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leather shapes leather shapes

KINGSMERE CRAFTS

HAND-CRAFTED LEATHER GOODS

Leather terminology . . .

To describe leather, there are a number of technical terms, the meaning of which I propose to explain, but first. . .

With regard to leather goods and the customer, I must point out that value for money must relate to the price paid. It would be unjust to expect top quality goods at local market prices. There has always been three levels of quality in the leather goods marketplace, top, middle and bottom.

Value for money applies at every level and customers are entitled to expect reasonable wear and use from any article purchased. For instance a wallet purchased from a top class source should be made from the very best leather (a "top split") and last for many years. A wallet purchased in the local market (if made from leather) will not be made from the best leather, (possibly a second or third split) and consequently will not last as long. However it should provide reasonable service and last some time, the difference is reflected in the price paid. (The old saying applies, "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.")

For those visitors to this site with no knowledge of leather terminology I will explain the terms used above. The skin taken from an animal is generally too thick for most uses so it is split into two or even three layers, which put simply means the top split being the outside of the skin is comprised of densely compacted fibres, as you reach the back of a skin the fibres become much less dense. In this case a bottom split of three will have very loose fibres and will have less strength and wear quickly. The top split will have its own natural surface, a second and third split will have an artificial finish applied (unless it is used as a suede).  To be more direct you get what you pay for.

. . . for the novice

First of all, the large animals - horses, cattle etc - have hides, not skins. Hides are either sold as whole hides or are sub-divided as follows:

Whole hide = 40-50sqft,   Half hide/side = 20-30sqft,   Back = 10-15sqft,   Shoulder = 15-20sqft,   Belly = 7-10sqft,   Head and cheeks = 2-3sqft,   Butt = 8-10sqft,   Bend = 5-8sqft.

The names given to the various parts of the hide may tell you which part of the animal it's from, but the approximate sizes give a better indication of what to expect, especially if you are buying by mail order. The thickness too is of the utmost importance. 

a.  Cheek
b.  Face
c.  Shoulder
d.  Fore shank
e.  Belly
f.  Bend
g.  Butt
h.  Belly middle
i.  Hind shank


  Hide Sizes (approx)
ft²

  Full Cowhide 45 - 60
  Butt (cowhide) 18 - 25
  Shoulder (cowhide) 8 - 14
  Side (½ cowhide) 15 - 30
  Goat 3 - 6
  Pig 8 - 16
  Calf 6 - 15

In the United States you buy by weight per square foot, or, by thickness, in 64ths of an inch, but in the United Kingdom by the thickness in millimetres. For example, 4–5oz = 4/64–5/64ths in America, but 1·6–2·00mm in this country, going up to, say, 10–11oz = 10/64–11/64ths USA, or 4·0–4·5mm, UK.

Table showing sizes and weights of leather
as they can be variously given

Inch
Millimetre
Iron
Decimal
Ounce
(.03937")
(1/48")
(1/64")
1/64"
0.40
¾
.015625
1
1/32"
0.80
.031250
2
3/64"
1.20
.046875
3
1/16"
1.60
3
.062500
4
5/64"
2.00
.078125
5
3/32"
2.40
.093750
6
7/64"
2.80
.109375
7
1/8"
3.20
6
.125000
8
9/64"
3.60
.140625
9
5/32"
4.00
.156250
10
11/64"
4.40
.171875
11
3/16"
4.80
9
.187500
12
Inch
Millimetre
Iron
Decimal
Ounce
(.03937")
(1/48")
(1/64")
13/64"
5.20
.203125
13
7/32"
5.60
10½
.218750
14
15/64"
6.00
11¼
.234370
15
1/4"
6.40
12
.250000
16
17/64"
6.80
12¾
.265630
17
9/32"
7.20
13½
.281250
18
19/64"
7.60
14¼
.296870
19
5/16"
8.00
15
.312500
20
21/64"
8.40
15¾
.328120
21
11/32"
8.80
16½
.343750
22
23/64"
9.20
17¼
.359370
23
3/8"
9.60
18
.375000
24


cows

horses

sheep

goats

All the smaller animals have skins - pigs, sheep, goats etc - and as such, are more often than not, quoted as having a certain size and thickness, so, as is more than likely, you are buying sight unseen, it is easier to visualise what you will receive in the mail.

 

 


divider

 

Translations for: Leather

Dansk (Danish)
n. - læder, skind
v. tr. - beklæde med læder
adj. - læder-, skind-
Nederlands (Dutch)leer, zeemlap/-leer, leren riem(pje),
(mv) leren kledingstukken, leren bal (cricket/ voetbal),
met leer bekleden, hard werken, poetsen met zeemlap,
erop los slaan, leren
Français (French)
n. - cuir
v. tr. - rosser
adj. - de cuir, en cuir
Deutsch (German)
n. - Leder
adj. - aus Leder
v. - mit Leder überziehen, (ugs.) versohlen
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - δέρμα (κατεργασμένο)
adj. - δερμάτινος, πέτσινος
v. - μαστιγώνω
Italiano (Italian)
cuoio, di cuoio
Português (Portuguese)
n. - couro (m)
adj. - de couro
v. - cobrir ou revestir com couro
Русский (Russian)
кожа, кожаные изделия, крыть кожей, пороть ремнем, упорно работать
Español (Spanish)
n. - cuero, piel
v. tr. - forrar o guarnecer de cuero, hacer cuero, pegar, zurrar
adj. - de cuero
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - läder, skinn, läderkula, byxor, ridbyxor, skor, hud, hård hud
adj. - av läder, läder-, av skinn, skinn-
v. - bekläda med läder, piska upp, klå
中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
皮革, 皮革制品, 覆以皮革, 抽打, 鞭苔, 皮的, 皮革制的
 
中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 皮革, 皮革製品
v. tr. - 覆以皮革, 抽打, 鞭苔
adj. - 皮的, 皮革製的
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 가죽 , 가죽 제품, 공 , 피부
v. tr. - 무두질하다, 가죽을 대다, 가죽으로 문지르다, 가죽끈으로 때리다
adj. - 가죽의, 가죽제의 , 변태 성욕자의
 
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 革, 革製品, 乗馬用革ズボン
v. - 打つ

العربيه(Arabic)
‏(الاسم) جلد مدبوغ, الجزء المتدلي من أذن الكلب (صفه) جلدي, شئ مصنوع من جلد مدبوغ كليا أو جزئيا (فعل) يكسو بالجلد, يجلد, يضرب بالسياط‏
 

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עור, רצועת-עור, חלקי העור של מוצר כלשהו‬
v. tr. - ‮הילקה, ציחצח באמצעות עור‬
adj. - ‮עשוי עור‬




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