WELCOME TO OUR LEATHER CLOTHING STORE

WHERE IS LEATHER MADE?

a. where

Leather is highly produced in China, Italy, India, Brazil, Korea and Russia. Other countries have to ship their leather from this countries .Countries that commonly ship from this countries include the United Kingdom. Leather goes through the turning process to be able to alter the protein structure of the skin to be able to increase its durability and texture.

b. how

The process of leather cloth making include;

1.Preparatory stage, which is the first stage, where there is

a. soaking stage where it is put in water for some hours or even days which helps to remove the unwanted animal fat, blood and dirt.

b. After soaking the next step is fleshing to be able to get rid of subcutaneous material away from the side flesh. It then goes through a machine that takes of muscle, the flesh mechanically. Fat and the hide are then differentiated into various layers. Rollers are some of the mechanical instruments that are used to remove hair.

c. Pickling then takes place where raw hide is cleaned and soaked salt or acid to be able to avoid decomposition which allows chromium which is one of a tanning agent that allows the penetration.

d. It then goes through depickling where sulfuric acid is used to soak hide hence lowering the PH.

e. The next process is liming where there is the use of sodium sulfide to treat it and remove hair, loosen some fibers and any other materials, fats are then hydrolyzed hence increasing the pH the absorbed water gives it a swollen look.

f. Deliming where the hide is washed through water and ammonium chloride to reduce swelling and any unwanted materials. It is then bated where the skin is treated with proteolytic enzyme that gets rid on non-fibrous protein that leave the hide clean and smooth.

g. De-greasing is done to remove natural fatty acid. It is then bleached.

2. The second great stage is tanning where hide is made into durable material by conversion of the protein of the raw hide. In this stage we have vegetable tanning which uses tannin from the bark, branches or leaves of trees such as oak. The process is a bit slow and requires so many treatments. Then there is mineral or chrome tanning where chrome ions diffuse into the collagen and get rid of water. It is more popular since is it is fast and affordable. Aldehyde tanning that mostly uses oxazolidine and glutaraldehyde. Oil tanning where there is the use of a mixture of emulsified oils and aldehyde chemicals.

3. The third stage is re-tanning which involves dying it is then shaved to remove the flesh remnant. Splitting is done according to the different layers. It is then dyed which is done only on the top layer. Next is fat liquoring where addition of oil wax or fats is done to avoid dryness. Then there is the finishing stage where the top patterns, color and texture are dealt with. Polishing is done to bring out a shiny appearance. Then a dimensional print is used in the embossing process by the use of heated hydraulic. Surface coating process is next where color is added and the desired design is used. The product is then finally graded according to the flexibility, texture and many other different factors and then it is ready to be sold out.

HOW TO CLEAN LEATHER CLOTHING AT HOME?

Maintenance of leather at home might look easy but it is also a bit complicated.

A. DIY of leather clothing

-It is more suitable to gently wash with cold water to remove any stubborn stain.

-For patent leather should definitely just wipe it and highly recommended to use a clean piece of cloth that is lint free.

-You should always avoid your leather clothes from getting into contact with perfume, cologne or even hairspray this substances cause the alcohol in the cloth to dry out and leading to stain to your cloth.

-In case of any breakage or holes it is advisable to have the m get done by a professional.

- Ensure that you do not over fill your leather cloths pocket it might cause damage to it.

-Do not attach pins or tapes on leather it might greatly destroy your leather cloth.

-Removal of oil stains can be done by soaking the cloth in starch.

B. Hand washing at home is only advisable for the aniline leather only.

-While hand washing ensure that you remove everything that is in the pockets.

- Fill your container with some look warm water add detergents that are used for delicate cloths.

-Go ahead and gently squeeze the mixture through the lining and incase of any stains you can use a soft brush to scrub it out gently.

-Soak it for eight to ten minutes. Lift the cloth from the container, ensure you don’t wring it, for rinsing. --Rinse several times and ensure no soap is left out then when done put the cloth inside out and hang it avoid lines that are metal like to avoid stains instead go for a wooden or plastic cloth line.

-While hanging ensure that it is not direct to the sun or heat it can cause damage to the garment.

- After it dries in some few days go ahead and condition, with good quality leather conditioner, it until it becomes willowy.

C. For proper storage of your leather cloth you can hang it in a good stable hanger in a dry area and where there is no direct sunlight. Don’t put in a plastic bag or a dusty place.

-Always avoid ironing it as much as possible if possible don’t. Then hand washing is not advisable because the dye used on the leather cloth is not that stable. For stains like soil dust you can easily wipe it with a wet piece of cloth. If you use some pretty harsh soaps and detergents the leather cloth will crack and become very stiff. As for leather clothes it is advisable to not use the dryer while cleaning them. You always have to check the instructions given by the manufacturer if for example it is not washable you should then not dare wash it. Most leather clothes always have some instructions given always ensure you check for any and follow them.

WHEN WERE LEATHER JACKETS INVENTED?

Leather was invented back in the pre-1300 BC where some leather artefacts we made by some primitive communities. This was in Hoxne in England. The stone age man used tools that were made of stone that they used to skin off skin hides from animals which was an early step of skin tanning. Later in the bronze age leather tanning was more common to make things such as shields. A leather shoe was even discovered around 1300 BC it had holes and laces. They removed hair making it have a smooth outcome they also made bone combs that had to have a fine leather finish. In the iron man stage he became more advanced and made items such as capes, shoes and even belts. The first common leather item was a sewing needle that was discovered in Siberia.

Other early discoveries include leather tanning operations were discovered in Sumer which is now modern Iraq in the 5,000 BC. Later in 3,100 ancient Egypt used leather to make harnesses and couplings for their chariots. In Ancient Egypt leather was viewed as a symbol of high status and wealth. Those with wealth wore leather shoes and many others. The long scrolls were also found to be made with the use of leather. In China they also used leather to make clothes, shoes, boots and armors.

Later on their warriors wore tunics that were made with leather. They went ahead and made even helmets and armors that were crafted from horse skin which was great new change. The Greeks also used leather to make items such as shields, sandals, laces and even bags. In Rome they used to buy their hides from butchers and used alum tanning and made leather that was used to make straps and reins, belts that were used by soldier boots protective equipment and items needed for their chariots. In the middle age leather making craftsmen tanned raw hide to try and form more advance trade material. In the nineteenth century vegetable tanning was now invented. As man continued to evolve the leather craft making industry kept evolving. The rise for the demand kept on rising as the years went by and then leather now started to make other accessories such as gloves. As the demand went high it led to the creation of Faux leather that was made from some plastics and various compounds.

WHY ARE LEATHER JACKETS SO EXPENSIVE?

Leather since early times it is considered luxurious and it is expensive. Leather is expensive there is only much you can get from a single animal and it requires too many chemicals to be able to treat leather .Leather is heavy making it a bit difficult to work with and requires too many processes. Higher quality leather is made through vegetable tanning method which is very expensive and time consuming.

6. DOES LEATHER STRETCH

Leather does stretch naturally. Once you have acquired you clothing item you can stretch in different ways. This include wearing that cloth item frequently even around the house such as leather pants. Leather does stretch when it is wet and also heat which loosens up fibres making it stretch out a bit. It is believed that leather can be stretched by the use of ice, alcohol, dryer use of leather stretch products and induction of weight to the leather item such as belts. How can one prevent the cloth item from stretching, ensure that you choose the fitting and right size, do not wash it and dry ensure you condition them accordingly