Deacon

The skin of a newborn calf; a very small calfskin.

Deerskin

Deer having the grain intact.

Degrained leather

Leather from which the grain has been removed after tanning, by splitting, abrading or other processes.

Deliming

Returns the skin from strong alkalinity towards neutrality

Doeskin

From sheep or lambskins usually with the grain removed.

Drawn Grain

Shrunken, shriveled, or wrinkled grain surface of leather.

Drum dyed

A process in which leather is immersed in dye and tumbled in a rotating drum to ensure maximum dye penetration. Also known as vat dying

Drying

Makes the raw hide or skin unappetising to bacteria. Dry skins keep indefinitely

Dyeing

Colouring by means of soluble dyes

Effect Coat

This is the process that gives leathers the desired look such as smoky marbled, antique, or duo - tone. This process adds interest not only in coloration but dimension. Can be called Tache, Kela, two tone or Sauvage.

Embossed

A mechanical process of permanently imprinting a great variety of unique grain effects into the leather surface. Done under considerable heat and pressure. Embossing may be done to disguise defects or create an exciting design on the leather. Sometimes leathers are embossed to make them appear to be another leather, such as embossing an alligator pattern into cowhide. Also known as plating.

Enhanced full grain

Full grain leather which has received minor surface alteration to improve grain appearance.

Fancy Leather

Leathers made from hides and skins of all kinds, important commercially because of grain or distinctive finish, either natural or processed. Includes graining, printing, embossing, ornamenting (such as finishing in gold, silver, etc.).

Fat wrinkle

Natural wrinkles visible in top grain leathers. Wrinkles in the grain of leather caused by fat deposits in the animal. They are more prevalent in the belly and neck area of the hide. Fat wrinkles are not visible in imitation grain leather.

Fatliquoring

The process of adding oil and related fatty substances as one of the last wet operations in the processing of leather. This procedure regulates the final pliability and increases the tensile strength of the leather.

Finish, Finishing

Generally defines a surface application on the leather to color, protect or mask imperfections. More specifically, it refers to all processes administered to leather after it has been tanned. Such as antiquing, buffing, embossing, glazing, milling, rolling, spraying, waterproofing, or waxing.

Flesh Surfaces

The inner surface of the hide or skin

Flesher

The underneath (flesh side) layer of a sheepskin which has been split off. Used to make chamois.

Fleshing

A process performed prior to tanning where the excess flesh and fatty substances are removed from a hide.

Football Leather

For covering footballs. Traditionally of pigskin, but generally today made of embossed or printed cattlehide leather, and sometimes of sheepskin.

Formaldehyde Tanning

A tanning method using a formalin solution in the manufacture of white leathers and also washable glove leathers.

Frigorifico Hides

Hides from South American freezing plants Usually cured in brine and later salted before shipping.

Full Grain

Grain leather in which only the hair has been removed. Retains the genuine grain texture of the natural hide. Usually carries either an aniline or glazed finish.

Full hand

This defines leather which is full bodied and robust. Also called round hand or full round hand.

Glazed Finish

Finish resulting from the leather surface being polished to a high luster by the action of glass on steel rollers applied under tremendous pressure. Similar to an aniline finish.

Glazing

Also known as top coating, this process involves the application of protective transparent resins to the leather and determines its shine or Glaze. Can be had high gloss or matte shine.

Glove Leather

Sheep, pig, deer and kidskin that has been tanned to produce a soft, stretchy leather for dress gloves. Also, cattlehide splits, sheepskin, and others that are tanned for garden and work gloves.

Goatskin

Skin from a mature goat.

Grain

The natural or embossed pattern and texture of a hide´s surface consisting of the pores, cells, wrinkles and other characteristics.

Grain character

The natural markings on the surface of the leather.

Grain Leather

Hides and skins which have been processed with the grain, or outer surface, dressed for end use.

Grain sueded

A buffing process to raise the fibers on the grain side of a hide or skin to produce a velvet-like effect. This is also known as "nubuck" leather.

Grain Surfaces

The outer surface of the hide or skin

Grain, embossed

An artificial grain pressed into the surface of top grain leather from which the original grain has been removed.

Grained Leather

Any leather on which the original, natural grain has been highlighted by a finishing process.

Grassers

Calfskins or kips which have a coarser grain due to poor animal feeding.

Hairsheep

Sheep from several species whose "wool" is hair-like.

Hand

Term used to describe the feel of the leather. i.e. suppleness or fullness of upholstery leather.

Hand Antiqued

The hand-rubbed application of contrasting colors onto the surface of the hide to create highlights.

Heavy cattlehide

leather used to make belts for the transfer of power in machinery. Made from butts of high grade cattlehides.Also known as Mechanical Leather.

Heavy leather

Usually includes vegetable tanned sole, belting, strap and mechanical leathers manufactured from unsplit cattlehides.

Heifer

A female bovine, under three years of age, that has not produced a calf.

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.

Hide

The pelt of a large animal. such as cow, buffalo in contrast "skin", the pelt of young or small animals.

Horsehide

Hide from a horse.

Hydraulic Leathers

A collective term sometimes used for the cattlehide leathers, vegetable, chrome or combination tannages, with special stuffing provided. Formerly used in pump valves, piston packing, etc.

Imitation

A variety of materials which have been made to resemble genuine leather. The great bulk of these are rubber or plastic coated fabrics.

In The Pickle

Describes skins from which the hair or wool has been removed and which are preserved in a condition ready for tanning, usually in a wet state, with brine, acid, and sometimes alum.

In The Rough; In The Crust

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 cattlehide leathers.

Insole

A leather used for shoe inner soles. Usually from cattlehide.

Iron

Term used for measuring thickness of sole leather; 1 iron equals 1/48th of an inch.

Kela

The mechanical process that adds a second color or sauvage-look to hides. This is an additional step in the finishing stage, in which a relief roller creates a marbled look and increases the finish's character. The name Kela is derived from the name of the manufacturer, which made the original machine. Other names describing the same look are Tache, High Lighted, Effect Coat or Two Tone

Kidskin

Skin from a kid or a young goat.

Kip

The hide from a grass-fed, immature bovine.

Kipskin

Skin from a bovine, male or female, intermediate in size between a calf and mature animal, weighing in green salted condition from 16 to 25 pounds.

Kosher Hide

Hide of an animal which has been slaughtered according to Jewish religious custom by having its throat cut crosswise, sometimes resulting in a different pattern of the hide sometimes referred to as a "cut-throat" or "stuck-throat".