Mention was also made of our record in the recycling of materials and of our consistent use of sustainable products. Regrettably we were beaten for first place, and the prize of two thousand pounds, by Masslam Systems Ltd., a printed circuit board manufacturer. During the last few years, there has been a steady decline in availability of suitable sheepskin pelts. As a result we have decided to use our expertise in the tanning of both sheepskin bagpipe leathers and vegetable tanned goatskins to develop what we believe to be a superior leather for making bagpipe bags. Our new leather is a vegetable tanned goatskin that has been re-tanned using the best parts of the bagpipe sheepskin process.
Potassium alum is added and the skins are then oiled with our special bagpipe recipe.
Finally the skins are dried flat and softened prior to dispatch. Goatskin is a considerably more durable leather than sheepskin. It has a tighter fibre structure and will not delaminate during use, a problem that is quite common with sheepskin. When taken in conjunction with the improved tannage we would therefore expect a goatskin bag to have an increased lifespan. This leather will be available direct from the tannery at very competitive rates.