engleski

Usage quality of semi processed full grain leather

Full grain refers to the strongest and most durable part of the cattle hide, which is just below the hair and has not been sanded or buffed to remove any imperfections, which means it displays the more natural characteristics of leather. The grain has densely packed collagen fibres that are finer. This results in a surface that is strong, durable, and can withstand tough use. This makes it good for footwear uppers. As full grain consisting of the grain layer and the part of the underlying corium, for shoe uppers can be split from 1.3 to 2 mm thick. The strength of the leather is dependent not only on its total thickness but on the proportion that is corium tissue and the frequency with which the corium fibres interweave and cross over each other. Three-dimensional weave of the fibre bundles is not random throughout the leather. There is, parallel to the grain surface, a predominating direction in which the majority of the fibres run. This directional run profoundly affects the physical properties of the leather. When a leather is stretched or compressed the angle of weave falls and the structure becomes more compact. One of the attractive features of leather is the line creasing of the outer grain surface that occurs when leather is curved grain inwards. The fineness of the surface folds also depends on uniformity of structure throughout the leather. The natural fibre weave changes with location on the cattle. Along the line of the backbone the leather is thickest and the weave most compact and dense. In the central bend region, which originally covered the back of the cattle, the fibre weave is particularly compact with the interweaving at a high angle. In the belly region, the weave is looser with fibre bundles running at a far lower angle of weave. Therefore, some parts of the same leather have different properties. The process of making full grain leather features 3 main stages: preparation, tanning and crusting. A fourth step may also be added where the leather is given a surface coating or finish. Full grain leathers, however, will skip this stage as it is not needed. With the purpose of analysing the influence of the leather processing level and sampling location on their properties, the quality of differently tanned semi processed cattle full grain leather sampled from the bend, shoulder and belly of side leather cut were evaluated and their applicability assessed.

full grain leather, semi processed cattle leather, leather testing, usage quality, footwear

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