Art of leather
19Pages

The story of how we make finest quality leather

in search of excellence Genom våra sinnen tar vi emot intryck som ger livet innehåll. Många försvinner obemärkt förbi i vardagen. Andra stannar kvar. Länge. Läder är ett material som talar direkt till sinnena. Det doftar, det låter, det är härligt att ta i och vackert att se på. Läder mognar med åren och utvecklar en egen karaktär. Vissa blir klassiker som går i arv – från generation till generation. Andra understryker en trend som blåser över världen. Oavsett livslängd formas patinan efter omgivningen. Tankar, samtal, kärlek och grubblerier skapar individuella avtryck i materialet. Elmo...

The oldest leather found in Sweden is the sheath of a bronze dagger from around 1,100 BC. But the art of making leather from hides and pelts dates back much further than this. The prehistoric inhabitants of Scandinavia were hunters who discovered the potential for using the hides of the animals they hunted to protect and warm their bodies. The first tanning techniques Uncured hides rot if they are left damp, yet become hard when they dry. In order to utilise the hides, our ancestors must have devised a simple tanning technique to transform the hides into leather. They may have used the...

the world’s most versatile natural material Leather is hard and durable, but also supple and flexible – like the sole of a shoe. Leather is silky smooth and soft – like chamois. Leather is resilient and can be bent and stretched millions of times over – like a shoe-upper. Leather is tough, soft, hardwearing and stubborn – like a harness or leash. Leather is cool, porous and soft – like a high quality leather chair. Leather has an attractive surface and structure, and becomes more beautiful with age. Leather can be treated, sewn and adapted to suit many needs and requirements. Leather is...

lovers’ tiffs and insect bites a nakedness both revealing and authentic Aniline leather is the most naked leather produced. It is given only a light surface coating to protect it from dirt. Naturally, this bareness reveals all the hide’s natural characteristics, such as neck wrinkles and fat lines, irregularities in the grain structure, porosity and softness, and healed minor cuts and scratches. If a leather’s surface does not display these natural variations, you have good reason to suspect that it is not genuine aniline leather. Yet another guarantee of authenticity. The naked truth is...

Semi-aniline leather is a successful compromise that combines a high degree of naturalness with comfort and durability. Semi-aniline leather is surface-treated with a water-based mixture of dyefinish with a small amount of pigment. This treatment produces a leather that is soft and supple, yet more resistant to heavy wear in public environments. Semi-aniline leather is easy to clean. The natural markings on the original hide are still visible, but are less pronounced than in aniline leather. Neck wrinkles and fat lines are characteristics of genuine aniline leather. Skilled upholsterers...

the art of choosing the right hide for the right leather surface marks. These determine whether the hides should become aniline, semi-aniline or technical leather. During our production process, at three separate occasions, the hides are graded into different categories according to their natural three leather types – three characteristics ANILINE LEATHER. More beautiful with age Aniline leather is dyed through and given only a light surface protection. This allows the leather to breathe, and leaves it extremely comfortable and soft. Aniline leather ages very gracefully. A frequently used...

from raw hide to leather in 30 days The following pages show a small selection of pictures from our production, The pictures appear in chronological order, but do not show the whole production process, Brief outline of leather production. For a better understanding of what happens at the various stages, compare the numbers with the samples to the right 1. Raw hide 2. After liming 3. After retanning 4. Finished 5. Finished semi- 6. Finished and tanning and dyeing aniline leather aniline leather technical leather

the wet part of the tanning process material; bovine hides from Scandinavia. The hides weigh over 25 kg each, and are salted before delivery to protect them from damage during transit and Tanning is the process used to preserve the hides. Prior to tanning, the hides are prepared through processes known as soaking, liming and fleshing, The tanning process takes

Once tanned, the hides are graded into various categories. This process is known as wet blue sorting. All hides are light blue or cream coloured at this stage. Experienced graders perform a visual inspection of the hides. This vital initial grading process determines which hides are allocated to become aniline, semi-aniline or technical leather. Only 100% flawless hides are approved for aniline leather, because of the characteristic nakedness of this type of leather. The two graders use a special sign language to show their chosen grade for each individual hide, and the lowest grade ”wins”....

The hides, which are approximately 4 mm thick, have now been split into two layers and shaved to the required thickness. The grain side of the hides are now retanned and dyed. All hides are dyed through and are given their final basic colour at this stage. The lower part of the hide (called the split) is not used in our production, but sold to manufacturers of leather for shoes and small leather goods. 20 21

the dry part of the tanning process The hides are stretched and dried in various ways, depending on the end product. After tanning, base dyeing and drying, the hides undergo a second grading process to determine which should be made into aniline, semi-aniline and technical leather. 22 At the finishing department, the leather is milled and given its correct final shade and softness. Technical leather is also embossed (given its surface structure). Here, solid know-how and sensitive hands and eyes combine with the latest technology. 23