Leather Sofas - choosing the Right Leather For Your Sofa

Leather Sofas - choosing the Right Leather For Your Sofa

If you are finding into buy an authentic leather sofa you need to know what separate types you have to choose from. Leather couches can come in a collection of separate types and knowing the differences in the middle of them can make sure that you make the literal, purchase. While each of the separate types are made from genuine leather, how the leather is treated can corollary its touch, feel, and uncut durability.

The most ordinarily opinion of leather is aniline leather. This is leather that has been dyed in a dyebath and has not received any coating or other finish. This type of leather is the most natural looking. For many people this is what they think of when the think of leather. This kind of leather is very aesthetically pleasing and ordinarily will have a full grain pattern. The question with this kind is that it is authentically soiled and requires a lot of maintenance. The leather needs to be ordinarily oiled and taken care of or it will start to fade and look dull. This kind of leather is also prone to graphic defects, which in some cases may or may not be desirable. This kind of leather is not recomMended if you have pets or young children as they can authentically damage it.

If you are finding for something a bit more durable that requires less care than you are going to want to look at done leathers. The most coarse type of these is semi-aniline. This leather can have a very natural appearance and looks roughly selfsame to aniline leather. The big disagreeMent is in the maintenance of the leather. It requires not nearly as much of the care and medicine that full aniline leather has. It does not appear as natural though and there is less of that uncut appearance of full aniline. But if you are finding for something that is close and can bear the wear and tear this is it.

Another type that is gaining in popularity is bi-cast leather. This leather is done in a coat of polyurethane that is bonded to the surface. This type is very easy to utter and has the most uniform color. It does not any way appear natural, although to the touch it feels very natural. This is the best choice if you are at all concerned about your couch getting damaged.

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Leather portfolio - Your Office in a Bag

Nothing screams elegance like good ability leather. The quintessential marks of success are good leather briefcases. In the days of old, leather briefcases were in general used to carry legal briefs to court. Now, however, they exude ability and professionalism, and have since significantly evolved into a status symbol.

The Evolution of the Briefcase

Leather Colors

Leather briefcases were originally designed after the limp satchels of the 14th century. These satchels were used to carry money and valuables. In 1826, a Frenchman named Godillot designed the first hinged iron frame of leather briefcases. Subsequently, the Gladstone and the oval-topped Rosebury followed suit. These made way for the beloved metal-framed leather briefcases that open like laptops.

Leather portfolio - Your Office in a Bag

The considerable tools of company have undergone drastic changes through the years. Not to be left behind, so have leather briefcases. What used to be just paper-friendly compartMents and exteriors now comprise special compartMents for gadgets while still retaining paper space. Large flaps are usually featured, designed to give the leather briefcases a more streamlined look by concealing the tool pouches.

A Workdesk in a Bag

Leather briefcases not only carry your foremost docuMents, they can also hold cellular phones, handheld Computers, laptops, Computer disks, company cards, and many more. Leather briefcases now come with handles and shoulder straps for added mobility. In short, leather briefcases can be a movable workdesk. Leather briefcases even have new names such as man bags, saddlebags, and messenger bags.

Though soft leather briefcases with shoulder straps have substituted the more primary hard rectangular cases, businessMen and corporate executives can still make waves by choosing leather briefcases of supple, approved leather. Soft leather briefcases conduce to easier packing and expanding. What's more, they project a friendlier image.

Choosing Perfection

Black remains to be the color of choice for professionals, though habitancy are starting to lean towards more casual and creative colors. Brown and gray are accepted for both casual and formal occasions.

Designer colors, like mustard and cranberry, are exquisite for the imaginative professional. Remember that the portfolio you select does not only reflect the commerce you're affiliated with, but also your own unique personality.

When choosing leather briefcases, you need to consider its structure. Make a list of the items you intend to carry and settle the structure that you need. If you will lug around Computer tool or papers that need to lie flat, select a portfolio designed for protection. On the other hand, if you will be carrying irregularly shaped items, such as personal items or snacks, you need leather briefcases with less structure, in order to comfortably accommodate these items.

Another thing you should consider is the style of your leather briefcases. You can select to have handles, straps, or even both. As a professional, you need to present a polished and perfectly pulled together appearance. consider what you usually wear and settle if your leather briefcases blend in perfectly.

Lastly, consider the leather briefcases' compartments. Don't be compartment-greedy. select only the portfolio with the compartments that you'll use. Too many specialized compartments are a waste of space and money. Larger pouches are all the time more versatile.

With so many leather briefcases to select from, finding the exquisite one is like development a new friend. You'll find your attachment growing as time passes. With their natural dyes, leather briefcases come to be richer and more beautiful as they age. You'll find that you can't go everywhere without one. With leather briefcases, you can carry your office wherever you go.

Leather portfolio - Your Office in a Bag

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Leather Furniture Consumer's Guide - Abbreviated Version

Planning on buying leather furniture? Did you know there are separate types of leather? Which is best for you? Read on and learn some foremost tips to keep in mind when shopping.

Start by reasoning about the usage patterns you expect with your new leather pieces. Will the furniture be settled in an active, "high-impact" setting with children, pets, Food and drinks galore? Or, is your home a quiet, "low-impact" environMent?

Leather Colors

Quality leather is a remarkably durable material that will offer many years of comfort. However, the right type of leather should be prime based upon how you expect the furniture to be enjoyed. As a leather furniture heal and recovery specialist, I repeatedly hear from my clients how their sales person, designer, etc. Never told them the leather would stain, fade, tear, etc. So, avoid these problems by learning a few simple keys and request a few simple questions. To understand the issues let me take you through a mini-primer about leather.

Leather Furniture Consumer's Guide - Abbreviated Version

There are two ways of coloring upholstery grade leather --- with dyes only or with dyes and pigMents. Leather colored strictly with a dye is referred to as unfinished, whereas pigMented leather is classified as finished. So, what's the difference?

If leather is colored only with dye then there is no protective coating. It is sometimes referred to as "pure-aniline" leather. (Aniline is a type of dye that colors leather.) This leather is soft, supple to the touch. Its color is rich and deep as dyes are translucent and they penetrate, often thoroughly through the leather. The leather's natural charm is accentuated by the dye giving the furniture a luxurious look and feel. Only the finest hides can qualify to be unfinished, so unsurprisingly, it's the most expensive category. However, there is a dark side. This class of leather stains positively (these hides are extremely porous) and the color fades, in some cases very rapidly. (Uv's the culprit.)

Finished leather is colored with the same aniline dye as unfinished leather however these hides go through a secondary coloring process. A pigmented coating (finish) is applied that is chemically engineered specifically for leather. It has to flex and allow the leather to breath so it has unique attributes that differentiate it from common wall paint. Pigmented leather finishes are opaque, creating a colored film on top of the hide. The color coating is then augmented with a clear coat forming its customary protection. This clear coat also dictates the sheen, from gloss to matte. potential ended leather may not feel as soft and supple as unfinished, but will be able to withstand the rigors of an active household. It won't stain nearly as readily. It's easier to clean, and fades so slowly, you'll never observation it.

Your first key is placement. naturally put, active, high impact environment like a family room, media center, consulation room, dining room, etc. Dictates ended leather. A low impact home, with Uv tinted windows and wee threat of staining can indulge the charm of unfinished leather.

The next step is to think your budget. This is where your expectations are appropriately set. There are two customary considerations, the leather and the frame.

Top-grain leather is the most durable, but will cost more. This is the dermis of the skin which offers vast majority of the hide's durability. Split-hide leather (leather "split" from the epidermis) won't stand up to the test of time in an active household, but as a low grade is generally more affordable. If you want a piece that will last a long time, then you must insist on top-grain leather.

The internals or guts of the furniture should be considered. Is it constructed using hard wood appropriately joined with tight, solid fits, or is it slapped together with cheap pressed board, staples and cardboard? (No kidding, cardboard.) Clearly, solid construction will cost more, but offer many years of issue free service.

Color selection is something else to think about. The lighter the color, the more maintenance it will need to keep the leather looking new and clean.

Finally, is it all leather or did the builder sneak in some vinyl? Vinyl and all its fancy name derivatives like leatherette, leather-mate, leather-match etc. Is a synthetic, not the real deal. It won't feel or wear like leather. It's less expensive than leather, but naturally doesn't have the stamina of potential leather.

So, based on your budget, set your expectations correctly and think about how the piece will be used. Then when you shop ask the following questions.

1. Is the leather ended or unfinished? Remember to think placement and usage patterns.

2. Is it top-grain leather? If it isn't, it won't have the stamina you think you're getting.

3. Is it all leather or is some of it vinyl? Don't be duped.

4. How is the frame constructed? Remember the story of the three wee pigs? If it's going to last, it has to be well built.

With the answers to these questions at least you'll know what you're buying. For more information, go to this web-site advleather.com/

Leather Furniture Consumer's Guide - Abbreviated Version

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Leather Furniture Coloring - Dyes Vs Pigments

There is a base misuse of the word "dye" in the leather fix and recovery business.

There are two methods for coloring leather. 1. Dyes. 2. Dyes and then pigMent coated. It is very rare that leather would be pigMent coated without having been dyed first.

Leather Colors

Starting with the basics - Animal skins are tanned. This process converts the skin to leather. The main purpose of tanning is to sustain the hide. It stops the natural degeneration or rotting process. At the end of the tanning policy and before the color step, the hide is called a "crust."

Leather Furniture Coloring - Dyes Vs Pigments

The crust is highly absorbent. Think of a chemise. The crust is infused with a dye which we all know to be a coloring element. The actual dye molecule is very small. It penetrates into the fiber structure of the crust (leather) and establishes the color. Typically it penetrates completely straight through the leather (struck through) so looking at a cross-cut, you see the same color from front to back.

The dye is not molecularly bound to fiber structure, rather it as floating within the fiber bundles. Because it is free-floating, one of its attributes is migration. It will transfer or move.

Water will accelerate migration. Think blue jeans. They fade when washed. The dye molecule migrates out of the medium (in this case denim) and flushed down the drain. I have had opportunity to recognize this phenomena with leather many times. A damp white cotton Cloth wiped across dyed leather will pull the color.

Dyes have a unique beauty. Because of their small molecular construct, dyes are translucent. You look into the leather to see its color. It accentuates the natural beauty of the leather. Because the porosity of leather is inconsistent, some areas of the hide will accept more dye than others. This creates the natural mottling work on you see with dyed leather. Its beauty can't be beat. We classify this leather as being "unfinished."

There is a dark side. The dye molecule does not tolerate Uv light very well. That wave distance or spectrum of light hits the dye molecule and breaks it up. This process gently leaches the dye from leather causing the leather to lose its color (fade). Furthermore, dyed leather continues to have a high level of porosity. Spill a liquid and it will soak into the leather, potentially staining the leather. In reality the stained area has been re-colored. So trying to clean it is like trying to clean a tattoo from your skin.

Bottom line: dyed or unfinished leather is gorgeous when new, but it is aesthetically vulnerable to staining and fading. Only about 15% of all leather furniture is unfinished. It is typically the most expensive leather as only the finest hides (least flawed with unsightly hide characteristics) can qualify to be unfinished.

Most leather then goes straight through a secondary coloring process with the application of a pigmented coating. The pigment molecule sits on the leather's surface. As a coloring element the pigment molecule is a big, robust molecule with perfect exterior power, like Snow on the ground. The pigment molecule is carried in a binding chemistry that locks it in place. That binder chemistry is uniquely engineered for leather. It establishes a film on the leather exterior that is opaque. The color you see is from a topical colorant that is a pigment. This is known as "finished" leather.

Pigments lack translucency so the color is flatter than dyes. But pigments are far less sensitive to Uv so they don't fade nearly as radically. Think and automobile leather car seat. They don't fade despite tons of sun exposure. They are colored with a pigment. Additionally, the film of color on the leather will resist absorption. If something spills, you can wipe it off the leather as it won't immediately soak in.

You can not successfully re-dye leather using dye as the coloring element for a whole bunch of technical reasons, not the least of which is that you will be wearing the color on your Clothing if you sit on the furniture. Setting the dye so that it doesn't transfer beyond doubt can only be done at a tannery under very exact and controlled processes.

Leather can be re-colored, but only with a pigment application. If it was dyed (unfinished) leather in the first place, the re-coloring process is with a pigment that provides full exterior power, thus converting the leather to a "finished" or pigment coated status. Taking it one step further, because it's an opaque chemistry, the color coating can be changed to whatever color desired.

The next time a leather technician says he/she can re-dye your leather, be weary as that person does not understand the fundamental unlikeness between a dye and a pigment.

Leather Furniture Coloring - Dyes Vs Pigments

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Leather Furniture Coloring - Dyes Vs Pigments

There is a common misuse of the word "dye" in the leather fix and resumption business.

There are two methods for coloring leather. 1. Dyes. 2. Dyes and then pigMent coated. It is very rare that leather would be pigMent coated without having been dyed first.

Leather Colors

Starting with the basics - Animal skins are tanned. This process converts the skin to leather. The main purpose of tanning is to hold the hide. It stops the natural degeneration or rotting process. At the end of the tanning procedure and before the color step, the hide is called a "crust."

Leather Furniture Coloring - Dyes Vs Pigments

The crust is very absorbent. Think of a chemise. The crust is infused with a dye which we all know to be a coloring eleMent. The actual dye molecule is very small. It penetrates into the fiber structure of the crust (leather) and establishes the color. Typically it penetrates thoroughly straight through the leather (struck through) so seeing at a cross-cut, you see the same color from front to back.

The dye is not molecularly bound to fiber structure, rather it as floating within the fiber bundles. Because it is free-floating, one of its attributes is migration. It will exchange or move.

Water will accelerate migration. Think blue jeans. They fade when washed. The dye molecule migrates out of the medium (in this case denim) and flushed down the drain. I have had chance to study this phenoMena with leather many times. A damp white cotton Cloth wiped across dyed leather will pull the color.

Dyes have a unique beauty. Because of their small molecular construct, dyes are translucent. You look into the leather to see its color. It accentuates the natural beauty of the leather. Because the porosity of leather is inconsistent, some areas of the hide will accept more dye than others. This creates the natural mottling influence you see with dyed leather. Its beauty can't be beat. We classify this leather as being "unfinished."

There is a dark side. The dye molecule does not tolerate Uv light very well. That wave length or spectrum of light hits the dye molecule and breaks it up. This process slowly leaches the dye from leather causing the leather to lose its color (fade). Furthermore, dyed leather continues to have a high level of porosity. Spill a liquid and it will soak into the leather, potentially staining the leather. In reality the stained area has been re-colored. So trying to clean it is like trying to clean a tattoo from your skin.

Bottom line: dyed or unfinished leather is gorgeous when new, but it is aesthetically vulnerable to staining and fading. Only about 15% of all leather furniture is unfinished. It is typically the most high-priced leather as only the finest hides (least flawed with unsightly hide characteristics) can qualify to be unfinished.

Most leather then goes straight through a secondary coloring process with the application of a pigmented coating. The pigment molecule sits on the leather's surface. As a coloring element the pigment molecule is a big, robust molecule with exquisite exterior power, like Snow on the ground. The pigment molecule is carried in a binding chemistry that locks it in place. That binder chemistry is uniquely engineered for leather. It establishes a film on the leather exterior that is opaque. The color you see is from a topical colorant that is a pigment. This is known as "finished" leather.

Pigments lack translucency so the color is flatter than dyes. But pigments are far less sensitive to Uv so they don't fade nearly as radically. Think and automobile leather car seat. They don't fade despite tons of sun exposure. They are colored with a pigment. Additionally, the film of color on the leather will resist absorption. If something spills, you can wipe it off the leather as it won't immediately soak in.

You can not successfully re-dye leather using dye as the coloring element for a whole bunch of technical reasons, not the least of which is that you will be wearing the color on your Clothing if you sit on the furniture. Setting the dye so that it doesn't exchange as a matter of fact can only be done at a tannery under very exact and controlled processes.

Leather can be re-colored, but only with a pigment application. If it was dyed (unfinished) leather in the first place, the re-coloring process is with a pigment that provides full exterior power, thus converting the leather to a "finished" or pigment coated status. Taking it one step further, because it's an opaque chemistry, the color coating can be changed to anything color desired.

The next time a leather technician says he/she can re-dye your leather, be weary as that someone does not understand the fundamental disagreement in the middle of a dye and a pigment.

Leather Furniture Coloring - Dyes Vs Pigments

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quality Leather- How Do I Know?

How many times have we seen the advertiseMent claiming "Genuine leather" Or "Quality Leather". Just what is Genuine Leather, or Quality Leather, how do I know I didn't get ripped off?

First, what is leather. Leather simply stated is the skin of an animal. So as long as the material is made from the skin of an animal, they can claim "Genuine Leather". Quality leather is a separate story. When you finish reading this, you will be able to look at a leather garMent and tell immediately if it is ability or not.

Leather Colors

You may or may not have noticed that the flea markets, grocery stores, drug stores, and storage agency stores have been selling the "Genuine Leather" Coats, Jackets, Backpacks and luggage. They are of a patchwork design, and usually lined. These are typically made of lambskin leather and being sold for unreal cheap prices. There is nothing wrong with lambskin leather. In fact it is the leather of choice for any leather that is worn close to the skin. The lining too is a advanTAGe if it is used for relax or insulation. The patchwork establish is the first indication that this is poor quality leather. The patchwork establish is because they swept the scraps off the floor from the establish of other garments, fed them through a machine to sew the scraps together, created another sheet of leather and made more garments. The leather itself could made of various grades.

quality Leather- How Do I Know?

Let's talk about grades of leather. There are 3 primary grades of leather:

Grade 1 or "full-Grain" clear, supple, and clean, is consistent in color, has the highest yield of over 90% and the exterior is smoothest.

Grade 2 is less consistent in color, has a yield of 78% and the exterior is slightly imperfect.

Grade 3 is a blotchy and very inconsistent in color, has a yield of 40% and the exterior is very imperfect and will feel stiff, partly from the inordinate coating needed to hide imperfections.

These grades are approved no mater what type of animal the leather came from. There are a lot of separate types of animals that are used for leather. All things from lamb to cow, and alligator to Ostrich. The two most beloved for use in garments are lamb and cow. For the sake of this article we will discuss these two.

Lambskin

The softest, thinnest, most supple skin. A Buttery texture and finely grained. Stretches well and tends to reshape after wearing - has a type of memory. Drapes well, flows, and has good movement - very form fitting. Higher-end leather-wear. Classy and more fashionable look.

Lamb Touch Cow or Cow Nappa

Thin, Soft and supple - close in look and feel to lamb but is not lamb. A Smoother finish and finer texture to cow hide. Lightweight - has good movement and draping ability.
Sportswear and outerwear. Dressed-up, fashionable look. Coats skirts, Pants, and vests.

Cow Hide

Very tough wearing and durable. Heaviest of the cowhides. Very noticeable texture skin and grainy.
Mostly outerwear - especially jackets. Weekend casual, ready-to-wear.

Ok, now we know the separate grades, and types of leather, how do we know we got the good stuff? First, use your eyes. A very good way to tell if you're purchasing a garment of HIgh-quality leather is to look at the seams and needle marks. If they seem to be a different color than the garment itself this could mean that the garment is dyed on the exterior only - surface-dyed as opposed to aniline-dyed leather (dyed on both sides).

Surface-dyed leather is much separate to aniline-dyed leather because surface-dying is like adding a coat of paint to wood. It merely covers up the wood's natural exterior and defects. Aniline-dyed leather is like adding varnish to wood, varnish allows the woods natural beauty to shine through by penetrating the exterior instead of exterior it up. The natural beauty of high-quality leather is illustrated through a sheer, rich aniline dye.

Check the items for overall color and craftsmanship. While all skins include some natural marks, there should not be any large unsightly blemishes on the piece you are inspecting. A good manufacturer of leather apparel will not use leather of 2nd or 3rd grade.

Next, use your nose. The garment should smell like leather, not chemicals. And while we are on the field of chemicals, you want leather that has not been treated with Azo Dye. Azo Dye is toxic and has been related to many skin reactions.

And lastly, feel it. Is it soft to the touch, is it smooth. It should be free of any bumps and it should flex easily. It should not be stiff and hard to bend.

Be sure to read my next article on how to care for your leather garments.

quality Leather- How Do I Know?

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The Chemistry of Leather Care

Leather can be thought of as a non-woven mass of fibrous collagen protein that is derived from the skin of animals and that has been rendered biorefractive. An animal skin is made biorefractive and thereby converted into leather by the tanning process. The tanning process permanently incorporates what amounts to biocide into the collagen protein. Other desirable characteristics are imparted to the leather through fatliquoring, coloring, Dressing, waterproofing, shaping, and working.

Fatliquoring is the process of incorporating fats, greases, and oils into the body of the leather. The presence of fats, greases, and oils in leather lubricates the fibers and tends to waterproof the leather. Without enough internal lubrication, the fibers will abrade and break due to friction, and the leather may crack.

Leather Colors

Leather is given a color by means of dying or pigMenting. Depending upon the means employed, the coloration can be incorporated through the enTire thickness of the leather, or it can be concentrated at and near the surface.

The Chemistry of Leather Care

Dressing is a surface stop that is given to the material. The surface stop is a continuous organic matrix inescapable from the protein fibers. That organic matrix can range from a latex paint to a wax. Dressing always refers to that which is the outmost layer of organic matter of the leather. Thus it is inherent for a dressing to be "dressed," since it is inherent to apply a wax polish to a surface of painted leather. Prior to wax polishing, the organic matrix that is the paint outer layer of the leather was the "dressing."

Working the leather refers to the repeated flexing of the leather in order to sell out stiffness. This is an enTirely mechanical process.

How To Think Of Chemicals For Leather Care

All chemical treatMents of leather fall into one or more of these categories: substitute fatliquors, surface dressings, waterproofers, and cleaners.

How Cleaners Work

Cleaners are chemicals or chemical preparations that aim to take off foreign matter from the leather. The trick with cleaners is that they have to be able to take off the foreign matter without themselves permanently changing the appearance of the leather being cleaned. Invariably, the matter that has to be removed from the leather is a solid or semi-solid, and the cleaning chemical is almost invariably a liquid. Cleaning is achieved whether by dissolving the solid matter or by lifting the matter from perceive with the leather through a process of preferential wetting. Preferential wetting means that the leather prefers to be in perceive with the cleaning liquid more than with the solid contaminant.

In whether case, dissolved solid or lifted contaminant, a Cloth or sycophant is nearly always valuable to complete the extraction of the foreign matter from the leather. The foreign contaminating matter is transferred from the leather to the cleaning Cloth.

The cleaner making ready also has to be removed from the leather to fully restore the leather to its previously clean state. Cleaner that is not itself removed can come to be a foreign contaminant. Cleaner is removed whether by rinsing, replacement to a Cloth or sponge, by evaporation, or a blend of all three processes.

Rinsing is the process in which excess water is used to dissolve the leather cleaner and carry it off. In effect, rinse water substitutes for the cleaner chemical in the leather. Water, weakly bound in the fiber mass, then itself evaporates. This process of removing cleaner is sufficient in case,granted the leather itself is not adversely affected by getting wet.

If the leather to be cleaned is dressed, that is has a continuous matrix of organic matter on top of the fibers, then other dressing agents can be used to clean the leather product. In effect, it is the surface dressing that is to be cleaned, not the deep mass of protein fibers. Water and other leather dressing agents are useful in removing contaminants from dressed leather. The processes of dissolution and preferential wetting occur here also, as well as the replacement of solid contaminants from one body to another. Thus, cleaning, waxing, and polishing can occur as part of a singular process.

Silcones And Leather

Silicone is a kind of artificial oil, and the term silicone refers to a homologous series of organic chemicals that are based upon a backbone of alternating silicon and oxygen. Organic side chains, most often methyl groups, are bonded to the silicon atoms. The chains are done with methyl groups, manufacture them non-reactive. The chains also can be done with hydroxyl groups or with hydrogen, manufacture them reactive.

Silicone oil is a lubricant, and when it is able to perforate into the mass of fibers it acts as a substitute fatliquor. Silicone imparts water-repellency, as well as gloss and a pleasant "hand" or feel to leather. Because silicone wets the leather fibers so well, a moderate whole of silicone is able to substitute for fatliquor without impAiring the "breathing" of the leather. "Breathing" means that water vapor is able to pass though the mass of fibers. Leather can also be "stuffed" with grease or wax that blocks the duct of water vapor through the mass of fibers. The use of silicone enables the leather to be made water repellant to a degree without the loss of this quality of "breathing." Stuffing leather with grease makes it waterproof, but renders the leather unable to "breathe."

Silicone is commonly an prominent component of leather polishes, especially ones that need buffing to bring out the shine. The silicone helps smooth out the wax crystals into a continuous glossy matrix, and also contributes to gloss and water repellency.

Silicone is a very useful stock in the care and cleaning of leather. It finds use as a fatliquor, in cleaners, and in dressings. The drawback to the use of silicone is that silicone has a very low surface tension, and the function of other, water-based leather medicine chemicals can be impAired because silicone prevents the other stock from wetting the leather.

Neatsfoot Oil

Neatsfoot oil is produced by the rendering of the feet and shinbones of cattle. It is typically yellow in color, and has a low melting point. It is used to keep leather supple and flexible, which means that it acts as a lubricant for the protein fibers. As such, it acts as a substitute fatliquor.

Dressings And Colorings

A dressing is a coating that is external to the mass of protein fibers, and yet is bonded to it. Typically, a dressing consists of a continuous organic matrix that can hold other kinds of material, such as pigment. Because the coating is external, it is inherent for a dressing to be dressed, as when a leather object is polished with wax or made water repellent with a stock containing silicone. Dressings are used to Supply a attractive and often a protective coating over the fibrous mass, and much of the leather sold commercially is dressed while the manufacturing process. A dressing to a dressing is sometimes called a top dressing.

Aftermarket leather dressings are intended to restore or improve the dressing that was applied to the leather in the manufacturing process. Waxes, for example, often consist of die which matches the color of dressed leather, and the act of polishing the leather with colored wax applies a dressing that is a colorant, a waterproofing agent, and adds a pleasing gloss to the leather.

Colorants are dies and pigments that delineate color to the leather, and are separate from dressings. Colorants can be a component of a dressing product. Some leathers, while the manufacturing sTAGe, are treated with coloring solutions that carry the coloring agents deep into the fiber mass so that the leather retains its color even when scuffed. Colorants are added to aftermarket dressings so that leather that has lost some of its color due to wear and weathering looks renewed.

Waterproofing

Many aftermarket chemical preparations are made to render leather waterproof or water repellant. There is a petite variation in meaning between the two terms. To be waterproof means that water naturally will not go through the leather. The state is achieved by stuffing the leather with wax and/or grease. Leather in this state is often hot to wear, because the leather cannot breathe. It is impermeable because the gaps between the fibers have been largely filled by waterproofing agent and water vapor gets trapped close to the body. But in a driving rainstorm, waterproof can be an valuable property of the leather.

To be water repellent means that water does not wet the leather, but because the leather remains permeable liquid water can be forced through the leather by pressure. Water repellant leather can breathe because water vapor can flee through the fibers even if liquid water cannot wet them. Water repellency of leather is commonly achieved through medicine with silicone. Silicone remains liquid and wets the fibers, forming a film on them that water cannot wet. The film is thin enough that the gaps between the fibers remain unfilled.

Of the two terms, water proof is closer to the absolute than water repellent.

A degree of water proofing or water repellency can be gained through products that apply a surface stop to the leather. It is the surface stop that Supplies the resistance to penetration by liquid water, not the mass of fibers.

Commercial Products

The four functions of leather care are: cleaning, replacement of fatliquor, surface dressing and waterproofing. The products of business for aftermarket leather care offer one, some, or all of these functions.

Waxes, fats, greases, and fatty oil are all naturally repel water; and most of them are useful lubricants for leather fibers. Thus mink oil and "dubbin" products both act as waterproofing agents as well as substitute fatliquors, each being great at one function than the other.

The Chemistry of Leather Care

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