Leather

(Zetk'-er). A material manufactured from hides or skins by the proce of tanning, which may be done by a number of methods. The following are the main varieties of leathers so produced: Sole leather; this is the heaviest and firmest variety of leather produced. It is made from the heaviest and thickest hides, and is valued for its fine grain and toughne . It retains the whole thickne of the hide. Upper and Harne Leathers: these are made from lighter hides, and are tanned for strength and flexibility rather than for weight. The black color and finish are put on upper leather by coating it with a mixture of lamp-black, linseed oil, and fish-oil, to which tallow and wax and a little soap have been added. Morocco Leather; the true morocco leathers are manufactured from goat-skins. A cheaper grade, known as French morocco, is produced from sheepskins. Enamelled or Patent JLeathers; these are leathers finished with a water-proof and brightly varnished surface, similar to lacquered wood-work. Thin and split hide is used for these. Ru ia Leather is peculiar in its characteristic odor and its ability to withstand dampne , without any tendency to mold, both of which qualities it owes to the currying with the empyreumatic oil of birch-bark. Chamois Leather is a soft felt-like leather, originally prepared from the skin of the chamois-goat, but now made from other goat-skins and from the "flesh splits" of sheep-skins. Crown Leather is a variety intermediate between oil -tanned and tawed leather, being stronger than the first and more water-resistant than the latter. The leather readily becomes moldy, but seems to be strong and specially adapted for belting. IVhite-tanned or " Tawed" Leather; skins to be tanned with the hair on, as sheep-skin rugs, etc., as well as light calf-kid and glove-leather, are always alum-tanned. The glove leather thus obtained has softne and considerable strength, but is not thoroughly water-resistant. Parchment and Vellum; the first of these is prepared from the skins of sheep and goats, and the second from the skins of calves. The skins are washed, limed, unhaired, and fleshed, and then stretched thoroughly. They are then again well-scraped and rubbed with pumice-stone, and allowed to dry on a frame in the shade, care being taken to avoid sunshine or frost. Very fine vellums are prepared with the finest pumice-stone. Degras, a valuable side-product of the leather industry.