The History of Leather 💼

From: Mission Mercantile - Wednesday Feb 08,2023 12:15 am

Bird of a Leather Flock Together It’s head-turning and luxurious to the touch. It’s practical. It’s unpretentious. It’s leather of course. Join us as we take a look at the history of one of nature’s finest, lifelong gifts. EARLY TANNING METHODS Turning a hide into a functional material requires preservation (stopping the natural decay) and softening the leather for workability. The most ancient process was likely oil tanning in combination with smoke curing. As generations passed, tanners began stretching hides out on frames and immerse them in vats of concentrated amounts of a chemical compound called tannin, which is derived from tree bark and certain plant leaves. Native American’s early tanning methods involved stretching the hides on the ground and rubbing them with animal brains and fats as they dried. Today, the three most widely used tanning agents are vegetable tannin, mineral salts such as chromium sulfate, and fish or animal oil. Each of these ancient to modern methods creates a unique, beautiful and very durable result that, when properly cared for, will last many lifetimes!

MIDDLE AGES TO END OF NINETEENTH CENTURY During the middle ages, guilds of leather craftsmen were formed. Most towns had a tanner, located near a river or stream. Today’s maps still show evidence of their locations through street names like Bark Street, Tanner Street, or Leather Lane. RECENT HISTORY The Top 10 leather producing countries are, in order: China, Brazil, Russia, India, Italy, South Korea, Argentina,United States, Mexico and Turkey. There are some companies developing “leather” made solely from alternatives such as mushrooms. Personally, we like our mushrooms better on pizza!

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Mission Mercantile
12951 Huebner Rd #780092 San Antonio, Texas 78278

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