| BASIC LEATHER
Some products from England are available
in premium or super quality leathers which are either softer or more durable.
Oak bark tanning creates the most durable leathers. Traditional tanning
processes in England involved soaking the hides for up to two years in
an oak bark based liquor. For the sake of economy today, most oak bark
tanning takes about 6 months. Other forms of tanning are often hurried
to completion in less time, creating leathers today that are certainly
not like they used to be. A good leather should have substance (thickness)
and should feel alive with tallow ( fat that is scrubbed into the hide).
When the cow was alive it had layers of fat to keep it's hide supple and
strong. After a long tanning process to kill the hide so that it will
not decay, (a dead animal's skin would certainly decay if not treated
) the hide is treated with acid to remove the vegetable liquor left in
the hide after tanning. The hides are then rubbed and rubbed with oils
from fish or animals (usually sheep fat). A good leather will live longer because it has more fat
filling the pores of the hide to keep it supple. The
beautiful smell that hits you as you enter a shop with lots of good leather
products in it is often the scent of the fats, possibly even cod liver
oil that has been rubbed into the leather to give it long life. If the
smell is strong chemical odour, the leather has either had dye rubbed
into it to change the colour or the edge has been rubbed with dye, or
the leather has been sprayed with a chemical to prevent mould while shipping
by sea. Some manufacturers in India either ship by air so that the chemical
is not necessary ( air shipping increases the cost of the product by about
10%), or they vacuum pack the product to prevent mould.
SADDLE LEATHERS
Saddle leathers vary considerably.
The best saddles are made from supple, premium hides of good substance(thickness).
The seats of top quality saddles are usually pigskin which lasts
a long time and gives a good grip. Most middle and lower priced saddles
have printed leather seats that do not last as long. Many top riders prefer
saddles that have supple leather that is a little thinner and therefore,
gives more feeling to the rider and breaks in a lot faster. Leathers that
have been printed or the surface grained for grip, last longer since the
surface is a little harder. The printed leathers are usually a little
thinner, so this reduces the longevity of the leather. ( The pores
have been compressed by the printing process.) The smooth leather on the
flaps shows scratches more easily than the grained leather. On good saddles
with the full hide as a flap, the underside will look a little rough.
This is because the hide has not been shaved to make it thinner. You are
seeing the skin from the bottom, so there is a lot of texture. On a saddle
with flaps that have been thinned by shaving, the hide will look very
even on the underside. If the flap leather is thin and has the underside
grain, then this is either a poor hide or the flap was cut from the wrong
part of the hide, near the belly. This flap will wear out faster
than flaps made from the back of the cow's hide. A calf leather will also
be thinner, but is not usually used for saddle flaps. Suede, doeskin,
calf leather or neck leather(shrunken leather) is often used for the knee
flap. Suede wears out the fastest. Neck leather is the thickest and usually
lasts longer. Neck leather that is well tanned (allowed to wrinkle and
shrink in the tanning process) and has good fat content, probably offers
the best grip. Many saddle manufacturers offer shrunken neck leather for
the seats and knee flaps on their top line saddles. The thickness and
texture of good neck leather offers a very comfortable ride. Doeskin is
long lasting and offers a good grip. A few top line saddles are offered
with pigskin knee flaps.
STRAP GOODS
Strap goods ( bridles, martingales,
breastplates etc.) made from top quality leathers and will last for several
generations. Show quality strap goods usually are made from top quality
leathers that are cut and worked by master saddlers to have an exquisite
look and feel. One of the ways this is achieved is by shaving the leather
thinner from the flesh side, leaving the top side (skin) intact. To make
a piece of strap goods too fine will reduce its durability and safety,
and at the same time make it appear light and cheap rather than useful
and of good quality. Many leathers used in strap goods
available in tack shops today, have been tanned quickly and have insufficient
fat rubbed into the hide. These goods will crack easily and will not stand
up to the strain of hard use. The bridles that have square raised nosebands
and browbands are not as durable since the part that is sharply stretched
and raised is usually shaved subtantially to allow this profile.
BOOT LEATHERS
Leathers for riding boots are
thinner and more supple. Good boot leather is full grain, that means that
the skin of the cowhide is the surface leather for the boot. Full grain
leather is stronger than other boot leathers. (Split or sanded hides).
Better boot companies use heavier (thicker) leathers as well they select
more mellow (softer) full grain hides. These hides have had more fats
rubbed into them after tanning. They are softer and they are more alive
and should last longer. Good leather from good tanneries is often too
thick for fine boots so the leather is shaved thinner from the flesh side
(the underside) leaving the stronger full grain surface (skin) intact
so that the boots will still last a long time. The finest boot leathers
are French or Italian calf. For dressage boots a firmer leather or firmer
leather lining is used to give a classic look and feel. These firmer boots
sometimes look good when new but wear out quickly since the leather is
firm due to a lack of fat in the hide. When selecting a good boot, choose
a fine outer leather for both looks and durability. For a supple hunter
seat boot with good grip to the saddle, a French or Italian calf with
a pig skin lining is both durable and thin. For a firm dressage boot,
a French or Italian calf leather with a little more substance ( thickness
) with a leather of substance for the lining (instead of pigskin which
is very supple) plus a back seam lined with a plastic stay to hold the
shape of the boot will give you a classic look with longevity. Cheap boots
are made from course leathers that have been tanned quickly or have not
had much fat rubbed into them to give them long life. Another cheap leather
is a corrected or sanded hide. These hides are sanded on the surface (skin)
side to remove wire fence cut scars or other imperfections in the hide.
This leather looks OK but has lost a lot of the full grain surface strength
and therefore its durability. Leathers from countries where the cows live
in extreme climates are not as fine as those from countries where the
climate is more temperate. Some boot leathers are what is known as a vinyl
split. The leather is split, with the top part being a full grain leather.
The bottom split is then bonded to a very thin layer
of vinyl. Boots made from these vinyl covered leathers have a very durable
finish. The boot does not breath like a leather boot and if you gain size
in your calf the boot is almost impossible to stretch.
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
The main ingredients for the tanning
liquors will vary from country to country and will have a profound affect
on the qualities of the finished leather. The amount of calcium in the
water will make a profound difference to the finished product. Areas like
Walsall in England, or near the European Alps, where there is a high limestone
( calcium ) content in the water produce some of the strongest leathers
in the world. The trees native to the country differ around the world,
therefore so do the liquors used for tanning. The strongest leathers are
tanned using the bark of the oak tree. Many countries do not have any
oak trees remaining or do not have a climate suitable for the oak tree.
Trees with similar properties are used in many countries. The climate
greatly effects the hide of the cow. Temperate climates, England, parts
of Europe and some regions of South America, produce a hide that is fairly
smooth. Cows living in climates that are more severe usually have skins
that are coarse. Barbed wire fences are more common today than the rock
or split wood fences of the past. These barbs make large scars on the
cow's hide which must then be discarded or sanded to remove the blemish.
Many countries now use
methods learned from master tanners from England and Europe to produce
leathers that are far superior to those they produced 10 or 20 years ago.
With competition from many countries for a share of the leather market,
English and European tanners have cut corners and time from their craftsmanship.
The leathers of today will not last as long nor look as good after a few
years of use as the leathers in products we are still using today. Environmental
controls on the tanning industry in North America and in England and in
Europe, have greatly increased the cost of good leather. Leather from
other countries has improved and it's price makes it attractive. In most
parts of India, cows are sacred so the animal used for most leather is
the water buffalo. The water buffalo has a skin with more noticeable pores
on the surface. The fibers in the hide are not as dense as those in cow
leather. Even companies such as Stubben use more substantial buffalo
hides to make up for the lower strength. In the past most buffalo hides
were usually tanned using urea, however today many Indian tanners use
vegetable liquors. There are areas of India where cows are used for leather
and the tanning process is almost the same as in England. Many distributors
are calling this English leather. Some of the best Indian products are
made from hides shipped from England, then cut and stitched in India.
These products are usually about 30% cheaper than similar products from
England.
Many
consumers are unable to tell the difference when choosing leather goods.
A good tack shop dealer should be able to give you sound helpful advice.
With leather items economy
is usually with the best products. The cost per ride is often much lower
than with the lower priced items plus the usefulness is usually greatly
enhanced.
LEATHER CARE
Good leather requires almost
no oil when brand new. A little oil rubbed in like you would a hand cream
on your own skin will usually be enough to protect the leather and keep
it alive. Dip a bar of glycerin soap in warm water and then using a dry
sponge or cloth, rub some of the glycerin into the surface of the leather.
This will remove any excess oil and keep dirt and sweat from getting into
the pores of the leather. If you have chosen a lower priced leather product
that does not have as much fat rubbed into it, then a more generous treatment
of oil is appropriate. Ten different horsemen will suggest at least 5
different oils as being the best for your leather. Heating up the oil
by setting the container in a pot of hot water will thin the oil so that
it will penetrate the leather more deeply. In tanning and finishing leather
the tannery and the saddler render the skin of the leather almost waterproof.
To really treat your leather properly, concentrate the bulk of your effort
toward rubbing in the oil from the flesh (underside of the leather.
Remember that too much oil in the leather will weaken ( swell ) the fibers
of the hide and reduce the strength and durability of your equipment.
(Too much swelling will make the stitching loose and the product may come
apart, possibly at a moment when safety may be compromised.) After use,
any sweat must be removed from the leather so that the salts do not build
in the fibers and eventually weaken the leather. A slightly damp sponge
or cloth and a little saddle soap will do a fine job. Several companies
make towelettes impregnated with glycerin soap and sell them in sealed
pouches ready for use. These are very useful and easy to use, but cost
a lot more than a little soap on a cloth or a sponge. A regular cleaning
with some saddle soap will help your leather goods last longer and look
better. Most English or European horsemen and horsewomen prefer glycerin
soap for cleaning and protecting good leather. North American horsepeople
tend to use all sorts of different products. Water is not good for leather
fibers, so do not soak leather or use a lot of water when cleaning. Elbow
grease works well. Lexol ph balanced cleaner(orange bottle)does
an excellent job without stripping the leather of its fat content. Glycerin
based soaps in liquid form (Farnam Leather New is one) also are
easy to use and not hard on the leather. Most paste soaps (Propert's
and Carr-Day-and-Martin or Fiebings are popular paste soaps)
are easy to use but do not protect the surface of the leather from dirt
as well as glycerin. I personally do not like the Flax or Linseed soaps.
I find that they seem to attract dirt to the pores of the leather and
in a locker in a damp barn, they encourage mold to develop on the surface
of the leather. Murphy's Oil Soap really cleans the leather but
tends to take some of the fat from the hide. Before the leather
is allowed to dry, some replacement fat should be rubbed back into the
hide (Lexol NF (beige bottle) tends to penetrate damp leather very
well). Beeswax cream is popular as a fat replacement product ( I find
that the beeswax oil pentrates much better than the cream). Most horsemen
and horsewomen have their favourite oil or soap. Water and excess oil
both can reduce the years your leather goods will last. I usually
oil the leather a little before cleaning. This raises the dirt to the
surface, feeds the leather and then I remove the dirt and excess oil with
a scrubbing of glycerin on a damp sponge. I rub a little glycerin into
the leather using a dry cloth rubbed over a bar of glycerin soap that
has been dipped into warm water. Our Rider's Choice
glycerin soap comes in a self resealing pouch that keeps it from drying
out. This product is pure glycerin and has no added chemical scents or
dyes. ( I don't like adding chemicals to good leather.)
COLOURS OF LEATHER
Colour of leather is personal.
In some regions certain colours are more popular than others. In Ontario
Canada and on the US west coast in hunter and equitation competitions,
medium to dark browns are most popular. On the east coast of the US more
medium to light colours are seen. More recently the colours are all changing.
In dressage competitions one third of the equipment seen is brown while
the rest is black. I usually choose a natural London tan leather for my
own saddles. The leather I like has been shaved a little to make it thinner
but has a good skin and good live feeling. Being a little thinner it breaks
in faster and is not as hard to make a groove for my old legs. I choose
a medium chestnut colour for bridles since I usually choose oak bark tanned
leather for strap goods. The reason that I make these choices is that
in the selecting of hides for product, the tanneries keep the best for
the lighter coloured leathers and the others for the darker leathers since
the darker dyes will hide the imperfections in the surface of the leather.
My hope is that the products I choose will be a better quality than if
I chose darker leathers. By selecting the best quality products, I can
use the equipment on a daily basis and yet clean it up and have fine looking
as well as excellent working tack for competitions. Today's leathers are
often aniline dyed and so the surface is not as colour fast as past leathers.
Drum dyed (aniline) leather has more penetration of the colour so the
colour does not change as much with wear. Since I do not like my breeches
to turn brown from rubbed off dye, I don't have that problem with the
natural coloured saddle. With regular use and a little fish oil or
beeswax oil I find that these leathers soon take on a rich medium chestnut
or mahogany colour that even after 25 years of service still look and
feel strong and supple.
|
