Introduction: Leather Making Process
The leather-making process denotes the leather manufacturing process of converting the raw form of hides and skins of animals, the processed animal pelt to timeless leather pieces. It is the art of forming versatile leather material through cleaning, tanning, and dyeing methods. It also includes the finishing method, when leather is converted into a consumable leather product.
If you are looking for a leather-making process, let us tell you that it is uniquely crafted in the factory. Each of the leather items is made with a complex process in A-one leather. Join us to learn more about the leather-making process in a factory and how it is styled as your luxury piece.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Start Leather Making?
Leather is made sustainably. Even your favorite leather jacket piece has gone through a lot before getting its brand and design. You need to understand how leather is made in the factory to ideally understand what it takes for leather to complete its elegant fashion and luxury.
Step1: Acquiring Raw Materials as needed
The first and foremost step in leather making is the acquisition of raw materials. Here, you will acquire the desired quantity of leather raw materials like animal hides and skin from authentic suppliers. Leather is sourced from cowhide, sheepskin, buffalo skin, and pigskin in Nepal. These materials come directly from the meat industry, as a byproduct, to be processed into your favorite leather piece.
Step 2: Pre-Tanning Process of Leather
After the raw materials are sourced the next step is cleaning the materials and inspecting their quality before proceeding with leather manufacturing. Fresh animal skins and hides are soaked in sodium, and salt mixtures, and later cleaned in acidic solutions. In this process, you need to gather your leather-making kits and accessories.
Further facilitating the dirt cleaning, splitting of hides into layers, and further application to soften the leather take place. Through alkali solutions, the removal of extra hairs from the material surface is done, known as liming. The next step is the de-liming process where acidic solutions and salts are used to neutralize the alkalinity on the surface. After fiber splitting and separating layers from hides, you can perform pickling, by the application of acids, and make the leather surface ready for tanning.
Step 3: Leather Tanning
The leather tanning process includes the method where the hides and skin from animals are prepared for leather production in the tannery. It is a chemical process because of which leather fibers are made durable, and it begins with removing any excess non-leather components from the processed material.
Tanning is usually done by treating animal hides and skin with tanning agents like synthetic products, chrome, GDA, vegetable tannins, and chromium salts. After several weeks of tanning, leather is now sent for the next method.
Over generations, leather is tanned to ensure the high quality, texture, and durability of the product. In factories, leather undergoes different tanning methods, which are explained below.
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Chrome Tanning
In the chrome tanning process, tanning agents like chromium salts, and chromium sulfate are used. This process is generally conducted to make leather material more water-resistant. Most commonly, chrome-tanned leather is used in footwear, upholstery, and interiors of automotive.
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Vegetable Tanning
Vegetable tanning is the process conducted through vegetable extracts, natural plant bases such as oak, chestnut, and other available tanning agents. It is an eco-friendly approach to give a more vibrant natural appearance to leather. You can find this sort of tanning becoming applicable in the production of wallets, luxurious belts, fashion accessories, etc.
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Synthetic Tanning
Synthetic tanning generally refers to an eco-tanning method that is usually chrome-free. It replicates the functionality of chrome-tanned leather but with consideration for making tanning more ecological, leather production started synthetic tanning to ensure safer and healthier leather manufacturing. This efficient tanning is also versatile in a unique range of leather products, from fashion, and stylish footwear to interiors.
Step 4: Splitting into Layers
After tanning, the next step is shaving the tanned leather piece into uniform thickness. Accordingly, leather is split to achieve the desired quality. As each leather piece requires individual mechanical actions, you need to accordingly, prepare it for the desired final products of leather. Precision and Uniformity are provided when skilled leather operators work on to work on the leather splitting.
Step 5: Dyeing and Finishing
Factory workers after the post-tanning process work on the dyeing process and convert the leather material into the desired color. After coloring the leather is now converted into desirable texture and appearance, with embossing, brushing, and other processes. Leather is given finishing touches with the final film and worked over their patterns. Imperfections or blemishes are removed from the leather surface. Not only that through embossing, designs are engraved on your leather surface, with heat press and rollers. Leather is coated with wax, and essential oil, and polished. Additionally, the edge finishing of the leather is conducted with various steps allowing a smoother and appealing appearance of the leather.
Step 6: Cutting and Sewing process
In the leather-making process, cutting leather into required shapes and sewing them together to make your favorite leather jacket, bag, or pants, is amazing. Designs are usually crafted aligning it with Computer-aided design. Modifying edges to give even texture and thickness, they can sew leather pieces together, using waxed thread, nylon, and others. Leather jackets, pants, and skirts can be finished with Saddle stitching, lock stitching, edge painting, burnishing, and adding zippers, hooks, and buckles in the leather product. By giving adjustable fits and closures on your leather products. Your leather can be made functional and aesthetic.
Step 7: Quality Control
Leather after production is checked if there is any other defect attached to the finished leather piece. Through the Quality control team, factory workers ensure that the finished leather product is suitable for packaging, distribution, and sales process with final inspection.
Checkpoints: Sustainable Practices in Leather Manufacturing
In today’s world, a leather manufacturer must opt for sustainable leather manufacturing techniques. Through raising consciousness and awareness in the leather industry for ethical practices, and certified processes, one can vouch for eco-friendly and sustainable leather-making processes. Manufacturers can reduce the environmental impact by procuring raw materials from the leather industry from legal sources. Responsible sourcing, monitoring supply chains, and reducing wastage in leather production would facilitate the preservation of environmental resources. Besides this, using water and energy-efficient leather tanning processes like vegetable tanning is advised. The byproducts of the leather industry can be used as fertilizers in the soil. Through hands-on experience with eco-friendly and transparent leather-making processes, manufacturers can still supply high-quality services to their clients. Additionally, certifications issued by Leather Working Group (LWG), demonstrate if leather production is sustainable or not. Adherence to ISO 14001 certification is another key factor for responsible leather manufacturing.
Leather Manufacturing in Nepal
Nepalese Leather Craftsmanship is interlinked with traditional values. And with time, leather experts have been working to satisfy customers based on needs and luxury. From ancient times, Nepalese indigenous people have been working on various leather-making skills and techniques. Leather production in Nepal speaks of rich cultural significance from the Heart of the Himalayas. Despite efforts, lingering challenges to match the unique designs and core competency on the global stage still exist. Today, leading innovations in leather artistry and production have been developed with the engagement of New generation leather dealers, like A-one Leather. In this era, Nepal’s leather market is coping with the changing trends and needs in the modern market. To be globally recognized, many enthusiast leather makers in Nepal are meticulously working on vicarious forms of artistry and skills in leather.
Conclusion
Leather products are symbolism of elegance, craftsmanship, and versatile fashion pieces, that most love to fashion daily. The exquisite form of leather making and craftsmanship can be complex. Whether you are in search of the best leather jacket or you want to invest in a trendy handbag in Nepal, you can find it at A-One Leather. As our team tends to work more on making our products stand out in the market, we tailor the sophisticated forms of leather crafting in a factory to match your preference.
