the flesh side.

East India Goatskins. A general classification

including several types of goatskins from East India.

East India Kips. Skins from fully grown buffaloes, kips

because of their size.

East London Goatskins. Goatskins from South Africa

which derive their name from the district in which they

originate. The takeoff is generally good.

Edge. The full edge of the shoe sole running around the

forepart of the sole from shank to shank. A loose-fibered

soft sole will not hold its edge shape well, while a tightfibered, well-tanned sole will withstand much rough treatment. The life of the original sharp sole edge is enhanced by

proper finishing treatment regardless of the quality of the

sole itself.

Egg Albumen. The dried whites ofthe chicken eggs. It is

absolutely free of coloring matter or iron and is used

extensively for finishing leathers.

Egg Yolk. Commercial egg yolk is made from whole,

deshelled chicken^eggs and includes both white and the yolk

of the egg, to which some preservative, usually salt, has

been added. It is used in the tanning industry for fat

liquoring and, where the presence of salt in the fat liquor is

undesirable, salt-free egg yolk containing a very small

amount of a more powerful preservative is used A third

material is known as thick egg yolk—ordinary egg yolk

which has been aged. A fourth is concentrated egg yolk,

which is a blend of pure egg yolk and pure oils designed to

be a perfect fat liquor in itself. Tanners of colored chrome

upper leathers have found that the addition of egg yolk to

the fat liquor results in a tighter leather of clearer color and

a finer break. Loose flanks result from the complete

penetration of the leather by the fat. When the grain

receives too much fat it loses its brilliancy of color and the

fibers become loose. The addition of egg yolk causes the fat

to be taken up preferentially from the flesh side, leaving the

grain clear and tight. (See also Fat Liquoring and

Tanning.)

Egyptian Goatskins. Goatskins from Africa which

derive their name from the district in which they originate.

Elastic Gusset. A triangular flexible piece of material

inserted in a garment to enlarge or strengthen it, such as the

side pieces for extension in purses and bellows.

Elastlclzed Materials. Elastic goring, used for many

years in panels, inserts, etc., and upper leather and fabrics.

backed with "elasticized" fabric, are the two distinct classifications of "elasticized materials."

The backing fabric is woven on special looms of elastic

rubber strands and cotton yarn. The elastic strands provide the desired resiliency in the fabric and the special

looms ensure an even, smooth weave and an even stretch

and "return" to the finished fabric. Unless this backing

material has been properly woven the shoe upper material

of which it is a part will not produce satisfactory results.

Although both leather and fabric are combined with

elasticized backing fabric, the former presents a more difficult problem for the maker of the material and the shoe

manufacturer, because of lack of uniformity of stretch in

the leather.

Light- to medium-weight skins must be selected for

"elasticizing" so that the natural stretch of the leather may

be secured in the greatest degree. This is the principal

reason why crushed kid and calf are widely used for

"elasticizing," as these have a greater stretch than leathers

with common smooth finishes.

The method of bonding the backing material to either

leather or fabric is essentially the same, except that a lighter

weight backing cloth and a thinner bonding material are

more usually employed for leather because it has a threeway stretch: (a) from right foreleg to left hindleg of the skin

(b) diagonal across the skin in the opposite direction, and

(c) from flank to flank directly across the skin.

This three-way stretch permits the shoe cutter to take his

cuts from any of three directions for firm uppers, instead of

restricting him to two as in cutting regualr materials. He

will take his cuts so that the most uniform stretch will be

obtained, but he must not "tip" his patterns so that the

upper part has too much or too little stretch.

Special attention in the fitting room is also required for

elasticized materials, and in the lasting room great care

must be used by the pullers because the elasticized uppers

will "give" more than those of other materials and too much

pull will drag them out of shape, making proper fitting

impossible.

Elastln. The yellow connective tissues of the skin which

furnish structural support for the blood vessels and

thermostat mechanism, Elastin is obtained when elastic

tissue is boiled in water. It is a protein of skin.

Elbow Flaying. Flaying using the elbow instead of the

knife. Generally used in rural areas of the less developed

countries.

Electrified Lambskins (Shearlings). Term applied to

dyed and processed sheepskin shearlings finished to

resemble furskins.

Electro-Coated Abrasive. Abrasive coated paper or

cloth in which the abrasives are deposited in electrical fields

created by voltages up to 100,000 volts. By this process, it is

possible to direct the actions of the tiny sharp-pointed

individual mineral particles. They are electrically compelled to stand up, push apart from neighboring particles.

23
and deposit themselves uniformly upright. The result is a

fast-cutting and uniform abrasive paper of cloth which is

used for numerous shoe and leather making operations;

Elk. A purely trade name which does not refer to the skin

of an elk, or leather tanned from such skins. Such leather is

known commercially as buckskin. The leather used and

known as elk is a cattle hide shoe leather of a special

tannage and finish. It is known as "elk leather,""elk sides,"

"smoked elk," and similar designations. ít is chiefly used

for work and sport shoes, and similar types of footwear

because of its rugged appearance, wearing characteristics,

and general suitability for such purposes.

Ellagltannin. A class of hydrolyzable tannins related to

the galîotannins (from plant galls). They produce bloom on

leather and occur in myrobalans, valonia; divi-divi; and a

number of other well-known tanning materials.

Embas. A riding and hunting boot with a tongue of fur

which originated in the 5th or 6th century B.C. The leg of

the bootwas turned down in a manner similar to that ofthe

modern cuff-top boot.

Embossed Leather. Leather embossed or printed with

a raised pattern either imitating or resembling the grain

pattern of some animal, or being quite unrelated to a

natural grain pattern.

Embossing. Producing a raised pattern by pressure

upon the grain side of leather. The pattern may be on a

plate or roller according to the type of embossing machine.

The engraved embossing plate is mounted on a steamheated chest in the machine.

Embossing Plates. Engraved metal plates used for

embossing leather and other materials.

Emulsifying. Combining two liquids which are not

mutually soluble, such as oil and water, into a homogeneous mixture.

Enameled Hide. Vegetable-tanned hide leather with a

flexible, waterproof, multilayered coating on the grain,

built up in a manner somewhat similar to that used for

patent leather and given a pattern by embossing, in Italy

this leather is generally chrome tanned.

EnameiMng. The name applied to the process of

repeatedly coating the grain side of leather with boiled

linseed oil or cellulose varnish with intermediate drying by

which shining iiphoistery leather is made. The process is

similar tojapanning with the difference that the latter name

is restricted to coating the flesh of the hides with the

varnish. Enamelling is followed by graining or embossing,

while "japanning," which produces patent leather, is kept

plain.

Engine Leather. Leather derived from cattle hide,

vegetable tanned, curried, and rolled hard.

English Welt. A mock welt shoe. {See Mock Welt.)

Enzyme Bates. Artificial bates which owe their activity

to enzyme. Mostly the enzymes present in the pancreatic

fuice, namely trypsin and steapsin, are so utilized. They

dissolve and remove some constituents of the hide.

Enzymes. A soluble, colloidal organic catalyst produced by a living organism. Trypsin, thé most important

enzyme in leather manufacturing, comes chiefly from cattle

pancreas and eertain molds. Tfypsin is the chief ingredient

of Tryptic bates which are enzyme bating materials and of

the enzyme dehairing process. Pureingand bating bacteria

of natural bates act only through the enzymes which they

form and contain.

EptcLermls. The nonsensitive and nonvascular (containing no blood vessels) layer over the dermis. It is formed

by dried and smooth cells mainly and by a transition layer

which contains some soft cells. These layers are removed in

the processes of liming or hair scraping (depilating).

Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate), Oear, colorless,

efflorescent crystals used in large quantities by the tanning

industry. Epson salt is used as a filling agent for sole und

other heavy leathers, in the sour dip used in finishing sole

leather, and in connection with somatanning materials to

produce a light color. It produces a firm and solid conditioa in the leather.

Espadrllira. Plaited shoes of ancient origin, woveil of

hemps, and still worn by the Basques. It is a type of shoe

well suited for wear in the mountains, and like the

moccasin, it yields to every movement of the foot.

Essential Qlls^ A group of volatile oils with

characteristic odors* They have no greasiness and are

unsaponifiable (with the exception of those containing

organic ethers). They often have considerable antiseptic

power and are used somewhat in making leather finishes.

The most important, insofar as thetanningindustry is concerned, is birch oii, which is used to give Russia calf its

characteristic odor. Other essential oils are used when it is

desired to impart a.distinguishing odor to leather, such as

sandalwood, bèrizôin, musk, and others.

European Goatskins. A general term which includes a

number of types ofgoatskins from Europe.

European Sizes. The scale of measurements for

European sho& sizes. It varies from that generally used in

the United States. As the European scale is very rarely

employed in the United States,^ it is not included in this

work.

Extract. In the leather industry it denotes tanning

extract. Extractsmay be solid or liquid.

Extract, ^Iphiied. Extracts which have been treated

with sulphites and bisulphites with or without any organic

acid, soa&to make them more soluble and of a better color.

Extracting, Drumming wrung sole leather from the

layer vats with a concentrated vegetable-tan extract to

incorporate into it as much vegetable tanning material as it

will hold.

Extracting Drum. A large drum in which sole leather is

placed after being taken from the tanning liquors, and in

which it is treated with concentrated vegetable tanning

extract.

Extremes. Country hides weighing from 23 to 45

pounds.

Eyelet Straps. Leather straps or flaps to cover the

eyelets.

24
FRENCH-ENGLISH

(Cuir a n Eau. Pinned Belly, Pinned Shoulder. In

France, no distinction is made between these two types of

leather

(Tanne a F) Ecorce. See Bark Tanned.

(Cuir) Effleure. See Prized Leather.

Effleurure. See Buffing.

(Croupon) Egalise. See Levelled Bend.

Elan. See Elk. In French-speaking areas "elan" refers to

real elkskin only.

(Cuir a) Empeigne. See Elk. "Cuir a empeigne" refers

only to cattle hide leather dressed to be pliable and waterproof and suitable for sports, work or casual footwear.

En Croûte. See Crust Leather. Not to be confused with

"croûte" (Split).

(Cuir a) Equipment. See Cloak Hide.

(Croupon a) Etrlvleres. See Stirrup Butt.

(Cuir) Exotique. In France and Germany, bottom

leather produced from overseas cattle hides of animals

Hving in the wild state.

Epaule. See Shoulder.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

(Cuero para) Empeine Color Natural. See Russet Calf.

(Cuero) Encerado. See Wax Finish.

(Cuero) or Piel) Engrasado. See Curried Leather.

(Cuero) Engrasado para Botas. See Memel.

(Cuero o Piel) Engrasado por Immersldn. See

Dipped Dressed.

(Cuero) Entero. See Full.

(Cuero para) Entresuelas. See Insole Leather.

Espejo. See Shell.

Epidermis. See Epidermis. The epidermis is often called

"cutícula."

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

Erbaroll or Erbarolo. Calfskins of all weights from

calves which have been grass-fed. See Kip or Calf.

Escluslvamente. See Strap Butt.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Echt Saffian. See Hard Grain Goat.

Echt-Sa misch. See Full Oil. Generally

"samischagerbung" is used instead of echt-samisch.

Egalisierter Croupon. See Levelled Bend.

Elchenloh-Gegerbtes Leder. See Oak-Tanned

Leather.

Eingebranntes Leder. See Dipped Dressed.

Elchleder or Elkleder. See Elk.

Emallleleder. See Enameled Hide.

Endzurichtung. See Finished.

25
Face, A portion of a cattle hide covering the head

between the two cheeks, or leather made from these

sections of hide- In the Netherlands, no differentiation is

made between "Face" and "Cheek."

Facing Leather, or Facing Stocks. Light-weight

leather generally used for facing seams and binding the

edges of shoe uppers.

Factory Leather. Sole leather which is commonly used

by shoe manufacturers. It is not quite so heavy, firm, and

dense as that generally used by shoe repairmen, which is

classified as finders' leather. (See also Finders'Leather and

Sole Leathers.)

Fair Stitching. A row of stitches around the outsole

margin of and visible on top of a shoe sole.

Fake. A soft or liquid wax used to obtain a high gloss on

shoe bottoms.

Faking. Putting a high gloss on a shoe bottom with the

use of soft or liquid waxes.

Fallen Hides. Hides taken from cattle which have died

naturally as distinguished from those which have been

slaughtered. There is a large proportion of fallen hides

among Indian hides.

Faiien Stock. Stock which has been depleted from a

swollen condition by bating or treatment with brine.

Failer Box. Box in which faller stock works.

Falter Stock. Hammering or pounding machine used

for making chamois leather.

Falilng. To deplete or remove the swelling oflimed pelts

by bating. (See Bating.)

Falilng Solution. Saturated solution of sodium

chloride, common table salt, used in pickling hides and

skins for export in the pickled condition. It is called falling

solution because the stock previously treated in pickling

with a solution of salt and sulfuric acid falls or loses its

swelling when treated with saturated brine. The process of

removing the swelling of the peltsis known as "Depletion."

Fails. See Gall Nuts.

Fancy Leather. Term used to describe leathers made

from many types of raw material and used for pocket

books, handbags, card cases, and leather-covered

specialities, as distinguished from shoe-upper leather,

harness leather, sole leather, glove leather, etc. The largest

proportion of this class of leather is embossed, decorated,

or printed by stamping designs thereon by means of etched,

engraved, or electrotyped plates or rollers. These designs

may be an imitation of the natural or conventionalized

grain of skins of different animals as well as of an artificial

nature. {See Forel, Grain Forel, Parchment,)

Fancy Stitching. Ornamental stitching on a shoe upper,

as distinguished from the various functional stitching

operations of fitting the upper.

Fancy Trimming. Cutting the leather to give an artistic

pattern.

Farina. Usually starch made from potato, used for

various purposes in leather manufacture.

Farina Liquor. One-bath chrome liquor produced from

bichormate and sulfuric acid reduced with farina. The

hquor produces a plump leather.

Fast to Rubbing. Unchanged by rubbing either wet or

dry.

Fat Ankles. Trade jargon for types of "comfort" shoes

made with uppers especially fitted for large ankles. Sometimes applied to all heavier types of "comfort" shoes and

similar footwear.

Fat Glands. Sebaceous glands situated on either side of

a hair and connected to the follicle by a duct at its upper

part. They contain oily matter or sebum consisting of

lecithin, cholestérols, and in some cases high aliphatic

alcohols.

Fat Tanned. Hide or skin which has been converted into

leather by treatments involving the incorporation of soft

animal fats which undergo chemical changes in contact

with the fiber, leading to fixation of fatty matter. (See

Helvetia Leather.)

Fat Wrinkles. Wrinkles due to fatty growths found on

many immature cowhides and calfskins.

Fat Liquor. An emulsion of oils and greases with soap or

sulfonated oils in which hides and skins are worked after

tanning to lubricate the fibers, add flexibility to the leather,

and increase its strength. A wide variety of oils, greases, and

emulsifying agents are used for the purpose, and fatliquoring processes vary according to the practices of

individual tanners, but the purpose is the same in each

case—to lubricate the fibers and improve the leather. (See

Tanning.)

Fat Liquoring. See Tanning.

Fatty Acids. Any one of a series ofsaturâtedacids-which

occur in the natural fats and are fatlike. Of chief interest in

the tanning industry are oleic, salmetic, and stearic acid.

Faults. Defects in hides, such as cuts and marks, due to

branding, goading, vulture pecking, pox and tick, warble

holes, and hair slips.

Fell. A hide, skin, or pelt.

FeHbeater. A packinghouse worker who removes the

hide from a carcass over the areas from the tail to the hind

legs.

Feiimonger. Person engaged in separating wool from

sheepskin.

Fellmongering. To loosen wool on sheepskin and

lambskin.

Ferrous Sulfate. Also known as iron vitriol, green

copperas, and green vitriol. A hydrous compound of iron,

sulfur and oxygen (Fe SO4 7H2O). It is a green crystalline

salt, soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. It is used by

the leather industry in mordanting and finishing

operations.

Fiber. A slender, threadlike structure. The corium of a

hide or skin is made up of long protein fibers which consist

of fine threadlike units or filaments called fibrils.

Fibroblasts are special cells which spin these fibrils and are

26
responsible for the growth of hide fibers by repeated

additions of fibrils. The hide and skin fibers are arranged

into little groups of fiber bundles, which are interwoven in

such manner that the greatest tensile strength results, yet

the entire mass is supple and pliable. The fibers which are

contained in manufactured products used for various shoe

materials such as fiberboard and leatherboard are usually

leather or plant fibers.

Fiberboard. A term loosely applied to cover a wide

range of composition materials used extensively in making

modern shoes. The term is properly used only when it

describes a material made of fiber substances, such as

hemp, flax, leather, or similar materials, together with

other materials such as paper and a binder.

Fiber, Gelatinous. Fibers which have degraded into a

horny state due to overheating.

Filler. Any substance which is capable of entering into

the voids that exist between the fibers of leather and remain

there. A substance which only adheres to the flesh and grain

of a hide or skin is more properly termed a "weighting

agent." Among the more important filling and weighting

agents in use by the tanning industry are: extracts of vegetable tanning, paper mill waste effluent, barium chloride,

barium sulfate, glucose, flour, and gum.

Filling. Introduction of conditioning substances into the

leather to give weight and body.

Filter Candle. Filter apparatus usually cylindrical in

shape and open at one end, made of unglazed porcelain. It

sucks in the solution through its pores when the open end is

attached to a water jet or a suction pump; used also in

tannin analysis.

Finder. A person who deals in findings and finders'

leather.

Finders' Leather. Very heavy, firm, dense vegetabletanned sole leather used by shoe repairers.

Findings. The small parts of a shoe and numerous materials, other than leather, used in making shoes. Findings

encompass materials such as nails, eyelets, and laces.

Findings are generally sold to shoe repairmen by men

known as finders.

Finish. The final process or processes in the manufacture of dressed leather which improve appearance, feel,

durability, waterproofness, etc.

Finish, Dull, or Mai A finish which leaves the grain of

the leather full and free from glaze.

Finishing, The act of making completely tanned leather

more attractive, serviceable, and durable. The finishing

processes are generally those done at fat liquoring and

drying. Finishing operafions include bleaching, buffing,

snuffing, glazing, rolling, smooth plating, brushing,

embossing, and boarding. Finishing materials include

shellac, algin, waxes, albumin, pigments, and dyes. (See

Tanning, also specific operation or material in abovementioned categories.)

Finishing (Leather). Making completely tanned leather

more attractive, more serviceable, and of greater commercial value by various operations and finishing

processes.

Finishing Materials. Leather-finishing materials are

compounded by the tanner with solvents, driers, disinfectants, etc., or are received in compounds prepared by

leather finish manufacturers. The formulas employed vary

considerably and are far more numerous than the basic

finishing materials.

Finishing Room. One of the major departments of a

shoe factory or tanning plant. In the finishing room of a

shoe factory the bottom of the outsole of a shoe is finished,

lasts are pulled out of the shoe, sock linings or heel pads are

inserted, the bottoms are branded, and various inspection

or operations are performed, varying greatly with the type

and grade of shoe being made.

Fire Dried. Hides cured by being stretched or tied on a

frame and dried over a fire. This method is used in the

damper climates of India.

FIset Wood, Young Fustic. The wood of a southern

European tree of the Rhus CotmussisiTni\y. The wood contains the yellow coloring principle "fisetin" CisHjoO^.

The dyestuff occurs in quebracho wood to a small extent.

Fish Skins. Skins or outer covering of fish. Skins of the

shark are growing in commercial importance. They are

used in making fancy leather goods.

Fish-Tanned SIclns. Tannage effected with fish oil.

Fitting. In shoemaking, the fitting together of the

various parts of a shoe upper and lining, assembling the

outside of the upper with the lining, and completing the

whole upper. These operafions are done in the stitching

room.

Fixed Tannin. Tannin which is chemically fixed by

protein. It is represented by the difference between 100 percent and the sum of the percentage of moisture, oils and

fats, water soluble matter, hide substance, and insoluble

ash in the final tanned product.

Fixing Agent. Chemical or mechanical agent that holds

the mordants, dyes, pigments, or free vegetable tannins on

the leather fibers.

Flaccid. The soft, fallen, flabby condition produced in

pelts by the pureing and bating process; depleted condition

with entire absence of plumpness or rubberiness.

Flank. Side of an animal between the ribs and the hip.

Flank Skins. Skins running thin along the belly and

producing a flat open grain in the leather.

Flaxseed Mucilage. A mucilaginous material produced

by extracting ripe flaxseed with boiling water and straining.

Flaying. The special term used to describe the skinning

operation performed by skilled workmen as a part of

procedure for bovine hides and skins. Flaying is also called

trimming.

Fleece. Woolly covering of a sheep or similar animal.

Flesh Mides. Defécrive hides in which a lot of flesh has

been left with a view of increasing weight.

Flesh Side. Side of the hide where the flesh as opposed

to the hairy or grain side.

Flesh Split. The inner or under layer of a hide or skin,

separated from it by the splitUng machine or leather made

from that p^rt of the hide. (See Split.)

Flesher. Term used to describe a suede-finished flesh27
side or undercut flesh split of a lamb or sheepskin split,

before tanning. (See Chamois.)

Fleshing. Removal of any adipose tissue on the flesh

side of the skins usually done after they have been limed. A

special knife is used for hard fleshing but the process is

mostly carried out by means of a fleshing machine.

Fleshing Beam. Convex sloping platform used asa rest

for the hides and skins during the operation offleshing. It is

usually made of stone or wood and is inclined at an angle of

about 45° with the floor.

Fleshing Knife. A flat curved piece of steel with knife

edges 9 to 11.5 cm. (3.5 to 4.5 inches) apart, used for hand

fleshing of hides.

Fleshing Machine. A machine comprised of a roller

with^harp spiral blades used for fleshing hides and skins.

Fleshings. Bits of flesh removed from the hide by

cutting or scraping in the fleshing operation. Those

removed from the raw hides are called "raw fleshing" and

those removed from the limed hides are known as "limed

fleshing." Both kinds are used for glue manufacture and are

generally called "glue stock."

Flexible Bend. Sole leather bend so tanned and flnished

as to be pliable and supple; sometimes buffed on the grain

and flesh side.

Flexible Split. Pliable, supple bottom leather made

from the flesh split of a cattlehide. In France, this leather is

also made from the split of a horse hide.

Flint Drying. See Air-Dried Hides.

Flints. Air-dried hides.

Floater. A handler pit in which no solid tanning material

is used in laying the hides in the liquor.

Fluorol. See Sodium Fluoride.

Flywlng Grain. A very thin grain split from a sheepskin.

Foalskin. Skin of a colt or filly.

Folding. Also called pressing. Turning over the edge of a

shoe part to form a finished edge. The operation is performed by hand or machine. The edge is first skived (See

also Skiving) and a thin coat of quick-drying cement is

applied to the bevel. Corners and sharp curves are nicked to

permit the continuation of the fold without buíkiness.

Hand folding is done by skilled operators who fold over the

edge and beat it with a hammerto insure complete adhesion

and to flatten the edge. Machine folding is done by two

types of machines. The first is made with a template

matching the shape of the part to be folded; the edge is

folded and pressed together by the action of the template.

The second type of machine folds and presses the çû^Q in a

continuous operation as it is fed through rolls by a skilled

operator.

Follicle. The pocket or indentation ofthe skin surface in

which the hair grows.

Folllcuiar Mange. A hide defect which results when

mange mites make their entrance through the hair follicle

through the skin. The disease is hard to detect unless it is an

advanced state. It usually is not identified by hide

inspection, but may be observed in the tannery when the

leather is spHt into layers.

Football Leather. Leather for covering footballs.

Traditionally of pigskin, but generally today made of

embossed or printed cattlehide leather and sometimes of

sheepskin.

Fore End. A strip of leather of convenient width cut

from the fore end of a bend. (See Range.)

Forel. A grade of parchment made from sheep flesh and

having special properties of surface, color, and so forth,

rendering it suitable for bookbinding and.other luxury

uses. (See Grain Forel.)

Formaldehyde. A coloriess gas, CHjO, with a sharp

odor, formed by the partial combustion ofmethanol and in

other ways. It is a preserafive and disinfectant, and preparations of it, mostly aqueous solutions, are sold under

various trademarks, as Formalin, Formol.

Forntaidehyde Tanned. Hides and skins converted

into leather by treatment with Formaldehyde (formalin).

(See Aldehyde Leather, Combination Tanned, Doeskin,

Formaldehyde.) The aqueous solution of CH 2 O is clear,

colorless, and poisonous.

Formalin. A 40-percent solution of formaldehyde, a

tanning agent often used as a hardening agent forcasein in

leather finishes.

Formalité. S^^ Formaldehyde.

Formic Acid. An organic liquid acid which is a compound of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen (HCOOH). It is

colorless, has a pungent odor, and is dangerously caustic

and corrosive. Formic acid is used in formates, dyeing and

finishing of textiles and leather, and in tanning.

Formic Aldehyde. See Formaldehyde.

Formol. See Formaldehyde.

Foxing. The back part of a shoe upper from shank to

heel.

Foxsklfts. Skins of foxes valued for their fur.

Frame Drying. A process of drying hides whereby they

are stretched on a frame in the sun. The strength is more

lengthwise than breadthwise. Hides are dried this way in

the less technologically advanced and the drier regions of

the world.

French Antelope Lambskins. Tanned in France.

French, Spanish, Algerian, and Balkan skins with a

lustrous suede finish; in the United States French Antelope

Finish is applied to suede leathers made from South

American and New Zealand pickled lambskins.

French Cording. Finishingthe top edge of a shoe upper

with a narrow fabric binding. A common type of bound

edge is made by folding and stitching in place a narrow strip

of fabric over the top edge of the upper after the lining has

been stitched in. The full face of the binding (about halfthe

full width ) is visible on the outside and inside of the upper

edge.

French cording is a more difficult form of binding and

produces a very attractive edge. The binding is faced on the

outside of the upper, before the lining has been stitched in,

and is stitched close to the top tdgQ. It is then folded over

the upper edge and cemented to the underside ofthe upper,

after which the outside and lining are top stitched together;

the lining is trimmed and the edge is finished with a fine

cord of fabric.

French Kid or French Finish. Leather tanned from

kidskin by an alum or vegetable process. In the glove trade.

28
it is usually called "Real Kid." As the name implies, the

original "French Kid" was made in France and since it was

a distinctive finish, the term was later applied to the same

kind of leather made in other countries.

French Morocco. Misleading name for leather similar

in appearance to Morocco but made from sheepskins. Use

of this term should be discouraged.

Fresh Hides. Undressed, uncured hides taken directly

from an animal's carcass.

Frigorífico IMethod of Curing. The curing process

developed by Argentine meat packers. The animals are

bathed thoroughly before slaughter, and after flaying, they

are again washed very thoroughly in water. The hair side is

scraped under a spray and the flesh side is brushed and

surplus flesh is cut away. The hides are then soaked for 48

hours in a brine pickle, drained, and then salted down in

much the same manner as the green salted method. (See

Curing.)

In areas where agitated brine curing is used, the hides are

allowed to stay in the brine solution for 24 hours and then

drained. Agitated brine curing is predominately used for

unfleshed hides, and pit or still brine curing is generally

employed for curing fleshed hides.

Fringed Tongue. See Tongue.

Frized Leather or Frizing. (See Mocha.)

Frog Leather. Leather made from the skins of a species

of giant frog found in Brazil. ît has a distinctive grain and

pattern, resembling the skins of domestic frogs. It is used as

a women's shoe upper leather, trim, etc., in limited

quantities. If stimulated by embossing and printing on

other leathers, such simulations should be described as frog

grained leather.

Front. The forepart of a raw cattle or horse hide. When

applied to a cattle hide, it consists ofthe shoulders and foreshanks. When applied to a horse hide, it consists of

approximately two-thirds of the hide forepart. Also,

leather made from this section of hide. In Italy, the term is

applied only to cattle hides when tanned. In Spain and the

United Kingdom the term is used only in referring to horse

hides.

Front Gore. See Goring.

Fudging. Wheeling the edge of a shoe sole in imitation

of Goodyear welt stitching.

Fuli. Indicates leather made from the unsplit. or full

thickness of, hide or skin, e.g., full sheep. These terms are

used extensively in the United Kingdom and Europe. (See

Basil, Roan, Skiver, Split Hide.)

Fuii Chrome (Tanned). The adjective "full" is sometimes added to "chrome tanned" to emphasize that the

leather has not been tanned by the semi-chrome or combination chrome processes.

Fuli Grain: Fuii Top Grain. First cut taken from the

hair side ofthe hide from which nothing except the hair and

associated epidermis has been removed and which is of

sufficient weight to make it suitable for upholstery

purposes. Scars, scratches, or other imperfections may be

lightly buffed or corrected, but the total area so affected

shall not exceed 5 percent of the total surface of the hide.

Generally, this leather has undergone no buffing, snuffing,

or splitting.

Fuii Oii (Tanned). The adjective "full" is sometimes

added to the term "oil tanned" to emphasize that the leather

has not been tanned by the combination oil process.

Fur. Skins of wild animals, covered with short fine hair,

which are tanned or dressed for garments.

Fur Finished Shearling. Tanned and dressed sheepskin, bearing short or medium length wool, which has been

treated by a process to straighten and brighten the wool.

(See Shearling.)

Fur Tanning. Process of tanning or dressing furs,

different from the process of tanning other varieties of

leather in that liming and deliming are omitted.

Furniture Leather. See Upholstery Leather.

Fustic. A yellow dye obtained from the wood of the

Chlorophora tinctoria, a tree of tropical America known

also as Cuba wood and yellow Brazil wood. Thedyestuff is

extracted by leaching and is sold to the tanner as a fluid or

solid extract. This dye is usually used with chromium, tin,

or aluminum mordants. Fustic is the same type of mordant

as logwood.

FRENCH-ENGLISH

Finissage. See Finish.

Flanc. See Belly.

Flanc a TEau. See Pinned Belly.

Flanc Scié. See Belly Grain.

Fleur. See Grain.

(Pleine) Fleur. See Full Grain.

Fieur Corrigée. See Corrected Grain.

Fleur Refendue. See Grain Split.

Fleur (Couche) Superficielle. See Grain Layer.

Fleurs. See Skiver. Generally, "scié" is used instead of

fleurs.

(Cuir) Flexible. In France, Germany, and Spain, bottom

leather which is very soft and supple and is suited for

sewing. In Germany, it is called flexibelvache; in Spain, it is

called cuero flexible.

(Croupon) Flexible. See Flexible Bend.

(Croiite) Flexible. See Flexible Split.

(Tannage au) Formaldehyde. See Formaldehyde

Tanned.

(Cuir pour) Fouet de Chasse. See Picking Band

Leather.

Fronton. See Face.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

(Medio Crupdn para) Fabricación de Calzado. See

Manufacturing Bend.

Falda. See Belly.

Falda Cilindrada. See Pinned Bellv.

29
Falda Olvldlda. See Belly Grain.

Falda para Viras. See Welting Leather.

Fierros. Branding irons.

Flexible. A word meaning "flexible" used in terms such

as "cuero flexible" and "medio crupin flexible."

Flor. See Buffing.

Flor Aserrada. See Buffing,

Flor Corregida. See Corrected Grain.

Flor Crispada. See Shrunken Grain Leather.

(Guero <ie) Flor Intacta. Leather which maintains the

original grain layer.

(Cuero de) Flor Lastimada. Damaged grain; any defect

in the grain caused by a disease of the skin or by parasites.

(Cuero de) Flor Lisa. Leather on which the grain has

been wrinkled or engraved.

Flor de las Indias. See Skiver.

Flor de Piel Cabria. See Goat Skiver.

Flor de Piel Lanar. See Skiver.

(Cuero de) Flor Raspada. Leather whose grain layer has

been strongly scraped

Flor Subida. (Rugosa or Áspera). See Pebbled Grain.

(Piel de) Foca. See Pin Seal.

Fondos de Calzado. See Botton Leather. In Spain and

most Spanish-speaking countries the following types are

considered bottom leather: cuero para viras; cuero para

suelas; cuero para entresuelas; falda para viras; cuero

flexible; cuero para medias suelas; palmilla plantillas;

serrajes.

Forro Carnaza. A high-quality thin cowhide of El

Salvador used for linings of shoes.

Forro Color Natural. See Russet.

(Cuero or Piel) Fresco. Skin recently removed from the

slaughtered animal which has no preparation or preservation applied. Washing is not considered a

preparation.

Frigorífico. See Frigorifico Method of Curing. A brine

cure process using frigorifico method is a "frigorifico."

(Cuero para) Fuelles. See Bellows Leather.

Fuenteados. That defect which is caused in the skinning

and in some operations of tanning, when some portions of

the hide on the side of flesh are separated in several parts

and in an irregular form, leaving only the grain.

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

Flore dl Pelle Ovina. See Skiver.

Flore Intero. See Full Grain.

Flore Pergamentlno. See Grain Forel.

FjOre Raggrlnzlto. See Drawn Grain.

Flore Spaccato. See Grain Split.

Fodere Naturall. See Russet,

Frassame. See Offal.

FroTitate. 5ee Face.

GÈKMAN-ENGLISH

Fabrikationsvache. In Germany, bottom leather

produced by modern tanning methods, not necessarily

vegetable, and used in the matiufacture of new footwear.

Fabrlkationsvache-Croupon. See Manufacturing

Bend.

Fatilfutterleder. See Russet.

FelL S'ee^kin.

Fensterleder. See Wash Leather. Generally,

"Waschleder" is used instead of "fensterleder,"

Fettgerbung. See Fat Tanned.

Fétt7Mr4chtMng. See Curried Leather.

Ftanke. 5ee Belly.

Flankenmlttelstuck. See Belly Middle.

Flelschspalt. 5ee Flesh Split.

Flegrs. 5ee Skiver. Generally, skiver is used instead of

fleurs.

Flexibelcroijpon. See Rexible Bend.

Flexibelspalt. 5ee Flexible Spht.

Flexibelvache. See (Cuir) Ftexible, Fr.

Foltenleder. In France and Germany, leather covered

with a sheet of a fîlm of plastic or other artificial material

which gives it the appearance ofpatent leather. The French

term, "cuir plaque" or "eroute plaque" must be

accompanied bylhe word indicating the nature of the material used, e.g., vinyK polyester, etc.

Formatdehygerbung. Formaldehyde tanned.

PORTUGUESi>ENGLISH

(Couro) Fresco. Green, untanned hide.

Flanco. See Belly.

Flanco Cllindrato. See Pinned Belly.

Flanco Flore. See Belly Grain.

Flanco per Guardólo. See Welting Leather.

Ffhitoair Anilina. See Anline Stained.

Flnto Castoro. See Beaver Lamb.

Flore. See Grain.

Flore Corretto. See Corrected Grain.

Flore dt Capra. See Goat Skiven

Flore dt Metlccio Delle Indie. See Skiver.

HINDKENGLISH

(Also Other Indian Languages)

Firmas. Frame-dried hides. See Frame Drying.

Firtas. Hides which have been rejected and excluded

from leather making. Rejections generally have too many

visible signs of poor handling either while the animal is

alive or after it has been slaughtered.

Formas. Frame-dried hides.

30
Gadfly. A fly (tropical biting fly), which pierces the skin of

cattle and horses and sucks blood, which may lend to sores.

Gall Fly. An insect causing gall.

Gall Nuts, Falls, Oak Falls. They are the best known of

the vegetable galls (abnormal accumulation of plant tissue

caused through external parasitic influence) used for

tanning, especially those which have been known in the

trade as Mecca, Aleppo, or Turkish galls. They are considered to be derived from those trees of the Fagaceae

family which grow in Asia Minor and eastern

Mediterranean countries. The best gall is obtained before

the insect escapes. The tannin content of the Turkish galls

may vary between 36 and 58 percent. The aqueous extract is

said to contain free gallic acid in addition to the tannin,

and an easily soluble form of ellagic acid. The tannin is not

homogenous and is stated to be built up as poly-galloylellagic acid.

Gambal. The spreading piece used for suspending

carcasses from hooks for flaying. Also called "gambrel" or

"spreader."

Gambler. Extract from the leaves and twigs of a

climbing shrub of the Rubiceae family which grows in

Malaysia. The extract is used in tanning. It is put on the

market in the form of small cubes and in blocks containing

both "catechin" and "cutch." The former is called cube

gambler and the latter block gambier. Gambier is valued in

tanning as a mild or mellow tanning material.

Ganjams. Variety of cowhides, generally of poor quality

and selection, obtainable from southern India.

Gas Lime. Slaked lime employed for removing carbon

dioxide, carbon disulphide, and hydrogen sulphide from a

gas.

Gas Meter Leather. Leather used for the diaphragms of

gas meters, capable of being rendered air-tight by

impregnation with oils.

Gasket Leather. See Harness Leather.

Gater. An instrument to pulverize by rubbing.

Gear Leather. See Harness Leather.

Gelatin. An organic collodial substance made from

animal bones, skins or hide fragments. Used in leather

finishes to produce a tough film on the leather. Glue is an

impure form of gelatin. (See also Glue.)

Gem Duck. A heavy duck fabric which is cemented with

a latex adhesive to leather insoles, used in making most welt

construction footwear.

Genuine. The word is used commercially in connection

with many types of upper leather to designate the class of

leather generally accepted by the trade as the standard for

the type. It does not always signify the derivation of the

leather from the skins of the animals named, ahhough it

may be so used. An example of the use of "genuine" to

signify an acceptable trade definition may be found in the

term "genuine Chamois." Chamois leather is not now made

from the skin of the mountain goat bearing the same name,

but from oil-tanned sheepskin. Leather described as

"genuine chamois" must be made from such sheepskin and

by the specified tanning process.

Germicide. An agent which destroys germs or

microorganisms.

Germantown Black. See Lampblack.

Gill Box Leather. A leather used in connection with

textile machinery, similar to comber leather. (See Comber

Leather.)

Glacé. On the Continent of Europe, especially in connection with gloving leathers, a brush dyed leather

normally prepared by tanning with a mixture of alum, salt,

flour, and egg yolk. In Spain and the United Kingdom a

leather finished on the grain side with a bright, smooth,

glossy or glasslike surface obtained, according to the type

of leather, by glazing, ironing, or polishing. iSee Glacd

Goat, Glacé Kid, Gloving Kid.)

Glacé Goat. Leather made from goatskin finished as

glacé kid with a smooth, glossy grain surface but semichrome or vegetable tanned. In Italy, this leather maybe

chrome tanned, synthetic tanned, or alum tanned.

Glacé Kid. Upper leather made from kid or goatskin by

a full chrome tanning process and given a smooth, bright,

glossy finish. When the term is applied to gloving leather, it

is a synonym of gloving kid. (See Chevrette.)

Glass Paper. Powdered glass glued on paper for

abrasive purposes.

Glass Slicker. Glass plate with smoothened and

rounded ends, set in a wooden holder for setting out and

polishing leather by hand.

Glassing. Producing a bright finish on the grain by

means of a glass slicker.

Glassing Jack. Glazing machine.

Glauber's Salt. The hydrated grade of sodium sulfate

(Na2S04 IOH2O) named for its discoverer, Johann

Rudolf Glauber, a Bavarian alchemist of the 17th century.

Glauber's salt is produced in large transparent crystals or as

small needles similar to Epsom salt. It is used in some

tanning operations, chiefly in certain unhairing methods,

as a tannin fixative; in some processes of tanning white

leathers, to raise the pH value of acid solutions (make them

more basic).

Glazed Finish. High gloss given to leather after tanning

by a roller of agate, glass, or steel under heavy pressure.

Glazed Kid. See Glacé Kid.

Glazing. The process of giving a glazed finish;

producing a bright, glassy polish on finished light leathers

by means of friction.

Glazing Glass. A roller made of glass used in the glazing

machine.

Glazing Machine. A machine, fitted with glazing glass,

used for polishing and glazing leather.

Grazing Roller. A solid cylindrical piece of glass, agate,

or steel used in a glazing machine for polishing leather.

Glove. A cover for the hand having a separate sheath for

each finger and thumb. Made in innumerable designs and

31
of a wide variety of materials, of which leather is one ofthe

most popular.

Glove and Garment Leathers. Any type of leather

used in the making of gloves or garments. Trade

terminology often defines all leathers into loose classifications of show, upholstery, glove, garment, bag, harness

leathers, etc. These broad classifications include many

kinds of leather used for the same purpose and many kinds

of leather may also be used for more than one purpose.

Hence, the reader must bear in mind that glove and

garment leathers are not types of leather, but a group of

leathers suited to these purposes.

Numerous types of leather are used for making gloves

and garments, though generally these are tanned and

finished differently from shoe upper leathers and leathers

used for other purposes.

Among the types of leather used for garments are cattle

hide, kipskins, calfskins, sheep and lamb leathers, goat and

kid leathers, horsehide leathers, and deerskin.

These same leathers are also used for gloves, with the

addition of pigskin, napa leather, mocha leather, peccary

leather, and carpincho leather.

All of these leathers will be found more fully described

under their individual subject headings.

The use of leather for garments is older than for any

other purpose, antedating probably by a long time the

origin of leather footwear. Primitive man went barefoot,

but the dwellers of Central Europe during the Stone Age,

living in a climate of Siberian cold, trapped animals or

killed them with primitive stone weapons, ate their flesh,

and tanned their skins for clothing as protection from the

endless cold.

Twenty thousand years before Christ, the skins of the

Siberian rhinoceros, the reindeer, lemming, bear, and other

animals of the period were tanned by primitive methods

and fashioned into clothing. The skins were sewed together

in styles that were purely functional and worn until they

probably became encrusted with dirt and heavy with grease

and human sweat, when they were replaced by the simple

process of organizing another hunting expedition and

family tailoring project. Today, leathers used for garments

are far different; styles include the finest of evening dress,

sport clothes, and even leather underwear. (Promotion of

the latter just recently commenced.)

Glove Leather. Term covering two distinct classes:

I. The leather used for dress gloves, including those for

street, riding, sports wear. Tanned predominately from

sheepskins and lambskins and to a lesser degree from skins

of deer, pig, goat, and kid; 2, The leather used for

utilitarian work gloves, made of a variety of hides and

skins, especially horsehides, cattlehide splits, calfskins,

sheepskins, and pigskins.

Glove Splits. Split leathers used for work gloves. {See

Split Leather.)

Gloving Kid. A soft grain gloving leather, of continental

origin, capable of being considerably stretched without

springing back. Made from kid skin and tawed with a

mixture of alum, salt, flour, and egg yolk. Sometimes

retanned with chrome salts. Sometimes called Glacé Kid.

In Spain, gloving kid is usually tanned with chrome salts.

(See Glacé Kid.)

Glue. An impure form of gelatin which is made in the

same manner as gelatin except that the raw stock is not as

carefully selected or cleaned. Glue is used to some extent in

leather finishes. {See also Gelatin.)

Glue Stock. The trimmings and fleshings taken from

hides and skins before they are tanned are used for glue

stock. Those from calfskins are used to make gelatin and

those from heavy hides are used for glue. Very badly

putrefied hides are also classed as glued stock or g\\\Q.iSee

also Gelatin and Glue.)

Glycerin. Also known as glycerol, giycyt alcohol, and

propenyl alcohol. A clear sirupy, sweet liquid

(C31-15(01-13)3 ). It is soluble in water and alcohd and

insoluble in ether. It is used for many industrial purposes,

among which are leather finishing and bleaching.

Goad Marks. Punctures on the butt of the hide caused

by the use of a goad on the living animal. The damage is

usually serious.

Goat Skiver. Th^ tanned grain split of a goatskin.

Goatskin. The skin of a mature goat or leather made

therefrom.

Gold Kid. See Gold and Silver Leather.

Gold and Silver Leather. Leather with a coating of

gold, aluminum, other metal or alloy, in the form of leaf or

foil, natural or, in the case of gold leather, tinted with

solvent soluble dyes. Mainly produced from goat or

kidskins or sheepskins.

Goldbeater's Skin. A material used by goldbeaters in

hammering pieces of gold or alloy, in the form of leaf or

foil. Presently goat or kidskins or sheepskins are used.

Formally it was prepared from the outside membrane of

large intestines of neat cattle (cattle of the oxen type).

Goran. Ashrub or small tree of the Rhizophoraceae

family found on the east coast of India, Ceylon, and

various parts of Malaysia. The bark (tannin content, 20 to

37 percent) and the leaves (tannin content, 9 to 15 percent)

are important tanstuffs. The bark imparts a red color to the

leather which can be avoided to a large extent by blending it

with the barks of other shrubs or by decolorizing and

bleaching.

Gore Panel. See Goring.

Goring. A woven fabric with rubber threads, so made

that it forms an elastic material. It is used in footwear as an

insert in numerous ways.

Goskinn. Veals. Swedish calfskins between a salted

weight of 3.5 and 11 kilos from calves which have been fed

on milk only.

Gothar or Bhander Katber. A wild tree of the

Rhamnaceae family, the fruits and bark of which yield a

vegetable tan material. The bark contains about 7 percent

and the fruit 23 percent tannin. It produces a good leather

but results in much mucilage.

Gouch. Flaying defect of hides caused by the removal of

the substance ofthe hide, creatinga depression or pit on the

flesh side.

Gouge. A chisel with a hollow blade used for cutting

grooves or holes.

32
Grain. Indicates the outer or hairside of hide or skin in

cases where it is split into two or more thicknesses, or to

unspHt skins which are finished on the grain side.

Grain Box. Square grain; grain characteristics produced

when calf and side leather are boarded from neck to neck

and from belly to belly.

Grain Forel. In Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, a

grade of parchment made from unsplit sheepskin and

having special properties ofsurface, color, etc., rendering it

suitable for bookbinding and fancy purposes. {See Forel,

Parchment.)

Grain Lac. See Shellac.

Grain Layer. The top layer of the corium including the

hair folHcles. The individual fibers of this layer are finer

than those in the rest of the corium.

Grain Leatlier. Leather which has the grain layer substantially intact and is finished on the grain side.

Grain IVIemel. Grain characteristics produced when calf

and suede leathers are boarded diagonally.

Grain Pattern. See Grain.

Grain Quality. Quality of the grain, its smoothness and

fineness and freedom from flaw, such as scratches,

wrinkles, growth marks. This is one of the most important

considerations in appraising the value of leather.

Grain Roiier. Machine used to smooth the grain so as to

bring out a full luster and a smooth feel.

Grain Side. See Grain Layer.

Grain Scratcties. Damages caused on the grain by

thorns, barbed wire, etc.

Grain Split. The outer (wool or hair) side layer of a hide

or skin that has been split into two or more layers. (5*^^

Grain.)

Grained Leather. Any leather on which the original

natural grain has been highlighted by a finishing process.

Graining. Working up the grain pattern by pushing or

pulling a fold in the skin by means of a cork board which

"grips or bites" that part of the skin with which it is in contact. The skins are also broken up and softened by the

process. (See Boarding.)

Grainy Leather. Leather with too coarse a grain. Also,

leather showing marbled grain.

Gramier. Type of surface crystalizer in which the

sodium chloride, common table salt, crystals are raked to

one end by a reciprocating mechanism, allowed to drain on

an inclined table and get discharged.

Glasser. Calf or kipskin taken from animals that are

poorly fed and possess coarser grain.

Grassers. Calfskins or kips which have a coarser grain

due to poor animal feeding.*

Grasslcinn Grassers. Swedish calfskins up to 11 kilos,

from calves which have eaten grass as the primary feed.

Green Copperas. See Ferrous Sulfate.

Green Fleshing. Fleshing in the raw state.

Green Hides. Hides which have not been salted, dried,

or otherwise cured for preservation.

Green Hides and Skins. Freshly flayed hides and skins.

Green Pigments. The green pigments used by the

leather industry consisting of pure green chrome oxides

and chromium hydroxide. No other green pigments are

obtainable. There are three shades of pure green chrome

oxide. These are prepared from bichromates by processes

which produce light, medium, and dark shades. Chromium

hydroxide is also obtained as a byproduct in the manufacture of saccharine and from this source, chrome green is

also obtained.

Green Salting. See Curing.

Green Stiffness. An intensly swollen condition of hides

and skins caused by very alkaline lime liquor. Hides and

skins get very plumped and stiff and become almost transparent with a slight greenish hue.

Green Vitriol. See Ferrous Sulfate.

Green Weight. Weight of raw hides and skins, prior to

any treatment.

Ground Drying. Sun drying of hides and skins for

which they are stretched on the ground, flesh side uppermost, and either weighted down with stone or pegged to the

ground through holes around the edges.

Ground Hair. Young hair which is growingand is, therefore, still small and thin, also called short hair. This does

not become loose in Hming as quickly as old hair does

because its root is more firmly embedded in the skin and is

not easily removed by the action of depilants.

Grub. Also called warble fly. The cause of extensive and

widespread damaging of hides and skins. Two species ofthe

grub fly infest animal hides, one of which lays several eggs

in a row, while the other lays them singly. The eggs are laid

on the animal's hair. A single fly is capable, during its life

cycle, of hatching 200 to 500 eggs. The eggs are hatched in

less than a week and the larvae travel down the hair and

enter the animal's skin. Within a day or two, a small scab

forms to close the opening through which they entered. In

time, they burrow about in the skin and finally may escape

through pores. If the animal is slaughtered before their

escape or soon after, the hide will show "open grubs,"

sometimes very large. If escape has preceded slaughter long

enough for the grub hole to heal, the hide will be scarred

with "healed grubs."

Grub Allowance. An allowance for grub damage to

hides, which is based on the average damage in 20 hides.

The selected hides are spread on the floor and the

purchaser's agent, using a spade, finds as many grubs as

possible. When all the grubs have been found, to a limit of

five, another hide is examined, and so on. If the first

sampling is not satisfactory to either buyer or seller,

another 20 hides are examined, and the allowance is based

upon the 40 hides.

Grubby Hides. Hides full of warbles.

Grubs. Larvae of the warble or bot flies which damage

the hides by puncturing holes along either side of the spinal

line.

Gum Arabic. Also known as acacia. Yellowish-white to

light-amber lumps obtained as a dried gummy exudation

from the Acacia Senegal and other species of the

Leguminosae group. The plants are native to Africa,

Arabia, Egypt, and India. The gum is soluble in water. It is

used by the shoe and leather industry as an adhesive and in

fat-liquoring emulsions and leather finishes.

Gum Lac. See Shellac.

33
Gum Tragacanth. Similar to gum arabic and obtained

in similar form, though not from the same sources. It swells

in water and is soluble in alkaline solutions and in aqueous

hydrogen peroxide solutions. It is used in large quantities in

the making of leather finishes.

Gum Tragasol. A gum obtained from the seeds of the

locust bean. It is favored for some types of leather finishes

because of its filling and binding power.

Gun Metal. Term used to describe a dull finish of the

shade of gun metal on leather. Brighter than a mat finish.

It is generally tanned in chrome or mixture tannin.

Gusset. A small tapering piece of leather inserted in

some gloves and infrequently in some forms of footwear, to

provide additional width or strength in the completed

product.

Gypsum Stains. Marks caused by contact with calcium

sulphate.

Gypsum Seam. See Seam.

Gypsum Vamp. See Vamp.

FRENCH-ENGLISH

Glacé. See Glacé.

Glacé au Plonger. In Spain and France, a drum-dyed

grain leather softer than clothing nappa and without a pigmented finish.

(Cuir) Graine See Embossed Leather. Generally cuir

imprimé is used instead of cuir graine.

(Cuir) Gras. See Impregnated Leather.

SPANISH-ENGUSH

Gamuza. See Chamois. For Colombia and Argentina,

see Suede.

Gamuza de Cabra. See Chamois Goat.

Gamuza de Ciervo. See Buckskin.

Gamuza de Cuero Vacuno. See Buff Leather.

(Piel or Cuero) Grabado. See Embossed Leather.

(Piel or Cuero) Graneado. See Boarded Leather.

Graneado a Mano. See Boarded Leather: literal translation is hand boarded.

Guantería Lavable. See Wash Leather.

(Cuero para) Guarniciones de Carda. See Card

Leather.

Guarnlmentera. See Harness Leather.

Gamuzon. In El Salvador a calfskin used for shoe

manufacture. In other Spanish-speaking countries, 5^^ the

Spanish Gamuza.

(Cuero para) Guarniciones. See Harness Leather.

"Guarnimentera" is used more frequently than "cuero para

guarniciones."

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

Grana Bicolore. See Antique Grain.

Grana Tonda. See Pebbled Grain.

Groppone. See Butt.

Groppone Equino. See Horse Butt.

Groppone per CInghle Dl Trasmlsslone. See Belting

Butt.

Groppone per Staffllt. See Stirrup Leather.

Groppone Scamosclato. See Suede Finish.

Groppone SImplicemente Conclato per CInghle di

Trasmlsslone. See Strap Butt.

Guanti. (Capretto per GuantI) See Gloving Kid.

Guardólo. (Flanco per Guardólo, Spalla per

Guardólo, Strlscia per Guardóla.) See Welting Belly.

Guarnlzlone. See Vegetable Tanning.

Guarnlzlonl. (Cuolo per Guarnlzloni) See Hydraulic

Leather.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Ganaleder. See Sole Leather.

Garnituren. See Offal.

Gasmessebeleder. See Gas Meter Leather.

Gedeckt. See Pigment Finished.

Gekrispelters Leder. See Boarded Leather.

Gerben. See Tanning.

Geschirrleder. See Harness Leather.

Geschliffenes Narbenleder. See Buffed Leather.

Glacé. See Glacé.

Glanzstoben. See Glazing.

Gold-Und Sllberleder, Goldzickelleder. See Gold

and Silver Leather.

HINDI-ENGLISH

(Also Other Indian Languages)

Goshap. See Lizard Skins.

34
H

Haematin, Hematefn, Haematetn. The color-giving

principle of logwood is haematoxylin which, on oxidation

produces haematein, the real coloring matter with which

iron or titanium mordants produce bluish black; with

copper mordants, a greenish-blue-colored leather.

Haematin is also a name given to logwood extract by some

manufacturers. Henol HemoUne is another name given to

logwood by other manufacturers. {See also Logwood.)

Haematoxylin. Colorless crystaHine compound

occurring in logwood, and easily oxidizable to the dye

hematein.

Hair. A slender threadlike outgrowth of an animal, made

of dead cells which are completely cemented together. They

grow out of tubes of epidermis sunk into the dermis, the

hair follicles. Hair is composed of a cuticle on the outside,

usually a medulla in the center and a cortex between the

two. The color of the hair often determines its value. For

example, black cow hair is less valuable than white cow

hair. Hair taken from skins and hides in depilation is used

extensively in the stuffing of furniture, making carpets,

plastering, and various other industrial and commercial

uses.

Hair Defects. Faults pertaining to hair.

Hair Line. The line that marks the variation of the

growth of hair on the front and butt of a horse hide. This

line crosses the hide about three-fourths of the way back

from the head.

Hair Papillae. A projection from the dermis into the hair

bulb through which nourishment is supplied to the growing

hair.

Hair Pulp. The pulp to which the hair is reduced by

strong solutions of sodium sulphide or alkali.

Hair Root. The portion of the hair which remains in the

skin.

Hair Sheep. Type of sheep bearing hair instead ofwool.

The leather has a finer and firmer grain than that of a

wooled sheep. See Bastard.

Hair Side. The side of the hide or skin on which the hair

grows; the grain side.

Hair Slip. Slipping or loosening of the hair in hides or

skins due to putrefaction. If the slip is not very bad, passable leather can be made but if advanced too far, the hide is

useless to the tanner and can only be made into glue. Badly

slipped hides are, therefore, often called "glue" or "glue

stock."

Haitian Goatskins. Goatskins from the West Indies

whose name is derived from Haiti, their place of origin.

Haitian goatskins are fine grained and the takeoff runs

from fair to poor. They are generally airdried.

Half Baclc. Part of a raw half cattle hide (or side) that

remains after the removal of the belly. It corresponds in

area to the croupon with half shoulder with or without the

cheek. This same part of the raw hide without the cheek is

called the back in North America. The term also applied to

leather made from this section of hide.

Half Front. Half of the front part of the horse hide.

Half Hair and Up. The term denotes hides with hair of

average or more than average length and thickness, and is a

trade specification for the winter hides. Hides that are

taken off and cured in the drier months are sounder than

those cured during the rainier seasons. In many tropical

countries, the dry season corresponds to the winter when

the hair of the cattle is usually long thick and shiny.

Half Round. An old trade term describing a rounded-toe

shoe, the shape and size of which corresponds to the halfcircumference of a half-dollar.

Half Tanned Hides. Lightly vegetable-tanned hides

manufactured and exported extensively from the Madras

and Bombay sections of India. They are also called East

India tanned kips and they consist mostly of cowhides and

to some extent light buff hides. The term "halftanned" is in

fact a misnomer.

Hand Boarded. See Boarded Leather.

Hand Buffed. See Buffed Leather.

Hand Buffs. Designation for the upholstery leather split

which is the same as the top grain except that the surface

has been slightly shaved.

Hand Crushed Leather. See Crushed Leather.

Hand Fleshings. Removal of flesh by a special type of

hand knife from hides and skins. For this, the hide is spread

over a beam with the flesh side up.

Hand Glazing. Glazingwitha glass slicker by hand. The

leather is spread over a table, grain side up, and is rubbed

with the slicker to get a shine on the leather. See Glazing.

Hand Grained. Grain which has been raised or worked

up by hand.

Hand Scudding. See Scudding.

Hand Seasoning. Hand application of seasoning

solution with a soft bristly brush or plush pen on leather

spread on a table, grain side up.

Hand Shaving. Scraping the flesh side of leather with a

hand shaving knife to make the substance uniform and of

desired thickness. {See Shaving.)

Hand Staking. Mechanical softening of leather by

drawing it against a hand staker with considerable pressure

so as to stretch and open up the fibers.

Hand Stock. Name for dry-salted goatskins in the

American market.

Hand Stuffing. Incorporation, in the currying process,

of grease into some varieties of vegetable-tanned leather by

the application of suitable grease mixture, known as

dubbin, with a hand brush to well set semimoist (tanned)

leather.

Handbag Leather. Any leather used in making ladies'

handbags. The most commonly used leathers for handbags are calf, patent, kid, goat, and sheep. Embossed grains

and quilted leathers are frequently used, although grain

and suede finishes are more common. Other light leathers

are also used for handbags, including many fancy leathers.

Hankow Goatskins. Goatskins from southern China.

35
These skins are fine grained and short haired. They are

relatively well taken off and free from defects.

Handler. One of the three liquors currently used in

modern sole leather tannage. The three are: suspender

liquors, handler liquors, and layers. The handlers are those

which follow the suspender liquors. They are stronger than

the suspender liquors. The hides are laid flat in the handler

liquors. On alternate days, the hides are hauled from the pit

and the liquor is strengthened. These liquors derive their

name from this frequent handlmg.

Handler Vat. The vat in a tan yard containing the

handler liquor.

Handling. Hauling the hides from and laying them

down into the liquor of the handler pits.

Hard Grain Goat. Goatskin leather with a characteristic pinhead grain pattern, produced by hand boarding,

after glazing, in a wet condition in at least four directions;

vegetable tanned. In Germany, also combination tanned

and especially sumac tanned.

Hard Toe Shoe. A shoe with an extra-hard box toe to

protect the wearer.

Harness Leather. Harness leather is finished by stuffing

it with oils and greases, blacking it, and then waterproofing it by dipping it into molten paraffin wax. After

cooling, the excess wax is removed from the grain side and

the leather is polished.

Hart. The stag or male deer.

Hartshorn Salt. Salt made from chippings or shavings

of horns of harts, formerly the main source of ammonia.

Hasteners. Special preparations which are blended with

other tanning materials to quicken the process of tanning.

Also called Accelerations.

Hat Leather. Leather, usually sheepskin or calfskin,

used for sweat bands in hats. Also called "hatband leather."

In the United Kingdom, a type of hydraulic leather.

Head. That part of the hide which is cut off at the flare

into the shoulder.

Head Splitting. Same as Cheeking.

Head Vat. The tanning vat in a series that contains the

strongest tan liquor; usually the vat from which the stock is

taken from a series after vegetable tanning.

Header. A packinghouse worker who specializes in the

removal of the hide only from the head and face of the

carcass.

Heat Test. A test applied to certain light-finished

leathers and shearling skins, such as alum-, formaldehyde-,

and oil-tanned skins. The test is made by placing a piece of

the leather in water, applying heat, and noting the temperature at which the sample will curl or shrink.

Heated Hides. Hides in which putrefaction hasset in.

So-called because heat is generated during putrefaction

and also because a rise in temperature hastens putrefaction.

This is noticed from hair sHps.

Heavy Leather. The term is self-explanatory. In commercial practice, it generally applies to leather tanned

from heavy hides such as sole, belting, harness, and

saddlery.

Heavy Native Cows. See Native Cows.

Heavy Native Steers. See Native Steers.

Heavy Texas Steers. See Texas Steers.

Heberlings. Goatskins from immature animals. The

term is used in central, eastern, and southeastern Europe to

describe the skins which are known elsewhere as chevrettes.

See also Chevrettes.

Hedging. A transaction entered into for the purpose of

minimizing a price risk or facilitating the customary or

normal conduct of business.

Heel. The hind part of the human foot and the hindpart

for anycovering ofthe foot; specifically in the shoe industry

it refers to a solid part projecting downward from the hind

part ofthe sole of a boot, shoe, orslipper. Heels are made of

rubber, wood, leatherboard, and leather. Leather heels are

made of built-up layers ofsole leather, impregnated with an

adhesive (usuallya strong water-resisting glue) and molded

under pressure into a solid piece.

Heel Base. The broad part of the heel which fits into the

heel seat on the bottom of the shoe. See Heel Seat.

Heel Breast. The forward face of the heel.

Heel Burnishing. The operation whereby the

previously inked and waxed built-up heel is polished to a

hard finish.

Heel Cover. A covering of leather, celluloid, sheet

plastic, or other rnaterial applied over wood heels.

Heel Pad. A pad of leather, imitation leather, felt, or

other material covering the insole at the point where the

heel of the foot rests.

Heel Seat. The top of the sole to which the heel is

attached. The sole is out away around the heel line at this

point, and is beveled to form a rounded top which fits into

the concave cup of the heel base. Unless the heel base fits

snugly to the heel seat, an insecure attachment is almost

certain.

Heft. A tannery term denoting weight or thickness of

leather.

Heifer. A female bovine under 3 years of age, that has

not produced a calf.

HelvetiaI.ace Leather. The same as Helvetia Leather.

Helvetia Leather. In Italy, Spain and the United

Kingdom, a very tough, flexible, greasy, flat-tanned hide

leather of yellow color, prepared with the aid of a mixture

whose chief components are soft grease and flour, sometimes applied after a light alum pre-tannage.

Hemateln. See Haematin.

Hemlock. A large evergreen tree found in the eastern

highlands of North America from North Carolina to Nova

Scotia. Used as a source of tannin.

Hemlock Leather. For many years hemlock extract was

used for tanning sole leather, producing a reddish-colored

leather; in recent years, other vegetable tanning agents

have almost entirely replaced hemlock.

Hen Dung Bate. Enzyme for bating, formerly obtained

from fermented infusion of hen dung.

Hessian Boot. A heavy military boot with a tassel. Very

popular in the early nineteenth century.

Hide. The outer covering of a mature, fully grown

animal of the larger kind, e.g., cattle and horses, camels,

elephants, and whales. In France the term is applied to

adult bovine animals only. In Germany, it applies to cattle.

36
horses, pigs, reptiles, fish, and birds. In Italy, the outer

covering of any animal is termed "pelle grezza" or "pelle in

pelo." Hide also refers to leathers made from this outer

covering which have not been split, or from the grain split;

when used this way the name of tha animal or the type of

leather may be added, e.g., cowhideoroxhidcbaghideor

case hide. In Germany, the word "Haut" is not applied to

tanned material. In Italy, leather obtained from the hides

described above as outer covering is generally termed

"croio;" when the leather is stiff or not very flexible the term

"pelle" is used. In Spain, "cuero" is generally used to

describe larger hides and "piel" the smaller ones. "Cuero"

also describes tanned hides.

Hide Beetle. A species of beetle, the larva and adults of

which damage the hides, skins, and leather. The technical

name is Dermistes maculatus.

Hide Buffing. See Buffing.

Hide Damages. Damages caused to the hide of an

animal before, during, or after slaughter which affect the

quality and value of the hide. Most common: Branding,

follicular mange, grub, scabies, ticks, warts,ringworm, salt

stains, and barbed wire marks.

Hide Dropper. A packinghouse worker who specializes

in the removal of the hide from the carcass. A dropper

removes only from the neck and shoulders.

Hide Pack. A built-up pile of salted hides which is built

up in such manner as to most efficiently effect a curing

process.

Hide Powder. Powder obtained by shredding specially

treated and purified collagen.

Hide Powder Method. Official method of the International Society of Leather Trades Chemists for analysis of

vegetable tannin in which tannin is absorbed by the hide

powder.

Hide Split. See Split.

Hide Spreader. A workman who assists in the building

up of a hide pack in the curing of hides in a packing plant.

HIndlegger. A packinghouse worker who specializes in

the removal of hide only from the hind legs of the carcass.

HIndshank. The portion of the hide which covers the

hind leg.

Hippiness. Defect noticed in the hides of cows which

have had many calves; also defect in hides and skins caused

by excrescences of animals. This prevents leather from

lying flat and smooth; in extreme cases, its removal leaves

holes, breaks the pattern, and reduces the cutting value.

Hobnail. A heavy nail with a large head which is driven

into the soles of some work and sport shoes. The protruding head resists wear and excessive abrasion.

Hodeldah Goatskins. Goatskins from the Hodeidah

section in western Yemen.

Hogskin. The skin of swine; grain gloving leather made

from the skins of the peccary and carpincho. The leather is

sometimes buffed on the grain and is then known as

"Buffed Hogskin." (See Carpincho and Peccary.)

Hoof. The horny protecting substance which grows on

the feet of certain animals like horses, cows, etc.

Hoof Oil. Pale yellow liquid obtained from shin bones

and hooves of cattle, used in leather manufacture as a lubricating and waterproofing agent. Much used as fatliquoring glazed soap after emulsification with soap or after

sulphation. Often called neatsfoot oil and bubulum oil.

Horn. A hard projection on the head of certain animals

usually bent or curved.

Horn Layer. The topmost layer of the epidermis consisting of dried ephithalial cells.

Horse. A portable wooden vehicle on which leather and

skins are piled for draining or for transporting from one

department to another.

Horse Butt. The rear of a horse hide obtained by cutting

from flank to flank at right angles to the backbone. A horse

butt represents about one-third of the whole hide. Also,

leather made from that part of the horse hide.

Horse Hide Leather. Leather made from the hide of

horses and colts. There is no distinction made generally

between horse and colt leather, except in the case of patent

leathers. The term patent colt is frequently a misnomer,

however, as the skins of mature horses are also used for socalled patent colt leather. Horse hide leathers have a wide

variety ofuses, principally because the nature of the various

parts of a horse hide are quite different. Cordovan, glazed

horse hide leather, and patent leather are made from horse

hides for shoe uppers. Cordovan is made from the shell, a

prime portion of the horse butt. The fronts and shanks of

horse hides are used for other types of shoe upper leather,

baseball covers, clothing leathers, for glove leathers, baseball gloves, razor straps, some luggage leathers, and

puttees. Half of horse hide leather may be finished to

simulate glazed kid leathers, although they do not have as

fine a grain nor as light weight. Tanning methods used to

make horse hide leathers vary with the type ofleather being

made.

Horse Leather. Flexible strong leather made from cattle

hide shaved level and so dressed with soft grease as to make

it virtually waterproof.

Horsing Up. Piling up on the wooden stand known as

"horse."

Hose Leather. Flexible strong leather made from cattle

hide, shaved level and so dressed with soft grease as to make

it virtually waterproof.

Hot Air Stuffing Mill. A drum equipped with an air

system for heating its contents to any desired temperature;

used in stuffing with molten greases.

Hot Pits. A set of interconnected circular pits, usually six

in number in which very strong tan extract liquors are used

at 40° C to 43° C (104° F to 110° F). The leather is suspended in these liquors for a maximum period of one week

during which it absorbs the strong extract liquor. Even

crude quebracho extract liquor can be employed because of

the temperature. Hot pits are used to increase the amount

of tannin fíxed by the leather to make good the loss sustained in the scouring process and also to fill the butts. The

last pit contains only tanning extract liquor and is provided

with a closed steam coil for maintaining the temperature at

40°C. By controlling the strength, temperature, and pH

value of hquors in this pit, these conditions for liquors in

other pits are also automatically controlled.

37
Hot Stuffing. Incorporating grease in the molten condition into leather at a comparatively high temperature.

Humane Killer. A lethal weapon used for killing

animals. See Captive Bolt.

Hump. Baggy portion of the hide of humped cattle such

as Brahman. The leather cannot be made to lie quite flat

unless cut into halves or sides.

Hunting Calf. Suede upper leather with suede finish on

the flesh side, made from a larger calfskin or from a veal.

Somewhat coarser than suede calf. Also called reversed

calf.

Hunting Suede. Suede upper leather, finished on the

flesh side, made from calfskin, heavy goat or cattle hide.

See Hunting Calf.

Hyaline Layer. An exceedingly thin film constituting

the extreme surface layer of the pelt; if it is damaged, the

leather will not take the gloss or polish. Also called the

glassy layer.

Hyderabads. Large-size spready variety of goatskins,

obtainable from southern India in the Andhra Pradesh

section.

Hydrated Lime. See Calcium Hydroxide.

Hydraulic Leather. A collective term sometimes used

for the cattle hide leathers, vegetable-, chrome-, or combination-tanned, with special stuffing provided. Used in

pump valves, piston packing, etc. Occasionally called

"packing leather" in North America.

Hydor Extractor. Centrifuge machine for removing

surplus water from wet leather also called a ''whizzer."

Hydrochloric Acid. An aqueous solution of hydrogen

chloride (HCÏ). The concentrated solution is known as

muriatic acid. It is clear, colorless, or slightly yellow,

pungent, and poisonous. Hydrochloric acid is frequently

used as a substitute for more expensive acids such as lactic

and acetic acids, in drenching. It is also used in the Twobath process of chrome tanning and in coloring leathers.

Hyperkeratosls. A disease of the hide caused by contact or ingestion of chlorinated napthalenes used in paints

and lubricants in tractors which the animals come in contact with on farms. Hyperkeratosis, in the advanced stage,

can be identified on the hide by the wrinkled condition of

the hide and scaling off of the hair and the epidermis in the

wrinkled areas,

Hypernlc. A natural dyestuff extracted from a tree

known as red Brazil wood. It is extracted and used in

practically the same manner employed in the preparation

and use of logwood.

Hypo Bath. Second or the reducing bath of the doublebath chrome tanning process which contains a solution of

sodium thiosiilfate or hypo (Na2S203 5H20); also the

solution of hypo used for the deposition ofsulfur in leather

in the sulfur-tanning process for making a variety of

picking band leather.

Hypochforlte of Soda. See Sodium Hypochlorite.

Hyposulphite of Soda. See Sodium Thiosulfate,

FRENCH-ENGLISH

(Cuir a) Harnachement. See Harness Leather.

(Cuir en) Huile. See Russet.

(Tanne a V) Hulie. See Fat Tanned.

Hunting. 5*^^ Hunting Suede.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Harina, (de cuero) Leather dust.

(Cuero) Helvetia. See Helvetia Leather,

(Cuero) Helvetia para Tiretas. See Helvetia Lace

Leather,

Hoja Afelpada Engrasada. See Reversed Split.

(Cuero en)Ho|€re. See Side or Side Upper Leather.

Hule. Imitation leather finish.

Hunting. The hide of a bovine animal finished on the

fleshy side with a velvety or plush finish.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Haarschaf. See Hair Sheep.

Hals. See Shoulder.

Hälfte. See Side.

Hatsnarbenspait. See Shoulder Grain.

Handabgesioben. See Buffed Leather.

Handpantoffelt. See Boarded Leather.

Handschuhzfckel. 5^é* Gloving Kid.

Haut. See Hide,

Héb&Wng. See Chevrette (Eng.).

Hecbt See Half Back.

Hunting. See Hunting Suede.

Huntlngcalf. See Hunting Calf.

Hutschweibleder. See Hot Leather.

38
I

Iceland Moss. Long fibrous lichen. It produces a

mucilage on boiling with water, which is used in finishing

light leathers made from goat and sheepskins to yield a

pliable film on the leather which does not crack on

boarding or creasing. It is also sometimes incorporated into

casein pigment finishes. Occasionally called Irish Moss.

Imitation French Cording. See French Cording.

Imitation Leather. Leatherlike substance much used for

upholstering furniture and motor vehicles which is very

similar to genuine leather in appearance and some

properties.

imitation Moccasin. Any variation of moccasin shoe

construction.

Imitation Welt Shoe. Any shoe construction designed

to simulate the appearance of a welt shoe but without its

essential construction characteristics.

Imported Suede. Trade term sometimes used to describe degrained leather. See Degrained Leather.

Impregnated Bend. Sole leather bend which has been

immersed in wax, hard grease, or similar agent in order to

make it more waterproof; may be either chrome or vegetable tanned.

Impregnated Leather. Leather, which by means of the

addition of materials such as grease, paraffin, wax and/or

impregnating resin, has been improved in regard to its

physical properties without thereby losing its typical

leather characteristics.

Independent Paclcer Hides. Hides which are taken off

and cured by large meat packing plants, but not by those

known commonly as the "Big Four." (Armour & Company, Cudahy Packing Company, Swift & Company,

Wilson & Company.)

India Rubber. Caoutchouc, coagulated latex of various

rubber trees and shrubs. Used for various purposes in shoe

making.

India Tanned. Hides and skins tanned in India. This

leather is considered a semitanned raw material and is

generally retanned by American Tanners before finishing.

Inldng. See Staining.

Inlay. A piece ofleather or other material corresponding

to an overlay, except the edges are overlapped by adjoining

shoe parts whereas an overlay edge overlaps the adjoining

edges.

Innersole. See Insole.

Innes Acid Figures. When solutions of strong mineral

acids are diluted 10 times, their pH value is increased by 1.0,

whereas weak acids on similar dilution give a figure of only

0.5. Innes has deduced that if a water soluble extract of a

leather is diluted tenfold and the resultant increase in its pH

value is 0.5 or less, then only a weak acid is present in the

water solubles, but if the increase in pH value of tenfold

dilution is greater than 0.5, then some strong acid is

present.

Inseam. The hidden seam of a welt shoe holding

together the welt, upper lining, and insole.

Inseaming. The shoemaking operation of stitching the

upper to the welt and insole in a welt shoe.

Insert. A piece of leather or other material inserted

between two parts of a shoe upper for trimming purposes.

Insole. A sole of leather or other material which is cut to

conform exactly to the size and shape of the bottom of the

last. In some shoe constructions the insole surface forms

the inside of the bottom of the shoe; in others, it is covered

with a sock lining of thin leather or other material which

conceals stitching, nails, etc., used in attaching the sole to

the upper.

insole Leather. Cattle hide leather, including flexible

splits, vegetable or combination tanned, in sides, bends,

shoulders, and bellies suitable for the inner soles of

footwear.

Instep. The front part of the arch of a foot over the

metatarsal bones from the back of the toes up to the ankle.

Also, the corresponding part of a shoe last.

in the PIcitle. Describes skins from which the hair or

wool has been removed and which are preserved in a condition ready for tanning, usually in a set state, with brine,

acid, and sometimes alum.

in the Rough, Crust, Pearl, Blue, White.

Approximately equivalent terms used to describe leather

which has been tanned, but not finished. In the rough or

rough tanned and in the crust are most commonly applied

to vegetable-tanned cattle hide leathers.

Interflbriiiary Substance (Cementing Substance).

A well-defined mass of substance uniformly distributed

throughout the dermis of hides and skins composed of

gluco-proteins or mucins containing some glucose or sugar

in the molecules. It is insoluble in water but is only very

sHghtly soluble in dilute solutions of neutral salts; it is

digested by alcohol, trypsin, and pepsin; and readily

dissolved in weak solutions of alkali, such as lime liquor.

The bating process helps to make the final leather soft by

the removal of this substance from the pelt.

Irish Moss. A seaweed found along all the rocky shores

of northern Europe and some parts of the New England

coast. It contains a large percentage of mucilaginous matter

which is widely used for leather finishing. See Iceland

Moss.

iron. Term used for measuring thickness of sole leather;

1 iron equals 1/48 of an inch.

Iron Black. Finely divided black antimony prepared by

reducing an antimony salt, such as antimony chloride

(SbCl3), with zinc (Zn). Used as a black pigment.

Iron Oxide Pigment (Black). A reddish-black powder

also known as black rouge. It is obtained from the mineral

magnetite, natural black iron oxide, and also by the action

of steam, carbon dioxide, or air on iron. It is used in making

black pigment leather finishes.

Iron Stains. Stains caused by iron compounds by their

39
reaction with vegetable tannins or vegetable-tanned

leather.

Iron Tannage. Tannage effected by basic iron sahs

much in the same way as basic chrome salts. The process is

rarely used due to the cheapness and availability of more

satisfactory tanning material.

Iron VftrioL 5^^ Ferrous Sulphate.

Ironing. Process of hot pressing the finished and

calendered leather with a laundry iron to give the leather a

smooth appearance. Ironing may be done by a hand iron or

by an electrically heated ironing machine.

Isinglass. Pure fish gelatin, used as a glue in some

leather finishes.

lso-*Electrlc Point. When referred to protein like

collagen, it means the pH value at which protein has no

electric charge and has the least swelling. Usually, it is 4.7

for limed collagen.

Ivory Black. See Bone Black.

FRENCH-ENGLISH

(Cuir) imperméable. 5'^e Waterproof Leather.

(Cuir) Impregné. See Impregnated Leather. Often the

terms "Cuir Amelle Impregne" and "Cuir Gras" are used.

(Cuir) Imprimé. See Embossed Leather.

(Cuir) Industriel. ^£'6' Engine Leather.

(Cuir à Semelle) intercalaire. See Mid-Sole Leather.

SPANISH-ENGUSH

(Medio Crupon) Igualado. See Levelled Bend,

Imltacicin Cuero Antiguo. 5*^^ Antique Grain.

(Cuero) Impermebllizado. iS'ee Waterproof Leather.

(Cuero) Impermeable. See Waterproof Leather.

Impregnada. A word meaning impregnated; used in

terms such as. "Cuero Impregnado" (Impregnated Leather)

and "Medio Crtipon Impregnado" (Impregnated Bend).

fPiel de las) indias Orelntares. See East India or E.Î.

(Cuero) industrial. See Engine Leather.

iTALIAN-ENGLISH

IncroClato. See Persian. In Italy the term refers only to

finished leather made from hair sheep. The skin itself is

called Meticcio delle Indie.

interamente. 5^^ Straight. Often "esculsivamerte" is

used instead of "interamente."

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Imprägniertes Leder. 5"^^ Impregnated Leather.

Impragnlerters Unterleder-Croupon. See Impregnated Bend.

40
Jack. Name given to glazing machines, stoning

machines, or light rolling machines (i.e. glazing jack,

stoning jack, rolling jack). The pedestal, a support used for

lasting shoes, is called lasting jack in the shoe industry. The

three-legged iron equipment with the end ofthe legs having

the shape of the foot, used by cobblers in shoe repair, is also

called a jack.

Jack Boot. Originally a very heavy, clumsy boot with

broad square toes and a wide cuff top worn by officers and

gentlemen in Europe from 1650 to 1775. The term is now

used to describe a heavy leather fishing boot.

Jackey Boot. A high open boot for children with a cuff

or collar of contrasting material.

Jacking. Setting and flattening.

Jacquard. A shoe fabric which is woven on a special

loom designed by Joseph M. Jacquard. The fabric is woven

in patterns.

Japan. A linseed oil varnish used for finishing patent

leather.

Japan Wax. A waxlike substance found in the berries of

the lae tree in Japan, China, and Indo-China. Chemically,

Japan wax is a fat and is particularly adapted for use in

water-containing shoe creams, etc. It is not to be confused

with Japan method of finishing patent leather. Also called

sumac wax.

Japanese Gall. See Gall Nuts.

Japanned Leather. Same as patent leather. In

Germany, the term japanleder is a special type of leather

used for orthopaedic purposes (belting and bandages).

Japanning. Applying a Unseed oil varnish made of

boiled linseed oil, Prussian blue, and lampblack to the flesh

side of leather in successive layers. After the preparation is

applied, the leather is dried in a warm stove or chamber in

the sun and an artifically glossy surface, commonly called

patent leather is produced. Japanning is generally done on

the flesh side as opposed to enamelling, which is done on

the grain or hair side.

Java Goatskins. A general term which includes several

types of goatskins from Java. The chief classifications of

goatskins shipped from Java are Batavias, Samarangs, and

Sourboyas. The first two varieties are much alike. They are

closely trimmed and fleshed. Sourboyas are sold with the

heads and are not so well fleshed. Otherwise, the takeoff of

all classesofJava skins is good. They are all small light finegrained skins.

Java Lizard. Lizard skins coming from Java. They are

very durable and popular for women's shoe uppers and

trims, handbags, ornamental leather goods, etc.

Jerkln(s) Leather. Term used to describe clothing

leathers, generally in the British trade. {See Clothing

Leathers.)

Jodhpur. A short riding boot with a top coming just

above the ankle. It is held in place by a strap around the

back of the ankle. Worn with or without leggings.

Juliet. A loose-fitting house slipper for women, with a

high front and back.

Jullundurs. Class of big broad and spready but rather

shanky and open-textured raw air-dried cowhides from the

Punjab secfion of the northwestern Indian subcontinent

(West Punjab in Pakistan, East Punjab in India). The

heavier grades were formerly exported from Karachi,

Pakistan, and the Hghter ones from Calcutta, India, where

they were classified as Agras. The hides are generally

coarser than those from East India.

FRENCH-ENGLISH

(Cuir pour) Joints Hydrauliques et Emboutis. See

Hydraulic Leather.

Joue. See Cheek.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Japanleder. See Japanned Leather.

Juchtenleder. See Russian Leather.

HINDI-ENGLISH

(Also other Indian Languages)

Jachandars. See Assorters. They are experts in

selection and sorting of hides and skins, who are employed

by the purchasing firm in India and work in the Aarhat.

(See Aarhat, Hindi)

41
K

Kahua Bark. Bark from the Kahua tree, a central Indian

tree of the Combretaceae family. It contains 20 to 24 percent tannin. The leather produced by it is of a reddish tint,

but the color may be improved if dhawa or sumac leaves,

which have the property of bleaching the red color, are

added.

Kangaroo Leather. Leather tanned from the skins of

any of more than 100 species of Australian kangaroos.

Kangaroo leather is soft and somewhat resembles kidskin

leather. It has a particularly tight woven skin structure and

is one of the strongest leathers known of comparable

weight and thickness. It has a firm grain which does not

readily scuff, chip, or crack in service and is in steady

demand for several types of footwear.

Kanpurs. Goatskins, obtainable from the Uttar Pradesh

region of northern India. They are spready with a regular

grain and an open texture, but the grain is not so fine as in

Bengal skins, the hair is coarse and long, and the skins

themselves are often badly stabbed with thorns. The skins

are in demand for Moroccos in upholstery work and a

dozen skins produce about 7.4 m (8.8 sq. yd.) or more of

leather. The best of these hides are wet salted to the United

States.

Karakul. South African sheepskin with definite

characteristics, on which there is more hairthan wool. They

are packed on the following lines:

Hair Length

LK—Long, 25 mm (1 inch or longer).

SK—Short, Under 25 mm.

DLK—Damaged but long, 25 mm and over.

DSK—Damaged but short. Under 25 mm.

Karunda. Leaves of trees in the Apocynaceae family

containing 9 to 15 percent tannin. Constitutes a promising

tanning material, particularly in combination with other

tanstuffs. Infusion of these leaves has a great swelling

action on leather.

Kattas (Kattais). Light buffalo hides and buffalo calfskins from India weighing between 5.5 and 11.5 kg. (12 and

25 pounds) in the wet-salted condition. The lighter ones

weighing below 5.5 kg. are known as kattais.

Keratins. The basic substance in all horny structures,

such as the epidermis, nails, hair, horns, claws. It is

resistant to enzymes, acids, and alkalies.

Kid. Leather made from the skin of a young goat. It is

generally full-chrome tanned with the only exceptions

being gold and silver kid which are semi-chrome tanned. It

is soft and especially suited for women's and children's

shoes, gloves, handbags, and similarpurposes where a light

leather is desirable. {See Glacé Kid, Suede Kid.) As gloving

leather, see Glacé, Gloving Leather.

Killing. Preparing wool or furskins for dyeing. KilHng is

often done with sodium carbonate (soda ash NaC03),

ammonia (NH^) or ammonia and hydrogen peroxide

(H2O2).

Kino. A general term used to designate gums of various

trees containing kinotannic and other tannins which are

mainly employed in tanning and also in pharmaceutical

preparations as astringent. It contains a high percentage of

tannin but imparts a red stain.

Kip or Kipskin. Light rawhide from a grass-fed,

immature bovine animal, of European or American origin,

between the size of a calf and a matured animal. These hides

weigh from 16 to 25 pounds in the green-salted condition.

The term includes skins from calves which have grown

larger that the size usually slaughtered for veal, and from

certain breeds ofundersized cattle which may have reached

maturity.

In Germany the term refers to hide of the Asiatic Zebu;

in Spain these hides are between 15 and 19 kg. (33 to

41.4 lb.) green weight.

"Kip" also means pretanned hide from a small mature

bovine animal (other than buffalo) of Southeast Asian or

possibly East African origin, vegetable tanned. When

tanned in the Indian subcontinent, it is known as "East

India tanned kip*' or briefly "E.I. kip."

Finally, "kip" is used to designate a pack of 30 finished

chamois skins.

Kiss Spot. A light spot on vegetable-tanned leather

caused by contact with another hide, preventing free access

of the tan liquor to it.

Kosher Hide. Hide of an animal which has been

slaughtered according to Jewish religious custom by having

its throat cut crosswise, resulting in a different pattern of

the hide. This hide is sometimes referred to as a "cutthroat" or "stuckthroat."

Knee Staker. Metal blade set upright on a wooden

support which may be a rigid upright portion of the stand

or an upright stake. The skins for staking are worked over

the blade using both hands and knee to give the necessary

pressure on the skin. Staking pulls apart the fibers of the

skins which should remain quite soft on drying. See

Staking.

Knocker. The butcher who stuns the animal by a

crushing blow on the head before the slaughter.

Knurl. To decorate the bottom or edge of a shoe sole by

wheeling.

Kustlas. Goatskins from the Benegal area of northeastern India. They are cured both by wet salting and drysalting. They produce fine grain on glacé kid and are very

popular for glacé kid manufacture. Yield 3.7 to 4.3 m (4.4

to 5.2 sq. yd.) of leather per dozen and weigh 45 to 52 kg.

(99 to 114 lb.) per 100 skins.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Kalbiell. See Calf

Kalbleder. S'ee Calf Leather; also Mastkalbleder (Ger.).

Kalbvelours. See Suede and Embossed Calf

Karpfen, ^e^ Culatta (IT.). The term "karpfen" is used

in Austria.

42
Kernspalt. See Butt Split. Korduanleder (Cordovan). See Cordovan.

Kernstreifen. See Range. Generally "bahn" is used Korrigleter Narben. See Corrected Grain,

instead of "kernstreifen." Kratze. See Horse Butt.

Kernstuck. See Croupon. Kratzenleder. See Clothing Leather.

Kips. See Kip. Krispeln. See Boarded Leather. Generally "gekrispeltes

Komblnatlonsgerbung. See Combination Tanned. leder" is used instead of **krispeln."

kombinierte Trangerbung. See Combination Oil Kuiiieder. See Cowhide.

Tannage. Kunstharz Finish. See Resin Finished,

43
Lac Technically, a resinous exudation from a species of

scale insect infesting certain tropical trees in southeastern

Asia, the East Indies, and India, It hardens upon exposure

to the air and forms a protective incrustation around the

female eggs, and young ofthe insect. When the incrustation

and the insects are removed the whole mass is crushed and

the red coloring matter present in the bodies ofthe insects js

removed with water and alkali. Shellac is made from

resinous substance of this exudation after it has been

melted and reduced to a thin crust. Shellac is used

extensively in the fmishing of leather. See Shellac.

Lac Dye, See Shellac.

Lace Holes. The holes along the fore edge of a shoe

upper through which shoe laces are inserted.

Lace Leather. A form of rawhide leather (from cattle

hides) for lacing together sections of power transmissions

belts; sometimes prepared with an alum and oil, chrome or

combination tannage.

Lacquer. A leather varnish or coating made from

various materials such as resin, cellulose, collodion,

shellac, and nitrocellulose combined with a suitable

plasticizer. See Lac, Shellac,

Lactic Acid. An organic acid composed of carbon,

hydrogen, and oxygen (CH jCHOHCOOH). It is a thick

liquid which is generally yellow or colorless. It is soluble in

water, alcohol, and ether. The commercial acid is formed

by fermenting starch, com, potatoes, milk, and grape sugar

solution. The acid is neutralized by calcium carbonate. It is

used in the leather industry as a deliming agent, in bating

and drenching, and for the precipitation of tanning agents.

Lalces. A name commonly given to aniline pigments.

Lakes are often thought to be pure precipitated dyestuffs;

that is, the result of a mixture of acid and basicdye with the

addition of tannin. This, however, is not the case, for lakes

contain considerable inorganic matter and require skill in

preparation.

A formula for making lakes includes barium sulfate,

aluminoim sulfate, soda ash, <iye, and barium chloride.

These are dissolved in water and mixed. The precipitate is

then settled and the clear liquid decanted. The precipitate is

washed away. The residue is then dried and ground, and

this constitutes the lake. Although the dyestuffforms only a

small part of the total formula, theeolor of the lake is due

entirely to the dye used.

Although more expensive than earth pigments, the lakes

possess certain properties which are not found in the earth

pigments, among which is the property of better covering

power with an "aniline" effect.

Lambslcin. The outer cover of a young bovine animal

with the fleece still on, or leather made therefrom. Lamb

leather is used principally for clothing and gloving

purposes. Reversed lamb is a high-grade gloving leather

made of slink or unweaned lambskins.

Lampbiaclc. Carbon in finely divided condition prepared by the incomplete combustion of tar, colophony.

vegetable oils, and the pitch or heavy oils oftar. It is used in

the leather industry for blackening certain classes of greasy

or waxed leather and also in preparation of "japan" used in

the making of patent, japanned or enamelled leather. Also

used in making casein-based pigment finishes of black

color. Also called Germantown black.

Larch Baric. A tanning material available and used in

Scotland.

Lanolin. A mixture of purified wool fat (about 22 percent) and water, sometimes also containing a special perfume with characteristic odor. Pure lanolin is sometimes

known as anhydrous or neutral wool grease. A soap and

neutral wool grease emulsion is marketed for use in fatHquoring russet lining kip sides.

Larrigan. A knee-high moccasin boot, or boot made

with a moccasin sole, and used by lumbermen.

Larrigan Leather. Name for oil-tanned light hides, used

largely for moccasins. Generally used in North America.

Last. A wooden form, shaped in the outline of a foot,

over which a shoe is fashioned.

Last Pulling. Removing the lasts from shoes. Generally,

the shoe is pulled from the last by working it off from the

back. The introduction of divided hinged lasts greatly

reduced the work of last pulling and also the danger of

weakening or damaging the shoes during this operation.

Last Remodelling. In general, any changing of the

measurements and contoursofa last to meet specific needs.

More specifically, the complete restyling of a shoe last.

Last Slip. A preparation of material used between the

lining of a shoe and the shoe last to permit easy removal of

the last.

Lasting. The^^ operation of placing the shoe leather

around the last so as to give the shoe the correct shape.

Therefore, in modern practice, very high grade shoes are

lasted so that the uppers are stretched almost to the

breaking point as they are shaped to the last, removing

every possible element ofstretch from the upper materials.

They are then allowed to stand on the lasts for 10 days to 2

weeks, a process which "sets" the shoe into its desired

shape.

Lasting Allowance. An extra measurement allowed at

the bottom outline of shoe patterns so that extra material

will be allowed for lasting under the shoe.

Lasting Room. One of the major departments of a shoe

factory in which the shoe upper is drawn tightly over the

last and attached to the insole.

Latigo Leather. Cattle hide leather tanned with a combination of alum and bambier and used for cinches, ties,

saddle strings^, and other saddlery work.

Latin American Goatslcins. A general term which is

loosely applied to numerous types of goatskins originating

in Latin and South America. The hides in this category fall

into several groupings.

Lattice Drum. Drum used for washing raw hides and

skins or for washing leather after it has been neutralized, in

44
which the staves in the periphery are deliberately left apart

to enable liquors to run in and out of the drum without

hides and skins.

Lauryl Sulphate. Lauryl alcohol, sulphated with excess

of concentrated sulphuric acid or with chlorosulphonic

acid, used in fat-liquoring and also as an addition to fat

liquors for clothing and glove leathers.

Layer Vat. Vat of relatively strong vegetable-tan liquor

into which sole leather hides are thrown after preliminary

tanning in rocker vats.

Layers. Series of vegetable-tan liquors used in the final

stages of the repair band tannage of sole leather or in

tanning with oak bark.

Laying Away. Putting the completely penetrated and

tanned butts singly in pits in the final stage of sole leather

tanning. A layer of ground tanning material (oak bark.

Mimosa bark, etc.) is sprinkled between butts, until the pit

is full. The pit is then run up with strong tan liquor usually

prepared from extracts.

Laying Away In Grease. Allowing to age in the greased

condition.

Laylng-By. Covering a hide pack with salt in curing and

letting it stand so that the strong brine formed will seep

through the entire pack.

Leach Casting Machine. A mechanical device set in a

leaching vat to facilitate the removal of the ground vegetable-tan material after extraction of its tannin by hot

water.

Leach House. The department of a tannery where raw

vegetable-tan materials are extracted with hot water and

where vegetable-tanning extracts are dissolved in water to

make strong stock liquors for the tan yards.

Leach Pit or Tank. A wooden tank or pit in which

tannins from vegetable material are extracted. It has a false

bottom and is equipped with a leach casting machine. The

ground raw material is distributed evenly over the false

bottom of the tank by the leach casting machine, and when

the spent bark is to be removed, the machine sweeps it up

and permits it to be removed while still hot, thus facilitating

its drying.

Leaching. Extracting the tannin from chipped or

ground raw vegetable-tanning materials such as wood or

bark. The raw material is extracted with hot water and

steam until practically all the tanning content has been

extracted. If a liquid extract is desired, a lesser amount of

heat is employed than when a solid extract is sought. For

solid extracts, the tanning liquor extracted from the raw

material is run into settling tanks, then pumped into

evaporators, which convert it to solid form.

Lead Acetate. Also known as sugar of lead. White,

brown, or grey poisonous crystals formed by the action of

acetic acid on litharge or thin lead plates. It is soluble in

water and slightly soluble in alcohol. It is used as a mordant

and in the manufacture of chrome pigments.

Leather. The hide or skin of an animal which has been

treated chemically so as to make it a nonputrescible substance impervious to and insoluble in water. The chemical

treatment which the hides and skins undergo is called

tanning. See Tanning.

Leatner Charcoal. Charcoal made from leather wastes.

Leather Gauge. A graduated instrument for measuring

thickness of leather.

Leather Powder. Leather which has been shredded into

fine particles.

Leather Substance. The sum of hide substance and

fixed tan. In general, it is taken as the difference between

100 and the sum of the percentages of moisture, oil and fat,

water solubles, and ash of insolubles in leather.

Leatherboard. A material made from fibers, vegetable

fibers, etc., knit together in the manufacturing process. It is

used extensively for making builtup heels.

Lecithin. A phosphorus-containing substance found

especially in the brain and nerve tissue, in the yolk of eggs

and in cereal grains. It is a yellowish white waxy mass,

soluble in alcohol, chloroform and ether; insoluble in

water.

Legger. A packinghouse workman who specializes in

skinning the legs ofthe carcass and removing the shin bones

with hoofs attached.

Levant. Leather with a characteristic drawn-grain

pattern, produced originally by an astrigent tannage, but

now produced by hand or machine boarding on vegetable

or semi-chrome tanned goat and sheepskin or vegetabletanned sealskin. When the pattern is produced by

embossing, it is called "Levant Grain."

Levelled Bend. Sole leather bend which has been split

or shaved to give an even substance over the area of the

finished bend. It is more flexible than a manufacturing

bend.

Light Butt Branded Steers. See Butt Branded.

Light Colorado Steers. See Colorado Steers.

Light Leather. The term is self-explanatory. In commercial practice, it is generally applied to leather tanned

from skins, or to splits taken from heavy cattlehides.

Light Native Cows. Cowhides free of brands, and, in

the big packer market, sold in weights of 53 pounds and

under. This is a basic selection of upper leather hides and is

the basic selection for trading in hide futures on the New

York Commodity Exchange.

Light Native Steers. See Narive Steers.

Light Texas Steers. See Texas Steers.

Lime. Both quicklime and hydrated or slaked lime are

used extensively by the tanning industry, chiefly as an

unhairing agent and water softener. Quicklime (calcium

oxide) is obtained by heating limestone in a kiln, also

creating carbon dioxide. It is in the form of white lumps

which must be protected from moisture in the atmosphere

before use.

Lime hydrate (caldum hydrate) ispreslaked by blowing

steam into a stream of powdered quicklime. During this

operation, all gritty and sandy substances are removed by

means of blowers and screens. The advantage in using

hydrated lime instead of quicklime is that hydrated lime is

already slaked (containing water) and ready for use by the

tanner.

45
Urne Blast/Discolored spots on Hmed skins caused by

ealeium carbonate deposits, leading to grain roughening.

Lime Burnt. Heat damage of pelts due to contact witii

unslaked particles of lime.

Lime FJeehing. Fleshing hides and skins after the liming

operation.

Lime Liquor. Saturated solution of lime having excess

of undissolved lime which forms a milky liquor on stirring,

used in unhairing hides and skins prior to tanning.

Lime Liquor, IMellow. Lime liquor which has a mellow

or mild caustic action and consequently produces less

swelling and plumpness. A mellow lime liquor may be a

little used liquor which has time to set or it maybe obtained

by mellowing fresh lime liquor with ammonium salts.

Lime Mixer. A machineformixingquicklime with water

to slake it and for agitating the solution during the slaking

process.

Lime Paint. Depilatory solution mixed with slaked lime

or china clay to form a thin paint which is applied to the

flesh side of sheep, goat, or calfskin.

Lime Paste. Mixture of slaked lime and water of thick

consistency.

Lime Pit. Rectangular brick or concrete pits in which

hides and skins are treated with lime liquor; varies in

capacity from 354 to 1,444 gallons.

Ume Process. The process in which hides and skins are

treated with lime liquors.

Ume Reel. A revolving reel used to move hides from one

vat to another during tanning.

yme Soap. Soap formed by the action of lime on oils

and fats of hides and skins.

Ume Splitting. Splitting of stout limed pelts, done on

the band knife splitting machine.

Lime Stains. Stains caused on pelts by lime liquors.

Limed Rawlilde. A translucent or opaque material

made from cattle hide by drying the limed hide, after

removal of the hair and flesh, without applying any tanning

process. In Germany, this type of leather is made from

buffalo hides and is known as transparentleder. See

Buffalo.

Liming. Soaking hides and skins in milk of lime for a few

days to loosen or remove hair, and to plump and swell the

hide. See Unhairing.

Lining Leather. Any leather used for making shoe

linings (although other products, such as handbags,

pocketbooks, cases, may be lined with leather, the material

is not commercially classified as lining leather when used

for these purposes). The leathers chiefly used for linings are

sheep^ lamb, kid, goat, calf, kip, and splits. See Lining

Shearling and Lining Split.

Lining Maldng. Stitching together the various parts of a

shoe lining, after which it is inserted into the outside "shell"

of the upper. The outside and lining are then closed

together by top stitching, and the upper is completed ready

for lasting.

Uning Shearling. Dispersion in water of a solution of

nitrocellulose or other film forming substances dissolved in

organic solvents.

Lining SptIL Split leather used for shoe linings. i'^eSpht

Leather.

Unihgs. A generic term covering all ofthe various lifting

parts used in the inside of a shoe.

Linseed Oil. A golden-yellow, amber, or brown oil

obtained by pressing flaxseeds by either a hot or cold

pressed process. It is sold as raw linseed oil and boiled

linseed oil. It is extensively used in the manufacture of

japan for patent leathers, lacquer finished, etc. See Japan.

Liquor Chute. Channel through which liquor is made to

flow from pit to pit.

Llthof>one. A white powder consisting of barium

sulfate, zinc sulfide, and zinc oxide. It is used by the leather

industry chiefly as a pigment in filling white leathers.

Lithographic Leather. Leather made from the butts of

very spready cattle hides, used for covering the ink rolls of

lithographic presses.

Uttleway. A lockstitch process invented by A.E. Little,

which combines lightness of construction, flexibility, and

comfort.

Lizard Skins. Skins of a class of repriles. They are

specialty skins used in-making pocketbooks and shoes. In

the class of lizard leathers, iguana leather is the most

popular because the iguana is a large reptile and each skin

produces a suitable amount of leather.

Loading. The process otherwise known as "filling" or

"stuffing." Loading is adding materials such as glucose and

magnesium chloride, which are leather conditioners

erroneously referred to as adulterants, but which are really

necessary for conditioning leather to modern shoe

machinery. "Loading" is also called "weighting."

Lockstitch. A double-thread stitch. Used in sewing

together shoes.

Logwood, Campeche Wood. The heartwood of

Haematoxylin Campechianum, constitutes the logwood of

commerce which contains haematoxylin, the coloring

principle of logwood. It was originally obtained from the

Bay of Campeche in Mexico but is distributed in Central

America and Africa. The species H. campechianum is

cultivated in India, The dye extracted from the wood is

used for the production of black color on leather and

fabrics, with the help of iron, chronium and titanium

mordants. See Hàematin.

Loose Grained. A grain surface which is not tight and

compact.

Lucknow Goatskins. Goatskins from the Lucknow

district of north-central India. They are cured partly by

green salting and partly by dry salting. Like Canpurs, they

are coarse grained and yield about 4.8 square meters (5.76

square yards) per dozen skins.

Luggage Leatlrer. See Bag Leather.

Lye. A strong alkaline liquor rich in postassium

carbonate leached from wood ashes and used especially in

soap making and washing. See Sodium Hydroxide or

Potassium Hydroxide.

46
FRENCH-ENGLISH

(Cuir Blanc pour) Lacets. 5^e White Hide Leather.

(Dosset a) Lanlëres. See Belting Lace.

(Cuir k) Lanières Parcheminées. See Rawhide.

(Cuir) Lavable. See Wash Leather.

(Cuir) Liégé. See Boarded Leather.

(Cuir) Llëgé à la Main. See Boarded Leather. The literal

translation is hand boarded.

Lissage. See Glazing.

(Croupon) Lissé. See Sole Leather Bend. Generally

"croupon a semelle" is used instead of "croupon lissd"

SPANISH*ENGUSH

(Cuero) Lavable. See Wash Leather.

(Cordero) Lechal (Vacuno). See Deacon.

Lado. See Side or Side Upper. "Lado" and "hoja" are

used interchangeably.

Lado Carne. The flesh side of a hide.

Lado Flor. The grain layer side of a hide; the side with

the hair.

LIso o Lisa. General term used to describe a hide, green

salted or tanned which has not been modified by wrinkling,

stamping, or embossing. Generally used in the term "Cuero

liso."

Lomo. Part of the hide left after the removal ofthe belly.

Used mainly in Peru.

Lote. In Venezuela, shipment or a portion of a shipment

made up by a material of a single type, grade, class, etc..

submitted to inspection and testing, which is accepted or

rejected as a whole (in toto). More generally, just a lot or

shipment.

(Cuero) Lustrado. Leather dyed or painted to have a

shiny or polished appearance. The operation is usually performed by mechanical means.

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

Laccluoli "Rawhide". See Rawhide.

Laccluoll per CInghle dl Transmlsslone. S^e Belting

Lace.

Lista dl Groppone. See Range.

Lucidatura. See Glazing.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Lackleder. See Patent Leather.

Lamm (-Fell) (-Leder). See Lamb.

Lammfellfutter. See Lining Sheading.

Laufleder fur Kammstuhle or Ringspinnmaschinen.

See Combing Leather.

Leder. See Leather.

Levantleder. See Levant.

^^ Levantlertes Leder. See Boarded Leather. Generally,

"gerkrispeltes" is used instead of "levantiertes leder."

Lohgegerbt. See Bark Tanned.

Lohterze. See Bottom Leather. Generally "unterleder"

is used instead of "lohterze."

47
M

Macedonliin Goatskins. Goatskins from Balkan

districts in Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Greece, which derive

their name from that of the ancient country of Macedonia

which was at one time located in this area.

Machine Buff. A North American term for the grain

split of a hide from which a very thin buffing has been

removed from the grain by a splitting machine; normally

used for upholstery. See Buffed Leather.

Maclurin. Maclurin (moringatannic add) C\i,\{\QQf,.

H2O and morin C13H10O6 (flavone) are two natural

mordant dyestuffs of a yellowish hue occurring in fustic.

Morin is prepared by precipitation from an extract of old

fustic. See Fustic.

Madras Goatskins. Goatskins from India which derive

their name from Madras district on the southeast coast.

Madras skins are medium coarse grained and, while some

of the skins are green salted, most of them are dry cured.

The takeoff and trim of Indian goatskins are generally

good.

Magnesium Sulfate. Commonly known as Epsom salt.

A salt (MgSo4) derived: (a) by the action of sulfuric acid on

magnesium oxide, hydroxide, or carbonate, or (b) by

mining operations in British Columbia. It is a crystal,

soluble in glycerol and slightly soluble in water. This sah is

used by the tanning industry in several sole and heavy

leather operations. It is used principally for the purpose of

adding weight and substance to the leather.

Making Room. One of the departments of a shoe

factory, in which cutsole edges are finished, heels attached

and finished, and a number of related operations completing the construction of a shoe are performed.

MaJpighian Layer. Layer of epithelial cells in the

epidermis next to the grain surface of the derma.

Mange. A parasite causing skin disease occurring in

animals. See Follicular Mange.

Mangrove. The term "mangrove" is used in a wide sense

for any of the trees that may constitute the vegetation on

the tidal mud flats of the Tropics and part of the Subtropics. While mangrove swamps or forests vary from one

part of the world to another, they all have trees of the mangrove family, Rhizophorace^e, present. A notable feature

of the mangrove trees is the richness of the bark in tannin.

The tannin content of mangrove varies a great deal not only

between different species but within the same species.

Mangrove Cutch or Kutcti. A misnomer used for the

tanning extract prepared from the mangrove bark. See

Mangrove Extract.

Mangrove Extract. The liquid extract from mangrove

bark. Mangrove extract is regarded as the cheapest form of

tannin available to the tanner. The average tan content of

mangrove extracts (solid) is about 65% with 17% non-tans.

The tannin is of the catechol class. It is very soluble and has

weight-giving property when used with heavy leather.

However, it produces undesirable color which is very difficuh to bleach, and the leather is inclined to be harsh and

thick grained when mangrove is used alone.

Mangrove Uquor. Liquid extract, reddish brown in

color, extremely astringent and yielding a thin, .harsh

leather. It is catechol tan, rich in neutral salts but deficient

in acid.

Manufacturers' Leather. Same as factory leather. See

Factory Leatber and Sole Leather.

Manufacturing Bend. Sole leather bend produced

primarily for the manufacture of new footwear. It is usually

lighter in substance and more flexible than a bend used for

the repair of footwear.

Maracaibo Groatskin. Goatskins from the Maracaibo

region of northwestern Venezuela. These skins are soft and

fine grained with a good takeoff but often a poor trim. They

are nearly all green salted.

Marakesh Goatskin. Goatskins from the region around

Marakesh in Morocco. They are generally used for making

medium-grade leather.

MarbJed Leather. Variety of fancy leather made usually

from sheepskins on which a mottled or marbled effect has

been produced by dyeing it in different shades of color at

different places. The pattern is mosaic.

Marbling. The process of producing the marbled icffect

on leather.

Mat Finlsii. A smooth, dull finish applied to chrometanned leather for shoe uppers, hand bags, belts, etc.

Matadero Hides. Hides from Argentina corresponding

to city butcher or smaller packer hides of the United States.

Matanza Goatskins. Goatskins from Mexico which

derive their name from the Spanish word for slaughter;

Matanza goatskins are produced in Mexican slaughterhouses. This is one of the few types of goatskins which does

not derive its name from the geographical section in which

the skins originate. These goatskins are medium grained

and have a good trim. However, a large portion of Mexican skins are damaged by slaughter cuts and scratehes.

Matrix, A mold built on the bed of an embossing press to

sharpen the design of the pattern produced on leather by

the embossing plate.

Max White. Titanium dioxide (T| O2) ground in a

mixture of casein, sulphated caster oil, and paraffin oil for

use in the fat-tiquoring and finishing of white leathers.

McKay. A shoe construcrion whereby the upper is

tacked, stapled, or cement lasted and the sole is attached

with a chainstitch seam.

Measuring (Leather). The number of square feet in a

skin of light leather is determined by measuring the area of

the leather on any one of several types of measuring

machines. The leather is measured at the tannery, and each

skin is marked with the square footage it contains (in units

ofsquare feet aiid quarters). Many shoe manufacturers also

have measuring machines and check tanners' measurements against their own, as inaccuracies may be found in

the original measurementsbecauseofshrinkage ofthe skin,

etc. There are also a few experts who are licensed as leather

measurers and who are called in to verify measurements

and adjust disputes.

48
Most leather measuring machines in modern use are

similar in their action. They consist of a series of notched

wheels which rest upon the skin of leather as they pass over

it. Each wheel is connected with a recording device, and

each records only when it is passing over leather—thus

holes in the leather are not measured, and accurate

measurements of the stock are taken despite the uneven

pattern of the skin.

Another type of measuring machine, now infrequently

used, consists of a series of pins, which rest upon the skin

and record the leather area.

Meeting. Removal of particles of meat from the flesh

side of a hide or skin. (See also Raying.)

Mecca. See Shellac.

Mechanical Leathers. A generic term for types of

leather used in connection with machinery and textile

equipment. Such specialty leathers are explained more

definitely under the specific designations or uses, such as

Belting Leather.

Medallion. Term used to describe the perforated pattern

punched in the center of the type of many styles of shoes.

Medium Buffs. Formerly referred to as "special

machine buffs." See Upholstery Leather.

Medium Lime. Lime liquor through which one pack of

hides has passed.

Meherpores. Green salted hides having a light cure as

opposed to Daccas which are thickly plastered with salt.

Also known as "dishes."

Memel. In Spain and the United Kingdom, black or

brown curried leather heavily embossed, frequently used

for a heavy boot upper. See Grain Memel.

Mercuric Chloride. Also known as corrosive sublimate,

mercury bichloride, and corrosive mercury chloride. A

combination of mercury and chlorine (HgCl2). It is a very

poisonous white crystal or powder, soluble in water,

alcohol, ether, pyridine, and acetic acid ester. It is a very

powerful antiseptic and is used in the leather industry

chiefly in antispetic solutions.

Mercury Bichloride. See Mercuric Chloride.

Metallized Leather. Leather given a luster finish similar

to that of pearlized leather but obtained by the addition of

metallic powders or foils to the skin. Aluminum powder is

the usual additive, and various colors can be obtained by

incorporation of dyestuffs. Metallized finishes are sometimes described as "polychromatic."

Metan Goatskins. Goatskins from the Metan area of

northwestern Argentina. They tend to be medium grained

and air dried. The takeoff and trim are generally good.

Methylamine (and Dimethyiamine). Used as

sharpening agents in lime liquors for use on hair sheepskins for gloving and clothing leathers to obtain silky grain.

Meter Leather. Leather used for measuring bags in gas

meters; a speciality leather prepared from selected sheepskins and calfskins with special tannage to produce airtightness.

Mid-Sole Leather. Bottom leather produced from

bends or more usually shoulders or bellies of cattle hides

and used in footwear construction between the inner and

outer sole. The use of middle soles is mainly confined to

heavy footwear.

Milling. A tanning operation whereby a number of

pieces of light leather are placed in a large dry drum

following pressing and tumbled for several minutes after

pressing, to open the skins and remove the sharp creases left

therein after the pressing operation.

Mimosa. A plant used for its rich catechol tannin

content.

Mineral Tannage. Leather produced by using

chromium salts, alum, and other agents as distinguished

from vegetable tannage.

Mirbane Oil. Nitrobenzene having a characteristic odor

and preservation property, much used for preserving

organic preparations which are likely to go bad on storing,

such as leather and shoe finish.

Mixed Tannage. Tannage effected by a mixture of tan

materials. Instead of using an individual tanstuff in bark

tanning more than one material is sometimes used in a

mixture, a practice which has been found to yield very satisfactory results.

Mocha. Gloving leather with a fine silky suede finish on

the grain side, made from the skin of hair sheep, originally

the Arabian blackhead, but also from other types of hair

sheep. The usual method of removing the grain is by

frizzing in the limed state. Generally, alum or

formaldehyde tanned. See Bastard.

Mocha Goatsldns. A general classification of goatskins

shipped through Mocha, a port in southwestern Saudi

Arabia. They are generally fine grained with good takeoff.

Also, generally flint dried or green salted.

Moellon. The residual oil obtained by pressing chamois

skins after tanning. Artificial moellon is manufactured by

direct oxidation of fish oils, by blowing air through the o il,

or by adding an oxidizing agent such as nitric acid. In

common commercial practice, genuine moellon is known

as chamois moellon to distinguish it from artificial

moellon. See Degras Moellon.

Moid. A microscopic growth or discoloration produced

on leather (and other organic substances), especially when

damp. Mold on leather is frequently confused by the layman with bloom and spew, which are also discolorations

but which are caused by entirely different conditions and

have entirely different effects on leather quality.

Mombasa Goatskins. Goatskins from Kenya and

Uganda which are shipped out through Mombasa, in

southeastern Kenya. The skins are fine grained and

generally flint dried. The takeoff and trim are fairly good.

Monl(. A closed shoe similar to an oxford but held to the

foot by means of a strap across the instep.

Montain Wax, Lignite Wax. A hard wax obtained by

extraction from American and German lignites. It is used

as a substitute for carnauba wax and beeswax.

Montón. A sheepskin shearing tanned and finished for

fur purposes.

Moon Knife. Circular blunt-edged knife with a wooden

handle in the center used for softening the leather.

49
Mordant. Substances used for fixing (rendering

insoluble) dyes on fibers. They are two kinds: Metallic

mordants, for example, aluminum salts; and tannin

mordants.

Mordant Dyestuffs. Dyestuff that can be fixed on fibers

only with the ai<i of a mordant.

Morin. See Fustic and Maclurin.

Morocco. Vegetable-tanned goatskin leather with

characteristic grain pattern developed naturally or by hand

boarding or graining only. The commonest or most

characteristic grain is hard grain. By long usage, especially

in the fancy goods trade, denotes goatskin of anyvegetable

tannage that has been hand boarded in the wet condition,

but in the strict sense, it should be limited to goatskin

tanned exclusively with sumac. Leather made from vegetable-tanned goatskin with a grain resembling that of

genuine Morocco; hand boarding, for example, by

embossing, should be termed "Morrocco grained goat^ or

"assisted Morocco."

Muclns. The viscid secretion of the mucous membrane,

proteins, known as glucoproteins which occur in the

interfibrillary or cementing substance of hides and skins.

Muzafferpores. Goatskins from Bihar region of northeastern India. They have fine grain, white or patchy white

silky hair and close texture; they are good for producing

glacé kid.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Mamador. Finished hides with a surface of 8.5 to 12.9

square feet or 0.8 to 1.2 square meters. Often called

"sucklings." Generally, weighing 3-1 /2 to8 kilograms, they

are hides of nursing calves.

Manchas. Stains brought about by a bad salting or

negligence in the tanning process.

íGuero para) Mangueras. See Hose Leather.

(Cuero para) Manguitos de Huso. See Combing

Leather.

(Cuero para) Manguitos Rotofrotadores. See

Condenser Rubber.

Margariteado. A term used in Colombia synoymous to

"graneado a mapo." {See Graneada a Mano, Sp.)

Marroquin. See Morocco.

(Cuero para Suelas) Medianas, or (Cuero para). Media

Suela. See Mid-Sole Leather.

Medio Crupdn. 5^^^ Croupon or Bend. In Spanishspeaking countries, the two are often used interchangeably.

Medio "Doset". See Half Back.

Melllla. A term used in South America, particularly

Argentina, to describe the cheek of a cattle hide, '

Membrana Hialina or Vitra. Hyaline or vitreous

membrane. The very thin membrane which separates the

epidermis from the dermis.

Merlnfllo Nonato. See Slunk.

(Cuero) Metalizado. See Metallized Leather,

Metis. In Spain, sheep or lambskins generally semichrome tanned, pigment finish on the grain side; and

having undergone just sufficient glazing to give a more or

less glossy surface. The leather has a more rigid texture

than gloving or clothing leather and is suitable for ladies'

shoes and similar purposes.

Metis de tas indias. S^^ Persian.

Moca. S^e Mocha.

(Cuero) Moideado(s). Leather items made from

hydraulic leather.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Mastlcaibleder. Calf leather made from animals which

have been wealed. The boundary between this and

"Kallbeder" is about 18 square feet.

50
N

Nap Finish. A process in which the natural grain layer of

the leather is removed and the outer surface of the leather is

then given a napped finish. See Suede Finish.

Napa Leather. Sheep or lambskin glove leather which is

chrome alum or combination-tanned from domestic. New

Zealand, or South American sheepskins.

Native Buils. Bull or stag hides which are free of brands,

regardless of weight, but frequently sorted as heavy stock

from 75 to 85 pounds and up. Any packer hide with a staggy

neck, regardless of weight, is regarded as a bullhide.

Country hides weighing below 59 pounds in this classification are usually regarded as buffs or extremes, according to

weight.

Native Cows. Unbranded cowhides from any section.

These are sorted for weight as follows: heavy, 53 pounds

up; light, under 53 pounds.

Native Steers. Steer hides which are free of brands.

These are sorted for weight as follows: heavy, 58 pounds

and up: light, 48 to 58 pounds; extreme light, 23 to 48

pounds.

Natives. An unbranded hide.

Neaf8-foot Oli. A yellowish oil prepared by boiling the

bones and joints of cattle (and sometimes of horses and

sheep) and skimming off and clarifying the oil thus

obtained. It is used extensively by the tanning industry for

currying, stuffing, dressing, and finishing leathers.

Neutralizar. An alkaline agent used in neutralizing

chrome-tanned leather after tanning and before fatliquoring.

Nigerian Goatskins. Goatskins from Africa which

derive their name from the country in which they originate.

Novelty Leather. Any of a variety of leathers,

frequently vegetable tanned, used for billfolds and small

leather goods.

Nubuck. A chrome-tanned leather usually calf or suede

which is buffed on the grain side to give a nap surface.

White nubuck is very popular.

Nut, Gall. See Gall Nuts.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

(Cuero) Nacardo. See Pearlized Leather.

Napa. See Napa.

(Cuero) Natural. See Russet Calf

Nonato. Hide of an unborn calf with an area below 0.8

meter with a weight up to VA kilograms (7.7 pounds.)

Nubuc or Nubuck. See Nubuck.

Novillito. Hide of a very young bull in the rough state

weighing 19 to 23 kilograms (41.8 to 50.6 pounds.)

Novillo. Hide of a young bull in the rough state weighing

23 to 32 kilograms (50.6 to 70.4 pounds.)

0

Oak Falls. See Gall Nuts.

Oak-Tanned Leather. Leather tanned from the bark of

the oak tree, although the term is often applied to leather

tanned with oak extract in combination with other types of

tanning materials.

Offal. Parts of hides and skins not normally used for

making the finest grades of leather. The word used in this

sense does not mean waste because, in the heavy leather

field, it refers to heads, shoulders, and bellies to

differentiate them from the more valuable bends. These

parts are finished into serviceable leather for shoe uppers,

gloves, and other items.

Oil Tanning. A process of tanning involving the incorporation of marine animal oils into prepared skins. These

oils are subsequently induced to undergo oxidation and

other chemical changes in contact with the skin fibers,

leading to chemical combination of oil derivatives with the

skin.

Oil Wheeling. The object of oil wheeling is to

incorporate materials into the leather that will increase the

ultimate yield and improve the properties of the finished

leather. Any variations in the operations following

bleaching greatly influence the characteristics of the

finished leather. Various compounds of oils, filling

materials, etc., are used in oil wheeling sole leather which is

done in a large drum. This operation is followed by drying

the leather.

Oiling Off. Coating the grain surface of wet leather with

oil before drying.

Oils. A wide range of substances having rather indefinite

popular classifications. Almost any oil could be employed

in leather making; those generally used being selected on a

basis of their individual characteristics, availability, cost,

etc. Oils are frequently used in compounds with other oils,

etc.

One Bath Process. A method of chrome tanning in

which hides or skins are tanned directly with chrome

liquor. See also Chrome Tanned and Tanning.

Ooze Leather. Term applied to vegetable tanned suede

leather.

Ounce. Term indicating weight or substance of certain

kinds of leather, such as upholstery, bag, and case leather.

In theory, it is based on the assumption that one square foot

51
of leather will weigh a certain number of ounces. Hence,

one square foot of leather, which would weigh 3 ounces

theoretically would be a 3-ounce leather However, in practice, this rule varies because of specific gravity of diverse

tanning materials used, and for that reason, a splitter's

gauge has been adopted to control the thickness of leather

when sold by the square foot. Thus, an ounce is equivalent

to Î/64 (.1056) inch in thickness.

Outsoie. A leather from vegetable-tanned cattle hide,

often quite thick, used primarily for the outer soles of

shoes.

Oaxaca Goatskins. Goatskins from Mexico which

derive their name from the section in which they originate.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

(Cuero) Ortopédico. In France, Germany, and Spain,

leather which has been vegetable cured in such a manner

that it maintains an intermediate layer which is only partially cured. It is principally used in the production of

orthopaedic articles.

Oscarias. Raw cowhide without hair of different colors

used for men*s footwear.

Oscarlas Medianas. Lightweight raw cowhide without

hair of different colors used for men's footwear.

(Cuero) Ovino. Goatskin.

Ovino Con Pelo. See Hair sheep or Bastard.

52
pH. A measure of the relative acidity and alkalinity of a

solution; solutions having a pH value of 7.0 are neutral;

that is, the acidity and alkalinity are balanced.

Packer Hides. Hides which are taken off and cured by

meat packing plants in the United States or Canada. These

are generally grouped by the trade according to the nature

of the plant such as big packer hides, which are those

produced by the largest packing concerns (Armour &

Company, Cudahy Packing Company, Swift & Company,

and Wilson & Company) called the "Big Four" group; and

small packer hides which are produced in the smaller

plants. Because of the high degree of specialization of

operations prevaiUng in modern meat packing plants, there

is a great degree of uniformity in the takeoff and cure of

hides produced in these plants, and hence they command

the highest market prices.

Packer KIpsklns. Kipskins which are taken off and

cured by meat packing plants in the United States and

Canada, usually by the so-called Big Four plants. See also

Packer Hides and Kips.

Paddle. A paddle wheel used to agitate hides and skins

during bating, tanning, and coloring operations.

Paddle Dyeing. A method of applying dyestuffs to very

light leathers. The dyeing process is much the same as that

employed in drum dyeing, except that the skins are kept in

motion by the action of the paddle.

Paddle Vat. A vat equipped with a paddle wheel.

Pancake. An imitation heavy leather made of thin

leather scraps cemented together under heavy pressure and

often used as a shoe heel material.

Parasite. As defmed by trade terminology: any insect

which attaches itself to the body of an animal and obtains

its nourishment and shelter from the hide substances.

Parchment. Tanned sheepskins. Vellum is practically

the same as parchment except it is made from calfskins. In

addition to its use as parchment for diplomas and records,

it is also used for banjos and drumheads, lampshades, etc.

Patent Leatlier. A popular term which has passed into

trade usage as a name for the finish produced by covering

the surface of leather with successive coats of daub and

varnish. The name is often loosely applied to any leather

with a varnish finish, but the best usage ofthe trade restricts

it principally to shoe leather, leaving the terms "enameled"

and "japanned" to describe fancy and upholstery leathers

produced by the name or similar processes. In the shoe

trade, the bulk of patent leather used is made from cattle

hides or kips although horse hide, goatskins, kidskins and

calfskins are sometimes used.

Pattern (Shoe). The form by which various parts of the

shoe upper are cut.

Pattern Hide. The outline of a hide of skin as trimmed

and furnished to the tanning industry.

Pattern Leather. The outline shape of a tanned skin of

leather.

Paytas Goatskins. Light, fine-grained goatskins from

Peru.

Pebbled Grain. An embossed leather grain finish which

resembles a pebbled surface and which may cover a wide

range from very fine grained Morocco grain to the heavy

pebbled surface of Scotch grain leathers.

Peccary Leather. A fine-grained leather made from the

skins of wild peccary boars which are found principally in

Central and South American countries. Peccary leather is

generally chrome tanned and shaved to a light weight. It is

washable and very durable and is extensively used for fine

dress and sport gloves.

Pelt. A hide or skin, usually when raw, with the hair or

wool left on. Most frequently used to designate the skins of

fur bearing animals.

Penetrant. A substance that aids or speeds the penetration of a fiuid.

Pepper Box. The pattern produced on the grain surface

of leathers from grubby hides ofthe grub holes, which often

resembles buckshot marks.

Pepsin. Enzyme which acts upon proteins.

Pemambuco Goatskins. Goatskins from Brazil which

derive their name from the district in which they originate.

Persian. A crust vegetable-tanned leather made from

the hair-type sheepskin originating in the Indian subcontinent and tanned in India, mainly on the south and

especially around Madras. Alternatively called E.l.

sheepskin. Finished leather made from the same.

Persians. Crust leathers made from India-tanned hair

(as opposed to wool growth) sheepskin also called E.I.

tanned sheepskins. Term should be confined to Indiatanned sheepskins although it formerly included goatskins.

Leather from "bastard skins" {See Bastard) is sometimes

designated as Persian.

Peruvian Goatskins. Goatskins from Peru, which

include several varieties deriving their names from the

district in which they originate.

Phenol. Also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid,

phenylic acid, phenyl hydrate, and hydrozybenzene. An

organic compound derived from such aromatic

hydrocarbons as benzono (C ^H 5OH).

Phosphate Tannage. A pretannage used in connection

with vegetable tanning. When raw hide is placed in the acid

solution, the salt, sodium metaphosphate (NaPOßi) used

for this tannage penetrates the stock rapidly and combines

with hide protein, forming leather.

Phosphorated Oils. Oils which are treated with

phosphorous pentoxide (P2'05')- They are used in fat

liquoring and oil tanning.

Picker Leather. Various types used in textile mills. May

be very soft, mellow, and tough heavily stuffed steer hides

like comber and grill box apron leather. Picker straps are

sometimes made from glycerine-tanned rawhide, which is a

strong and pliable leather.

Picking Band Leather. Butt or Shoulder Leather,

combination tanned (oil/vegetable) or chrome tanned,

curried to produce leather with high tensile, tear, and

flexural strength for use on textile looms.

53
PIckie. A solution, usually of acid and salt, in which

unhaired hides and skins are treated to preserve them or to

prepare them for tanning.

Pfckled Stock. Hides or skins which have been treated

with a pickling solution.

Pickling. Covers any method of shipping stock wet with

brine. It is used chiefly for sheep, lamb, and goatskins,

which are frequently placed in brine in casks and shipped in

this way. This method is used before the tanning operation

begins. The salt solution contains 1-2 percent sulfuric acid.

Pigment Finish. Denotes leather, the surface of which is

coated with a material containing pigment or other opaque

material.

Pigments. Inert coloring materials used extensively by

leather manufacturers for finishing white and colored

leathers.

PIgskîn Leather. Leather tanned from the skins of pigs

and used for numerous purposes. It is tough and durable

and withstands abrasion. It has outstanding characteristics

which make it especially desirable for some purposes, and

less desirable than other leathers for some others. It lias

compact fibers and a pattern consisting of tiny creases and

bristly holes,

Pigskins. The raw skin of the domestic pig: slaughterhouse practice in the United States calls for leaving the^kin

of the hog on the carcass. Hence, most pigskins available

from the U. S. market are strips taken from the lard area of

the back. In Germany, Italy, and Spain the definition also

covers the skin of the wild pig.

Pin Seal. Leather tanned from high-grade sealskin in

which the original fine grain of the skin is retained. The pin

seal grain is also imitated in embossed leathers, but these

should be described as "pin grain leather" to differentiate

them from genuine pin seal.

Pinned Shoulder (Pinned Belly). Set out and rolled

leather made from a vegetable-tanned cattle hide shoulder

or belly.

PIpey Grain. An extremely loose grain on finished

leather characterized by blister like formations on the surface produced by sUghtly folding.

Plastics. In modern usage, a broad group of synthetic

materials derived from organic matter, like casein in milk,

cellulose in cotton and wood, coal and coal tar, etc.

Plunging. Stirring up the liquors used in tanning.

Pneumatic Leather. Usually made ofsheepskin skivers

for pneumatic machinery and equipment.

Pocketbook Leather. Any leather used for pocketbooks, purses, wallets, etc., usually made from calfskins,

goatskins, sheepskins, sealskins, steer and cow hides and

reptile skins.

Poison Cured Hides. S^i» Arsenicated Hides.

Porta Plata Goatskins. Goatskins from the Dominican

Republic whose name is derived from the district in which

they originate.

Potassium Arsenate. A coloriess crystal (KH2ASO4),

soluable in water. Among its industrial uses is the

preservation of hides and skins.

Potassium Hydroxide, Also known as caustic potash,

potassium hydrate, and lye. A caustic derived by

electrolysis of concentrated potassium chloride solution or

by boiling potassium carbonate with milk of lime (KOH).

Potassium Permanganate. A compound of

potassium, manganese, and oxygen (KMn04). It is used in

leather manufacture chiefly as a bleach, as an antiseptic in

leather fi^nishing and in the making of chamois leather.

Premium Leather. Leather which has been made from

specially selected raw stock or which has undergone special

procfôsing or grading which justifies a higher price than is

obtained for ordinary leathers of the same type and grade.

Preservation. The packinghouse procedure which in the

United States conventionally calls for cooling the hide until

respiration of the tissues diminishes, then spreading salt

over the flesh side and building a pack of skins in much

the same manner as shingles are placed on a roof. Fine salt

is needed for the more delicate calfskins, while with kip

weights and mature hides a coarser rock salt is used. This

process is called green salting. Thirty days is the accepted

time required to saturate the hide tissues with sah after

which they are individually shaken out and spread flesh

side up for Inspection and grading. Each hide is then folded

in a prescribed way into a bundle, then weighed and stacked^

for shipment.

The process ofsalt curing is dynamic: that is, not simply a

process of saturating, for there is a net decrease in weight of

approximately 15-20%, due primarily to water loss.

The process of brine curing has evolved from the method

used by large packers in South America wherein fresh hides

are washed and then submerged invatsof saturated brine.

Salt is added to maintain saturation, and the hides are

periodically poled by hand from topto bottom. After overnight soaking, the hides are drained and packed in much

the same manner as in green saking. Hides so produced are

of high quahty and are known as "Frigoriticos."

The brine ctiring process has been modified in this

country by the provision of an oval tank equipped with

paddle wheels to keep the hides moving and by keeping the

brine at saturation by pumping it through a bed of rock

salt. For curing operations of small to intermediate size, a

further modification of brine curing process has been

introduced. The hides are placed in a tannery drum or a

concrete mixer type processor and tumbled with cold water

to remove manure and other debris. Then salt is added, first

in sufficient amount to give approximately 80 percent of

saturation, then in amounts to give 100 lyercent saturation.

The fiexing action of the hides in the drum and processor

greatly accelerate diffusion and results in a very rapid and

uniform cure.

The method of preserving hog and pig skins depends on

Mheir ultimate use. Since the method of handling permits

their use foT edible gelatin, the strips from fat backs are

promptly fleshed, frozen into blocks, and shipped to the

gelatin plants. Skins to be used for leather are cured in

much the same manner as are calfskins.

Preservative. An agent used to prevent decay, decomposition, putrefaction, etc. The chief preservative used in

the making of leather is common salt, which is important at

54
several stages of the process of converting hides into

leather. It is used in abundance to preserve hid*es before

they are started through the leather making processes, and

it is later used in numerous solutions in the tannery.

Pressing (Leather). A tannery operation employed to

reduce the water content of light leathers before they are

split or shaved. The wet leather is folded and placed in a

hydraulic press reducing the water in the leather by over 50

percent.

Pretannage. A common trade term usually referring to

a light tanning which is followed by a complete tanning

process.

Printing and Pulling. The packinghouse process used in

treating sheepskins of loosening the wool attached to the

skin without damage to the fiber. This is usually

accomplished by painting the flesh side with a paste

containing sodium sulfide and lime. The principal effect of

such reagents is the depolymerizing action brought about

by the splitting of disulfide linkages which are numerous in

the serrations of the skin. The alkaline pH generated by

other reagents such as methylamine also has destructive

effects upon disulfide bonds.

After painted skins have hung overnight at temperatures greater than 16° C (óO"" F ), they are placed flesh down,

sorted, and graded. Since the quality of the wool varies

with the location from which it is taken, it is customary to

pull the wool by hand. Skin-to-skin variation is too great to

permit efficient pulling by machines.

Proteases. Enzymes which act upon proteins.

Protected Leather. Leather in which special chemicals

have been added to make it resistant to atmospheric

pollutants and less likely to deteriorate through such

exposure. The treatment is often applied to vegetabletanned upholstery and bookbinding leathers.

Proteins. Also called proteids. Complex substances present in all living cells, both animal and plant. They all

contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and

frequently some sulfur. With the exception of small

quantities of inorganic matter and pigment, the chemical

constituents of hides and skins are proteins. Leather is

formed by the action of vegetable tanning or mineral salts

on the hide protein.

Proxylln Rnish. A finish having a plastic as a base.

Pure Dressed Leather. Curried leather without

adulterants to give extra weight. Leather that has been

dressed by hand with dubbin.

Pureing. See Bating.

Python Leather. Leather made from the skins of the

python, a large nonvenomous snake. The back of the

python is marked with a distinctive pattern and covered by

medium-sized scales.

FRENCH-ENGLISH

Cuir Plague. In France and Germany leather covered

with a sheet or a film of plastic or other artificial material

which gives it the appearance of patent leather. The French

term "cuir plague" or "croûte plague" must' be

accompanied by the work indicating the nature of the

material used, e.g., vinyl, polyester, etc.

(Cuir Parcheminé), Limed Rawhide.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

(Cuero en) Pasta. See Crust Leather.

(Piel en) Pasta. See Crust Leather.

Paston. See Chevrette. The word "Cabriola" is generally used instead of Paston.

Pécari. See Peccary Leather.

Peludo. See Hair Sheep or Bastard. Generally, the word

Cruzado is used instead of Peludo.

Pelusa. See Crock.

Pelusa de Ante. See Crock. Generally "pelusa" is used

by itself

Pergamlno.S'^é' Parchment. In Spain, there is no

difference between parchment and vellum.

Pergamino de Piel Ovina. See Grain Forel.

Pergamino de Serraje Ovino. See Forel.

Pergamino para Tambores. See Drumskin.

Piel. See Skin.

Piel de Rusia. See Russian Leather.

Piel Dorada o Plateada. See Gold and Silver Leather.

Piel Esquilada Afelpada. See English: Suede and

Shearling,

Piel Ovina. See Sheepskin.

Piel Ovina Esquilada Acabada. See Sheading.

Piel Ovina Esquilada para Forro. .S'é'é' Lining

Shearling.

Piel Ovina Rasada para Guarniclonerra. See Trimming Shearling.

Pigmentado. See Pigment Finish. Generally the term

"acabado con pigmentos" is used instead of just

"pigmentado."

Plantilla de Curticidn Vegetal Mixta. A type of

bottom leather which in France is called "cuir de tannage

moyen" and in Germany is called "schnittervache." It is

produced by a combination of drum and pit tannage

(mixed tannage) of average duration. It is used principally

in shoe repair but may be used for the first new soling

attached to heavy footwear.

Plantilla para Clavado. A bottom leather which in

Germany is known as "negelvache." It is a fine bottom

leather used in Spain and Germany. Because of its strong

structure, it holds nails well.

Plantilla para Cosido. A bottom leather known in

Germany as "nanvache" and in France as "cuir a couture."

Because of its flexibility, this type of bottom leather is used

in France, Germany, and Spain for sewing.

(Cuero para) Plantillas. A bottom leather known in

Germany as "vacheleder." It is a type of bottom leather

which is more pliable and flexible than sole leather. In

Germany, the classification is divided into zahanvacheand

55
wildvache according to the type of raw material used. In

Spain, **plantilla para clavado" and cuero flexible" fall in

the category.

Plena Flor. See Full Grain.

(Piel or Cuero) PrecurtldO. See Pretannag^.

(Piel or Cuero) ProtegWo. 5ee Protected Leather.

Puro. See Straight.

(Curtido) Puro Aceite. See Full Oil.

(Curtido) Puro Cromo. See Fuli Chrome (Tanned).

Pescuezo. Neck, the part of the hide which covers the

shoulders and neck of the animaL

(Cuero) Piquelada In Peru, hide without hair,

epidermis tissue, or flesh which has been addifted at a pH

below 4.5 and that is not swollen.

(Cuero) Pintado. Leather whose surface has been

finished by painting materials.

Poprldo. The start of putrefaction in the hide, which

loosens the hair and damages the grain.

Pellizcadas. Marks which are noticed on the hide and

which are usually made during the work of the different

machines.

Polvo de Cuero. Powder made from leather.

(Cuero) Porcino. See Pigskins.

(Piel con) Pelo. The hide which is tanned without taking

the hair off.

Pesados. Pieces of hide from 7 kilograms, 15.4 pounds

up, which come from bull and stags.

Pila. A pile of salted hides that belong to one owner.

Portrino. Salted horse hides with hairthat weighs up to 7

kilograms, 15.4 pounds. May be dry horse hides weighing

up to 2 kilograms, 44 pounds.

Portancas. Salted horse hides that weigh 7 to 12 kilograms, 15.4 to 26.4 pounds. May be dry horse hides

weighing 2 to 4.5 kilograms, 4.4 to 9.9 pounds.

Potros. Salted horse hides that weigh 12 kilograms, 26.4

pounds and up; Might also be dry horse hides weighing

more than 4.5 kilograms, 9.9 pounds.

ITALIAN-ENGLISH

Pelle Grezza or Pelle In Pelo. The outer covering of

any animal, the skin; refers to raw. untanned not dressed,

unbleached skin or-hide. {See the Hide and Cuoio.)

Pelle df Porco. Pigskin.

Pelle di Daino. Buckskin; incorrectly used to refer to

chamois.

Quilted Leather. Any leather which is stitched to a thick

backing fabric, the stitching usually being done all over in

patchwork, symmetrical, or ornamental designs.

Commonly used for upholstery and ladies' handbags.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Quebradiza. Brittleness; the crumbling or cracking of

the grain.

56
R

Rattlesnake Leather. Leather made from the skins of

the American diamond-backed rattlesnake. The scales and

pattern of diamond-backed rattlesnake resemble somewhat those of the python and boa. Rattlesnake leather is

made from the skins of domestic snakes which are raised

primarily for the meat of the snake which is canned and

sold as a delicacy.

Range, Butt or Bend. In respect to sole leather, a butt

or bend range is a strip of sole leather of convenient width

cut from a butt or bend at right angles to the backbone. In

respect to other hide leathers„a butt range is a strip of hide

leather of convenient width cut from the fore end of a butt,

usually after but sometimes before tannage. '

Raw Stock. The hides and skins used for making

leather, as referred to in a completely untanned state.

Rawhide. The usual American name (which has spread

to other English-speaking countries) for cattle hide that has

been dehaired and limed, often stuffed with oil or grease,

and sometimes undergone other preparatory processés;

usually has not been tanned. Some rawhide is tanned with

the hair left on. Used principally for mechanical purposes,

such as belt facings and pins, loom pickers, gaskets,

pindons, gears, also for trunk binding and luggage.

Refleshing. A tannery operation which follows liming

and unhairing of hides or skins. {See also Unhairing). The

action of the lime used in unhairing swells the hides ofskins

to a considerable degree and the flesh side is roughened

because of the swelling of small particles of tissue which

were not removed in the fleshing operation. {See also

Fleshing). These small particles are removed by refleshing

the stock in the same manner it was first fleshed.

Rein Back. Harness or bridle leather in the form of a

back, usually of good selection, curried and having a closeshaved fleash.

Reindeer Leather. See: Buckskin.

Reptile Leather. Leather made from real reptile skins.

Resin. A natural or synthetic material used extensively

for a number of industrial purposes including varnishes,

lacquers, enamels, and finishes used by the leather industry.

Resin Finish. Leather with a special kind of pigment

finish, the binder being a polymer or co-polymer, usually a

thermoplastic synthetic resin.

Retan. To tan again. Various leathers are frequently

tanned by one process and then retanned by another to

produce, by the use of two processes, leathers having

qualities and characteristics not obtainable by one tanning

method.

Retanned Leather. Any leather which has been first

tanned by one process and then retanned by another to

produce, by the use of the two processes, leather having

qualities and characteristics not obtainable by a single

tanning method.

Reversed Calf. Term applied to calf leather of heavier

weights, finished on flesh side, containing oils to make

more water resistant than suede, used for shoes where a

nappy leather is required. The flesh side is lightly buffed to

remove surplus fiber, but it is not finished with a fine suede

nap. Originally called "French Calf in England, the term

"Hunting Cair is also used in that country. The term

"Service Leathers" is used but is generally applied to splits

and side kather.

Reversed Spltl. Split leather which is finished the same

as reversed calf and side leather.

Rtnd Bete. In the strict sense, a term for chrome-tanned

full-grain side leather, smooth or boarded. In a wider sense,

also used for full grain or buffed, smooth or boarded side

leather, usually chrome or combination tanned.

fUHgWórfU. A contagious skin disease affecting animals,

corresponding to athlete's foot in man. It is caused by a

fungus or moldlike organism and causes hide defects which

measuraWy löwer the value of the hide and the quality of

the leathet made from it.

Rio Haefie^ tSloatsklns. Goatskins from Venezuela

which derive their name from the district in which they

originate.

River Wate Goatskins. A general term for numerous

types of goatskins from the River Plate area of South

America, principally from Argentina.

Roan. A term used to describe sheepskins which are not

split.

Rocker Vat. The vat used for the preliminary tanning of

heavy leather. It is equipped with a rocking device to keep

the stock in motion during tanning to secure uniform

tannage and prevent kiss spots.

Roller Leather. Denotes leather from certain classes of

sheep, lamb, and calfskins, especialiy vegetable tanned.

Used commercially for cots or covers of the upper rolls of

cottonspinning machines.

Rolling. A tanning operation whereby the grain surface

of leather is compressed and smoothed under the pressure

of a metal roller to generally improve its appearance.

Rolling Jack. A machine for rolling the grain side of

leather with a heavy metal roller operating under

considerable pressure.

ROrheo. A man's slipper with a high back and front and

low cut sides.

Rosin. The hard resin, amber colored to almost black,

left after distilling offthe volatile oil ofturpentine. It is used

in varftishes and soaps and in driers for oils.

RulttlMH^. A packinghouse workman who specializes in

cutting the hide away from the base of the tail and rump of

the carcass.

Run Pelts. Sheepskins dewooled by sweating, whose

grain surfaces have been pitted or Hquefied in spots by

wormHke organisms.

Russet. A term of varied meaning in the leather trade,

since it connotes both color and tannage.

Russet Calf. The natural color of unfinished calf leather

resulting from tannage by vegetable extracts.

Russet Sheepskin. A leather used for shoe linings. It is

57
tanned in cold-leached hemlock bark with color resulting

from the hemlock.

Russet Upholstery. A leather tanned but not finished.

Russet is a red-yellow color.

Russian Leather. Originally a calfskin shoe leather of

Russian origin, vegetable tanned and dressed with birch oil.

In the United States, it now denotes a fancy stock made of

calfskin or light cattle hide.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Rasillas. See Lining Shearling. Generally the term "piel

ovina esquilada per forro" is used.

Raspado. Scrapes, marks, or traces which originate in

the hides when the living animal is dragged or after it is

slaughtered.

Rebordes. See Offal.

Rechazos. Hides which have visible defects and,

therefore, cannot be classified as Frigorificos. The defects

fall within the following categories: scabbed hides;

damages in the outer side of the hide; brand marks that

have produced blisters or more than two fire-branding

marks well healed; skinning defects.

Recurtldo. ^ee Retanned Leather.

Remesa. Shipment; a shipment is the rawhides or

articles of hide which have been presented together for one

inspection under a single contract, order, or detailed

specifications.

(Cuero para) Rodillos. See Roller Leather. In Spain, the

term "cuero para cilindros de hilatura" is more commonly

used.

(Cuero de) Rusta. See Russian Leather.

58
Saddening Agent. The addition of a substance during

dyeing to produce a duller shade.

Saddle Finish. Any leather that is colored and finished

to resemble genuine saddle leather.

Saddle Leather. As used in the manufacture of harness

and saddlery, this leather is a vegetable canned cattle hide.

Generally, it is tan in color, is produced in various

thicknesses and used also outside the saddlery trade for

leather goods of various types.

Saladero Hides. Hides from Argentina corresponding

to the small packer hides produced in the United States.

Salometer. An instrument for measuring the weight of a

salt solution per unit volume and thus giving a measure of

its salt content; used in strengthening pickle liquors with

salt. Saturation equals 100° salometer.

Salt. Common salt. Normal commercial sodium

chloride (NaCl) containing about 4 percent of moisture

and 100 parts per million of iron (Fe) and not less than 56

percent of chloride (estimated as chloride) to which maybe

added not more than 2 percent of sodium fluoride or 2 percent of sodium silico-fluoride.

Salt Stain. A stain or discoloration on the grain surface

of hides and skins, caused by improper curing of the stock

and affecting the quality of the stock and the appearance of

leather made from it.

Salt Thrower. A packinghouse workman who

specializes in spreading rock salt over the hides during the

building of a hide pack for curing.

Sammying. '*Wetting down" process in tanning, either

with water or by burying in sawdust to permit stretching.

Santiago Goatsidns. Goatskins from Chile whose

name is derived from the district in which they originate.

Santo Domingo Goatskins. Goatskins from the

Dominican Republic which derive their name from the

district in which they originate.

Satin Finish. A soft dull or mat finish when applied to

leather, as distinguished from a glazed or enameled finish.

Scabies. A variety of mange caused by a parasitic mite.

The mite digs down and cuts channels which are observed

only when the hair is removed from the hide by the tanner.

The extent ofthe damage becomes more apparent when the

hide is cut into cross-section.

Scored Hides. Hides damaged during flaying by cuts

that do not completely penetrate the hide.

Scoured Leather. Heavy leather which has been

scoured with a stone and brush to stretch it and remove

bloom and loose tan, or scoured on a scouring machine for

the same purpose. Scouring is usually done only on leathers

which are to be curried, and even for such leathers it is not

commonly performed in modern leather making.

Scotch Grain. A pebbled pattern embossed usually on

cattle hide or calf leather, made to resemble the heavy

leather with a coarse grain which originated in Scotland.

Scrap Leather. Waste leather produced by trimming

stock in tanneries and shoe factories.

Scratched Hides. Hides which have been damaged by

scratches during the life of the animal. These are caused by

contact with barbed wire fences, nails, horns, thorns, and

other sharp objects. Such hides are often deeply scratched

resulting in infection of the animal. They always lower the

quality of the hide or skin and of the leather made.

Scud. Remnant of epithelial tissues, hair pigments, etc.,

left in the grain layer of hides and skins after unhairing.

Scudding. A tannery operation whereby the epidermis

remaining after dehairing on the grain side of hides and

skins as well as their pores is removed.

Sealskin Leather. Leather tanned from genuine

sealskins, used for luggage, brief cases, and other leather

goods.

Seasoning. Treatment of leather with preparations to

give new wear reistance to surface and improve

appearance.

Sebaceous Glands. The oil glands associated with the

hair or wool fibers of animal skins.

Semi-Chrome Leather. A combination-tanned leather

made by stripping most of the original tannage from the

leather and compleUng the tannage with a basic chrome

liquor.

Setting Out. A tannery operation employed to reduce

the water content of light leathers before they are split or

shaved.

Shagreen. The rough, flinty outside skin or "armor" of

certain sharks.

Shagrln. A leather tanned from the hide of an ass or

mule and having a peculiar pebbled grain. The shagrin

grain was originally produced by Persian tanners who

stamped the hard seeds of the wild orach into the hide,

spread on the ground. The seeds were afterward knocked

off and the hide scraped and finished on the indented side.

The leather was noted for its hardness and strength.

Shank. That portion of the hide which formed the leg of

an animal.

Sharkskin. A leather made from the skins of certain

species of sharks.

Sharpening Agent A material added to a lime liquor to

accelerate the loosening of the hair of hides and skins

immersed in it.

Shaved Weight The weight of a pack of skins after

shaving, in which condition they retain about 50 percent

water content.

Shaving. A tannery operation whereby light skins may

be evened in thickness, smoothed, and cleaned of loose

fibers on the flesh side.

Shearling. Leather made from sheepskins which have

been sheared shortly before slaughter; the short remaining

wool being left on the skin when tanned.

Sheepskin. The outer covering on an ovine animal. An

unsplit sheepskin leather. Since the major value of sheepskins is represented by the wool, most of the skins are

dewooled at the wool pulleries, then preserved or pickled

59
with dilute suifuric acid and salt. Imported skins may be

pickled, salted, or dry, and some still have their wool The

major classifications of sheepskins or pelts are based on the

length of the wool.

Shell. The close-fibered butt or a horse hide used in

making cordovan leather.

Sheilaa A resin manufactured from crude lac which, in

several forms, is used in leather finishes.

Shoe Leather. This term is self-explanatory and

includes a large variety of leathers: (1) Sole leather made

from cattle hides is used to a lesser extent for heels, insoles,

toecaps, counters; (2) upper leather, made principally from

calfskins, goatskins, cattle hides, and horse hides is used for

shoe uppers; (3) miscellaneous shoe leathers, including

welting, lining, stock, tongue stock, facing stock, etc.

Shoulder. That part of the hide that is bounded by the

face and cheeks on the top, the butt on the bottom, and the

two beUies on the side. The butt on most cattle hides ends

about 50 inches from the tail.

Shoulder Grain. The tanned outer layer split from a

shoulder.

Shrunken Grain Leather. Kidskin or light-weight calfskin leather which is made by swelling the skinsby means of

weak acids prior to chrome tanning.

Side. Half of a whole hide, cut longitudinally along the

midline with offal (head, belly, shoulder) attached. :

Side or Side-Upper Leather. A kind of shoe leather

consisting of the grain or hair side of cattle hides finished in

a variety of grains or colors. Originated from the practice of

slitting a hide along the backbone into two halves or sides.

Silica Tanned. White and full leathers tanned with silica

compounds; usually with low tensile and tear stren^h.

Skin. A general term for the outer coveringofan animal.

The raw skin of a mature fully grown animal of the smaller

kinds, e.g., sheep, goat, pigs, reptiles, birds, and fish; or of

the immature animals of the larger species, e.g., calves and

colts. Theskin of a fur-bearing animal, dressed and finished

with the hair on. Inmost countries, pigs, reptiles, birds^ and

fish are included under "Skins" but in Germany they are

inciuded under "Hides." A small hide which, in the case of

cattle, weighs under 30 pounds after curing. Some factors

used in classifying skins are weight of the hide, sex and

maturity of the animal, existence and location of brands,

method of preserving or curing, and size and location of

slaughtering agency.

Skirting Leather. A specialized vegetable-tanned cattle

hide leather used for skirts or hanging portions of saddles

that come between the legs or a rider and the horse.

SWrts. The outer portions of hides and skins, including

the shank, belly, neck, etc.

Skiver. The tanned outer or grain split of a sheep or

lambskin. Sometimes applied to goatskin. In Germany and

Spain, the term is also used for the grain split or a raw sheep

pelt.

SkMng. Cutting a beveled scarf on leather, fabrics, etc.,

or shaving a thin layer from such materials. The word is

used mostly in connection with shoemaking, as operations

in the tanning industry or similar nature are called shaving,

splitting, etc.

Stats. Sheep or lambskins which have been dried after

dewooling and liming, rather than pickled.

Slipper. Cowhide, usually chrome tanned, used for

slipper uppers.

Slunk, The skin of an unborn or prematurely boYn calf.

Slunks are divided into groups; those with hair and those

without hair.

Small Packer Hides. Hides which are taken off and

cured by small meat packing organizations.

Smooth Calf. Smooth calf leather has a very fine finish

through which the natural grain is visible and, while most

of it glistens with semibright appearance, some is finished

duller and imparts only a mellow gloss.

Smooth Plating. Semibright finish given to leather by

ironing with large flat steamheated steel plates. The fibers

of the leather are compacted and its surface smoothed by

the procedure. Matt finished leathers are first oiled and

iroñplaíed or 4roned by hand. Smooth plating is perfprme<i

on practically all light leathers.

Snakeskin. Term used to describe leather made from

any one of a number of species of snakes.

Snuffed. Leather which has had the outer surface of the

graifi removed by various methods of buffing. Also known

as corrected leather.

Snuffed Finish. See Corrected Grain and Buffed

Leather.

Snuffing. Lightly buffing portions of the grain side of

the leather to remove grain defects.

Soaking. The first operation performed in the making of

leather.

Sodium Fluoride or Fluorol. Clear lusterless crystals or

white powder derived by adding sodium carbonate to

hydrofluoric acid (Na F); used by the tanning industry

chiefly as an antiseptic.

Sodium Hydroxide. Also known as caustic soda.

Formed by the electrolysis of sodium chloride or by

treating a solution of soda ash with a solution of lime

(NaOH^.

Sodium Hypochiorlte. Also known as hypochlorite of

soda. A salt used in solution known as eau de la barraque

(Na O C !) used as a water purifier and as a bleachinga^ent.

Sodium Thlosulfate^ Also known* as sodium

hyposulfite, hyposulphite of soda, sodium subsulfite, and

hypo. (The latter term is commonly used by the tanning

industry (^ee Hypo Bath). ït is a white crystal derived from

waste sulfide liquors (Na2 S2 Ö2 : 5H O), and is soluble in

water and oil of turpentine, insoluable in alcohol. It is used

in chrome-tanning process to reduce the sodium

dichromate to the condition of a tanning agent and as a

neutralizing agent for acids. (See also Chrome Tanned and

Tanning.)

Sole Leathers and Other Heavy Leathers. The

finishing of sole and other heavy leathers, like that of light

leathers, may Include a number of operations and treatmentswhich are not strictly classified as finishing but which

do, nevertheless, serve to complete the processes of leather

making. For this^ reason the finishing of the heavy leathers

in this description includes all of the processes of preparing

the leather for marketing after it has been fully tanned and

60
after such operations as cropping, extracting, and

tempering in the manufacture of sole leather.

Sour Dip. An acid solution containing Epsom salt and

fermenting com sugar into which dry sole leather is dipped

to improve its color and texture before drying again.

Southern India Goatskins. A general classification

including several types of goatskins from southern India.

Spanish Goatskins. A general term which includes

several types of goatskins from Spain.

Spanish Grain. Finish produced by embossing a

modified natural grain on fancy or upholstery leather.

Formerly produced by drawing or striking a hide orskin in

a strong tan liquor to shrink the grain, forming a particular

pattern on the surface, because of unequal shrinking of

different portions.

Special Machine Buffs. Designation for the cut of a

hide from which a light cut has been removed from the

grain in upholstery leather.

Specific Heat. The number of calories of heat required

to raise the temperature of one gram of material by 1° C.

Spent Tan. Ground tan bark from which the tannicacid

has been extracted.

Spew. A portion of the oily constitutent of leather that

comes to the grain surface as white crystallized fatty acid or

waxes, or as a gummy spew in the form of dark oxidized

fatty acids.

Split. If a hide or skin is split over its whole area into

several layers, this process is termed "splitting." The layers

thus obtained are termed: Grain split (outer split); flesh

split (inner split); in heavy hides there can also be a middle

split. Leather made from the flesh split or middle split.

Split Buckskin. Leather finished from the split or

undercut of deerskins to resemble genuine buckskin.

Spilt Hide. The outer (hair or grain) layer of a hide from

which the under or flesh side has been split to give it a

reasonably uniform thickness. In France and Germany,

mainly from cow or bull hides. Originally vegetable or

combination tanned, now also chrome tanned. The leather

is dressed according to the purpose required (for cars,

trunks, furniture, bags, etc.).

Split Leather. Any leather made from portions of hides

or skins which have been split into two or more thicknesses

other than the grain or hair side.

Splitting. 1. Cutting a hide or skin horizontally into

several layers, each of which may be finished into a

different type or grain of leather. 2. Dividing a hide or

heavy leather into sides, bends, bellies, etc. 3. Reducing the

thickness of cut soles to a uniform gauge by splitting a layer

off by means of a machine equipped with feed rolls and a

splitting knife.

Splitting Horse. A wooden frame for supporting a hide

while cutting it into two sides.

Splitting IMachine. A machine equipped with a gripping

cylinder and bank knife for splitting hides or skins or

leather horizontally into splits or for leveling the thickness

of leather.

Sponging. After being immersed in the sour dip and

dried, the leather is dipped very quickly in a solution of

Epsom salt and oxalic add and then washed on the grain

side with an emulsion of kerosene, oils, and waxes

preparatory to rolling.

Sporting Goods Leather. A broad classification

including any leather manufactured for various sporting

goods and equipment.

Spready Native Steers. Native steerhides measuring 6

feet, 6 inches in width, back of the brisket for straight head

hides and 6 feet, 8 inches when of kosher slaughter.

Stag Hides. Hides from male cattle which have been '

castrated after maturity. There is no distinction covering

stag hides in market practices; they are accepted as steer or

bull hides, whichever they most nearly resemble.

Staining. The application of stain or ink to any shoe

part. Customarily, the coloring materials used for staining

raw edges of shoe uppers are called stains, and the

application, staining.

Staking. Flexing leather to soften it by separating fibers

sticking together.

Staling. Term sometimes applied to the process of

sweating. See Sweating.

Standard Tannage. The term used by the trade to

describe leather that has been tanned by standard methods

and without special processing or care that might

command premium prices for the leather.

Steer Hide. Leather made from the hides of steers,

usually a heavy leather for soles, belting, etc., although the

term is sometimes used to cover any cattle hide leather

especially in the fancy leather goods trade.

Steerhlde Leather. Leather made from the hides of

steers, usually heavy leather.

Stirrup Butt Strong flexible leather usually shaved 4 to

5^2 mm thick, made from oxhide rounded into butts

approximately 5 feet long.

Stirrup Leather. Leather made from light native steer

hides used for the straps suspending the stirrups of a saddle.

Stock. The hides or skins used by the leather

manufacturers. The term "raw stock" is commonly applied

to the hides and skins before tanning operations are begun;

and the term '*stock*' is commonly used in referring to the

hides and skins while they are being tanned and before they

have been converted into leather.

Stovlng. Drying enamelled leather to obtain a hard

finish.

Straight. When prefixed to the name of a tanning

process or coloring process indicates that only the process

specified has been employed in the manufacture of the

leather. Thus, Straight Chrome indicates tannage solely by

the use of chromium salts and Straight Dyed indicates

coloring solely by immersion in a dye bath without

subsequent application of pigment finishes. See Combination Tannage, Aniline Dyed, and Full Chrome.

Stripping. A process of removing most of the original

tannage from semi-chrome tanned leather so that the

finished leather will not be hard and unevenly tanned.

Stuffed Leather. Leather which has had wax or grease

worked into the fibers. See Wax Finish.

61
Stuffing. The process of stuffing wet leather with hot

greases or waxes to produce certain types of finished

leather.

Stuffing Drums. Large drums in which leather is treated

with hot greases.

Sudoriferous Glands. Sweat glands located just below

the hair bulbs of a hide or skin.

Suede and Embossed Calf. Calf suede is by far the

most important suede leather in shoes. It is soft, yet strong,

and has a rich, fine, even nap.

Suede Finish. A finish produced by running the surface

of leather on a carborundum or energy wheel to separate

the fibers in order to give the leather a nap. The grain side of

the leather may be suede finished, but the process is most

often applied to the flesh surface. The term "suede" is

usually applied to chrome- or alum-tanned leather, whife

"ooze" is appHed to vegetable-tanned suede. The term

"suede" when used alone refers to leather only. The term

denotes a finish, not a type of leather.

Suede Leather. See Suede Finish.

Suede Splits. Leather made from the flesh splits of hide

or skin and finished with a velvetlike nap.

Sulfonated Oils. Oils that have been subject to the

action of sulfuric acid. Among the oils that can be readily

sulfonated are castor, cod, corn, neat's-foot, olive, and a

few other saponifiable oils. Sulfonated oils in fat Hquors

assure a deeper penetration of fat liquors into leather.

Sulfur Tanned. Leather produced by incorporating

sulfur and sulfur compounds into hides and skins by treatment with acid and sodium thiosulfate.

Sumac Tanned. Vegetable tanned, with the use of

tannin contained in the leaves of the sumac tree.

Suspension Dried. Hides or skins dried by being laced

to a wood or metal frame freely suspended within its

perimeter flesh side up.

Sweating. The oldest known method of unhairing skins

before tanning.

Sweep Tare. A weight allowance made in taking up

hides. Ten hides are selected at random, weighted, swept

thoroughly both on the fiesh and hair sides, and weighed is

then taken for the whole pack. If thistare is not satisfactory

to either buyer or seller, another lot of 10 hides is taken, and

the tare allowance is established on the average loss forthe

20 hides.

Syntans. A term covering a group of synthetic tanning

materials, generally used in combination with'vegetable,

mineral, or formaldehyde tannage. These materials are also

often used for specialized purposes such as bleaching,

filling, or as mordants.

Synthesis. The building up of a compound by the union

of simpler compounds, or of its elements. Materials created

by synthesis are those which have been created chemically

by a union of the compounds of some natural material

which it is intended to replace.

Synthetic Tanned. Tanned with synthetic organic

agents.

Synthetic Tanning Materials. Artificial tanning

materials which are produced by two distinct methods. One

is to synthesize the most simple tannins, such as the tannic

acid contained in gall nuts; the other is to build up

substances similar in character to the tannins, from

hydroxy-benzoic acids.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

Saja, Sajaduras. Scarification; cuts Hke single steps on

the side of the flesh,

(Cuero) Seco Dulce. Literally sweet dry hide. It is the

name given to fresh hides exposed to air in the shade,

without any preparation for preserving it.

(Cuero) Seco Salado. See Curing, Green Salting,

Serraje. See Flesh ^lit or Split.

Serraje Afelpado. See Suede Splits.

Serraje Blando. In France and Germany bottom

leather made from the flesh split of a cattle hide. The

German equivalent is "Spaltscolleder" and the French is

"croûte a semelle."

Serraje de Crupon. See Butt Spht.

Serraje de Cuero. See Split. Generally the word

"serraje" is used by itself.

Serraje Flexibie. See Rexible Split.

Serraje para Fuelles. See Bellows Hide.

(Cuero) Sillero. See Dressing Hide.

Simplemente Curtida See Undressed Leather.

Suecla. See Doeskin. In Spain, suede leather made from

deerskin is generally referred to as "antilope para

empeine.."

Suela. Sole orsole leather. Sole leather is generally vegetable tanned and slightly flexible, pressed to make it more

resistant to use.

Suela Cromo. Sole leather which has been tanned in

chromium or a chromium mixture.

Suela de Curtición Anttgua. In Germany and Spain

sole leather produced by bark tannage over an extended

period. Oak bark is most generally used, but other tree

barks (e.g., pine bark in Austria and Switzerland) may be

used.

GERMAN-ENGLISH

Samlschleder. Chamois leather; wash leather. See

Chamois.

62
Table Run or Tannery Run. Terms used to describe

leather which has not been sorted or graded before sold.

Tacking. The stretching of wet skins in tanning process

and nailing them on large wooden or metal frames to dry.

Tall Root. The base of the animal's tail where it is

attached to the body.

Takeoff. Removal of the hide or skin of an animal

(flaying). Takeoff enters into commercial transactions

involving hides and skins, as to season of takeoff, point of

takeoff, etc.

Taking Up Hides. Removing hides from the hide pack,

sweeping therefrom the excess salt, inspecting, weighing,

and classifying them.

Tan Yard. A section of the tannery in which are located

the wooden vats in which leathers are vegetable tanned.

Tannate. A compound of some salt with tannin, such a

titanium tannate, a yellowish intermediate, on which all

shades of tan, brown, green, blue, and maroon can be

obtained in coloring leathers.

Tannery Procedure. A sequence of operations

intended to convert cured hides to leather. Included, for

example, are beamhouse procedure, tanning, and finishing.

Tannic Acid. The active principle of the tannin

contained in many vegetable materials (C14H10O9 ). It is

the principle which has the power of converting hide

substances into leather.

Tannin. An astringent substance found in the various

parts of plants—leaves, bark, wood, roots, etc. These

substances form one of the most important groups of

tanning materials used for the making of leather, and they

are also used in the manufacture of other widely dissimilar

products.

Tanning. The processing of perishable rawhides and

skins, by the use of tanning materials, into the permanent

and durable form of leather.

Tawed Leather. Leather which has been alum tanned.

Tawing. An old term for the process of tanning leather

with alum by various methods. It was formerly used to

distinguish between alum tanning and vegetable tanning,

but in modern practice the term tanning includes

practically all methods of converting hides and skins into

leather and the methods used are indicated by a qualifying

term: i.e., vegetable tanning, chrome tanning, alum

tanning, etc.

Tear-Offs. Small pieces of leather (less than half a skin),

which are torn from a skin during the staking or other

tanning operations.

Texas Hide. See Colorados or Texas Hides.

Texas Steers. Small patterned, plump weight hides,

originally from the Southwest, but now including hides

from any section which resemble in plumpness the Texas

hides.

Ticks. A blood-sucking parasite that lives on animals

and causes three-fold damage: a damage to the skin.

resulting in damaged grain of the leather made therefrom;

weakening of the animal; and carrying of contagious

diseases.

Toggling. A tannery operation whereby skins of light

leather are stretched smoothly over perforated metal

frames, attached thereto by means of toggles (metal

clamps), which fasten to the leather and to which are

attached hooks that can be inserted into holes along the

edge of the perforated frame.

Top Coat. The final coat offinishing material applied to

leather.

Top Grain. The first cut taken from the hair side of a

split hide from which nothing whatsoever; except the hair

and associated epidermis; has been removed.

Top Grain Thickness. The top grain is the grain side

(hair side) of cattle hide reduced to a specified thickness,

designated by an "ounce" standard {seealso Ounce), from 2

to 10 ounces, according to a standard leather gauge. Split

leather must be designated as "split" leather as it is not

included in the above classification.

Tossing. See Biffing.

Traveling Bag, Suitcase, and Strap Leather. A

general term for leather used in traveling bags and

suitcases. It does not include the light leathers employed for

women's handbags. The staple material for l^ag and case

leather at present is leather made from the hides of animals

of the bovine species, but other skins, including heavy

sealskins and goatskins, are also used for this purpose.

Trimming (Hides). Removing the portions of a hide or

skin which are not suitable for making into leather, and

using these portions for glue, gelatin, etc.

Trimming (Leather). Raw stock from some sources is

received at the tannery in an untrimmed condition and the

waste parts which are removed in hide trimming must be

taken off by the tanner, who convertsthem to the same uses

as does the packer.

Trimming and Liming. After the wool has been pulled,

the skins are trimmed to remove the head, shanks, and

udders. Since not all of the wool is removed by the pullers,

the remainder is dissolved by drumming (i.e., agitated by

tumbling in a rotating drum), then soaking in a solution of

alkaline sulfide. Finally, the sulfide solution is washed

away by drumming with fresh, running water.

Trimming Shearling. Tanned and dressed sheep or

lambskin with short— to medium-length wool suitable for

trimming purposes.

True Skin. See Corium.

Turkey Red OH. See Castor Oil.

Turkish Galls. See Gall Nuts.

Turkish Leather. Obsolete term formerly applied to

genuine Morocco leather. See Morocco.

Turkish Oak. See Valonia.

Twaddell. A scale for determining the density of a

liquid.

63
SPANISH-ENGLISH

Tafilete. See Glacé Kid In Spain, "tafilete" does not

include gloving leather; generally, "cabritilla al cromo" is

used instead.

(Cuero para) Talabarterta See Cloak Hide.

Tancatf. In Spain, a variety of box calf between 2.4 and

2.6 mm. thick, curried, usually boarded in two directions

on the grain side—head to tail, belly to belly.^Normally

produced in the form of sides, but occasionally in butts or

backs. Suitable for the manufacture of military footwear.

Taite. In Spain, a drum-dyed grain leather softer than

clothing nappa and without a pigment finish. In France, the

corresponding term is (glacé au plonger.) "

Tapa. See Side. Generally the word "lado" is used

instead of "tapa."

(Cuero) Tenido. Se€ Vegetable Tannage, Tenido is used

in South America as well as "curtido al vegetal."

Tenido Anilina. See Aniline Dyed.

Tenido Anilina a Mano. See Aniline Stained.

Ternera Afelpada. See Suede and Embossed Calf.

Ternera Engrasada Afelpada. See Reversed Calf.

Ternera Afelpada para Botas. See Hunting Calf.

Ternera al Gromo. See Baby Calf and Box Calf.

Ternerlto. A calf hide in the rough state with a weight of

3 to 8 kilograms(6.6 to 17.6 pounds). The calf is generally in

its first year.

Ternero. Calf hides in the rough state, weighing 8 to 12

kilograms, 17.6 to 26.4 pounds. In Argentina, hides in this

category weigh between 7 and UVi kilograms exclusive.

(15.4 to 25.3 pounds). In Peru, this hide must be between

1.6 and 2 square meters (17.1 and 21,4 square feet). The calf

is generally between I and 2 years old.

Ternero Entero. A finished calf with a surface of up to

15 square feet fl .4 square meters). In Peru, material in this

classification must have surface area between 12.1 and 21.4

square feet (Í.2 and 2 square meters).

Ternilla. See Shell. In Spanish-speaking countries, the

term "espejo" is often used in place of ternilla."

64
u

Ultraviolet Rays. Light rays outside the visible

spectrum at its violet end.

Undressed Leather. Leather, after tanning, that has

not been further processed and may be wet or drv. In

Western Europe it is named as Simple Tanned Leather.

Unhairing. A tannery operation whereby the hair is

removed from hides and skins with the aid of depilating

agents and the use of equipment designed for this work.

Union Tannage. The use of a combination of vegetable

extracts to tan sole leather.

Upholstery Leather. A general term for leathers used

for furniture, airplanes, buses, and automobiles. The staple

raw material consists of spready cattlehides, split at least

once and in many cases two or three times. The top or grain

cuts go into the higher grades and the splits into the

cheaper.

Upper. A shoe leather used for the upper portions.

Predominantly from cattle hide and calfskins, although a

great variety of skins are used. Usually combination

tanned.

Valonia. A vegetable-tanning material obtained from

the acorn of the Turkish oak. This tree grows in Asia

Minor, and as the material is shipped from Smyrna, it is

frequently known as "Smyrna valonia."

Vamp, The part of a boot or shoe above the sole and

welt, and in front of the ankle seam and upper.

Vat. A large container, usually rectangular in shape, in

which hides and skins are treated during numerous operations involving the use of liquors, such as soaking, liming,

bating, pickling, tanning, dyeing.

Veal Calf. Leather made from large calfskins, usually

measuring and weighing nearly as much as kips.

Veals. The name occasionally given to large calfskins,

almost as large as a kip.

Vegetable Tannage. A generic term to cover the

process of making leather by the use of tannins obtained

from barks, woods, or other parts of plants and trees as

distinguished from "mineral tannages."

Vegetable Tanning Materials. A group of materials

derived from various vegetable sources and containing an

active principle known as tannin which combines with the

protein in hides and skins to form leather.

Vinegar Acid. See Acetic Acid.

SPANISH-ENGLISH

(Cuero de) Vaca. Untanned hide of a female bovine

animal weighing 19 to 27 kilograms (41.8 to 59.4 pounds).

(Cuero de) Vaca Box. Cowhide finished the same wav

that box calf is finished. See Box Calf.

(Cuero de) Vaca Sport. See Sporting Good Leather.

Vacuno. Dry-salted cattle hide weighing 7 kilograms

and up except from bulls and stags (15.4 pounds and up).

(Cuero) Vacuno Charolado. See Enamelled Hide.

(Cuero para) Vallias. See Bag Hide.

Vaqueta. Peruvian name for leather up to 2 millimeters

(.07 inch) in thickness, used for luggage. In El Salvador, up

to 3 millimeters (. 11 inch) in thickness. Generally, the name

"vaquetilla para maletería" is used. See Case Leather.

Vaquetilla para Maletería. See Case Leather

Vaqulllone. Untanned hide weighing 10 to 19 kilograms (22 to 41.8 pounds). In Argentina, the weight is I 1.5

to 18 kilograms (25.3 to 39.6 pounds).

(Cuero de) Vaquillona Chica. In Peru, the hide of a

small heifer with a surface area between 2 and 2.5 square

meters (21.4 and 26.7 square feet).

(Cuero de) Vaquillona Grande. In Peru, the hide of a

large heifer with a surface area between 2.5 and 3 square

meters (26.7 and 32.1 square feet).

(Cuero de) Vaquita. In Peru, the hide of a young bovine

animal with a surface area between 3 and 3.5 square meters

(32.1 and 37.4 square feet).

Velveta. See Velvet Leather.

(Cuero) Verde. Literally green hide. See Hide.

(Cuero) Verde Salado. Literally green-salted hide. See

Curing, Green Salting.

65
W-X-Y-Z

Waïtaby Leather. Leather tanned from the skins ofthe

wallahy.. small and medium-sized species of Australian

kangaroos, many of which are no larger than a hare. The

leather is the same as kangaroo leather, except that the

skim are smaller and sometimes finer gxamea. (See also

Kangaroo Leather.)

V^iTalrus. The name often gtven to three different

categories of products: The hide of a walrus, walrus grain

on other hides, walrus leather as known in the traveling

gooás indtistry. The true walrus hide is of such thickness

that 4t is generally used for buffing wheels (a wheel covered

with buff leather and used in polishing metal products). In

order to be used for bag leather, it must be split. After

tanning and splitting, it is difficult to distinguish from sealskins and the names are often used interchangeably.

"Walrus Grain" is sometimes imitated on cattle hides,

sheepskins, and goatskins as well as on splits from hides of

various animals. In such cases, the proper descriptions are

"Walrus Grained Cowhide" or "Walrus Grain on

Goatskins," etc.

The term "Walrus Leather" when used in the traveling

goods industry is generally regarded by the trade as being a

üpeciesof genuine sealskin leather on which a simulation of

walrus grain has been embossed.

Walrus Leather- Leather tanned from the skin of a

walrtis hide, and used for buffing wheels and similar

purposes.

.Warts. A contagious skin disease which produces large

masses of wart tissue which not only disfigures the hide but

affects the leathermaking quality of it so that the scars are

very apparent even after tanning.

Wash Leather. In Germany and the United Kingdom,

an alternative term for Chatnois. Leather used principally

for Window- and autotñobile-cleaning purposes.

Wastling. A tannery operation whereby hides and skins

are washed in clear water, after having been soaked (.çé^^

also Soaking) to remove curing agents, dirt, blood, and

manure.

Washing and Wringing. The process by which fresh

pelts are placed directly in cold water vats and carefully

agitated to avoid grain damage. Salted skins are soaked for

a long period to remove the salt, and dried skins must be

thoroughly softened before agitation is begun.

Waterproof Leather. A term formerly applied to

leathers heavily stuffed with oils, greases, and waxes, used

primarily 4n work shoes and boot. The term currently also

includes leathers which have been treated in tanning with

any of several chemical compounds which minimize the

absorptionofexternal water without interfering with the

leather's ability ta "breathe."

Wax Finish. A inethod of finishing heavier weights of

upper leather on the flesh side by working wax iiito the

substance.

Weighing (Hides). 5^^ Weighmaster

Welghmaster, One who is licensed to weigh all classes of

cargo entering a U.S. port. His weights are. therefore,

considered certified city weights.

Wilting Leather. A term used to describe a curried

leather maxie tough and soft. Leather welting is used in

making wdt shoes as the uniting material between the shoe

upper solCr and insole.

West Indies Goatskins. A general term which includes

several types of goatskins from the West Indies.

Wetting Agent. A chemical or solution that will reduce

the surface tension and allow easier penetration of the

water or wet solutions into the material.

White Hide, or White Lace, Leather. Alum- and salttanned cattle hides for the manufacture of laces for

industrial uses.

Wool. Theysoft and curly hair obtained from sheep.

Wool Pulling. Removal of the wool from sheepskins.

This is done by painting the skins with a depilating solution and then placing them over a beam and working the

wool off the skins.

Wooiskins. Sheepskins tanne^l with the wool on.

Wringer. A machine equipped with felt-covered

cylindricaL rollers through which leathers are passed to

remove excess water.

Wringing. A tannery operation employed to reduce the

water content of light leathers before they are spht or

shaved.

Yietd (Leather). The amount of leather, in pounds or

square feet, obtained from 100 pounds of raw stock

weighed at the time of purchase.

66