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Types, Making and Uses of Leather

Leather is made by the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, usually cows. Leather has always been a popular material for clothing. Also, along with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology.
There are a number of ways to 'tan' leather, which basically means that the flesh of a dead animal is made into a supple, strong material. Some of those methods include:
Vegetable-tanned leather, where tannin is used with other ingredients in vegetable matter, tree bark, etc. This results are a supple brown material (the shade of brown depending on the combination of chemicals and the colour of the flesh);
Chrome-tanned leather, where chromium salts are used, is more supple than vegetable-tanned leather, and can be stretched;
Alum-tanned leather, where aluminium salts combined with binders and protein (flour, egg yolk, etc.) are used, is not as supple as vegetable-tanned leather, but very light shades are obtainable;
Finally, Rawhide is made by scraping the skin thin, soaking it in lime, and then stretching it while it dries. Rawhide is stiffer and more brittle than other forms of leather, and is used for things that do not need to be too flexible, such as drum heads, or it is cut up into cords for use in lacing or stitching.

Vegetable-tanned leather is not good in water. It will discolour, shrink and become brittle. Chrome-tanned leather does not discolour or lose shape as drastically in water as vegetable-tanned. Alum-tanned leather rots in water.
Frequent oiling of leather, with mink oil, neatsfoot oil, etc., keeps it supple and improves its lifespan and resistance to water.

Leather is sold in different forms, including:
The finest, which is full-grain, where only the hair has been removed. This near natural state makes the leather more durable and more comfortable;
Corrected-grain has a smooth side, where the hair and natural grain was, and a 'fuzzy' side. This leather is of less quality than the full-grain, and has had the natural grain sanded off and replaced with an artificial grain. A new surface is built by various processes of pigmentation and embossing. It must be heavily painted to cover up the sanding and stamping marks;
Suede is 'fuzzy on both side. It is the inside split of the hide and is less durable and cheaper than top-grain. Suede is often also treated to appear like full-grain. Suede is a type of finish to any leather where the flesh side has been buffed to a velvet-like nap. There is also a split leather suede from the split hide, which is finished to the same velvet-like nap. It is used in the manufacture of suede shoes, bags, clothing etc;
Patent Leather has a high gloss finish, and usually had a plastic coating;
Aniline Leather is leather that has been dyed through with aniline dyes. It can also be given a protective coating of lacquer or even waxed at the production stage;
Nubuck Leather has traditionally been the full grain leather buffed or abraded on the grain side to create a slight suede-type nap, resulting in a very soft feel;

Most leather is from cow hides, but many other types of leather are available. Lamb and deer skin are used for soft expensive leather. Kangaroo leather is strong but flexible, such as needed for motorcycle gloves. Leather from more exotic skins has endangered species, such as certain snakes and crocodiles. Ostrich leather was popular for a while. In Thailand, sting ray leather is used a lot.

Leather these days is used for shoes and jackets, and especially for motorcyclists' leathers, as leather is so strong for wind and abrasion resistance. Leather is also popular for fetish clothing, is worn by rock and heavy metal groups, and is avoided by vegetarians and vegans.