Genuine leather has been used in various fields of human activity since ancient times, since even then animal skins were needed for protection from the cold, moreover, it was the most accessible material of all possible. Initially, they were processed using smoke from a fire, but this could not preserve the integrity of the skin for a long time.
Then a person began to use various plant substances in order to make the skin stronger, more elastic and maintain it for a longer period. Now the world produces a huge number of varieties of skin, each of which is suitable for certain purposes. Accordingly, depending on the desired result, it is produced in different ways. In particular, there is such a method of processing it as crust, which will be discussed in more detail in this article.
Briefly about skin treatment
Natural leather processing usually consists of three steps. First, preparatory actions are carried out when the animal's skin is cleaned, soaked in various solutions, treated from hair and fat layer and softened. The most popular and convenient species are livestock skins, of which calf, pork and sheep are the most common. But at all times, the skins of exotic animals - snakes, crocodiles, were also popular because of their unusual appearance.
Now products from similar materials also remain popular, but since reptile hunting was so widespread that they were threatened with extinction, modern manufacturers often use artificial leather or genuine leather with an imitation of the necessary pattern, since modern processing technologies allow this.
The next stage - tanning - is carried out to give the skin stability, strength and elasticity, the basic properties of high-quality genuine leather. At this stage, the material is soaked in special solutions that contain chromium, aluminum, vegetable and artificial tannins, or combinations thereof. Suede, for example, is obtained by treating the skin with fatty acids. At the end of this operation, it has the appearance of a finished semi-finished product, but additionally, depending on the variety, other processing can be carried out.
At the last stage, the skin is trimmed with various methods to give an attractive appearance to its front surface - planing, coating (i.e. surface) or deep staining, pressing, glossing and others.
Types of skin
Over the years of the development of tanning, a huge number of types of leather have arisen: shabrack, husky, leather crust, yuft, chevro, suede, shagreen leather, velor, etc.
Areas of skin use
So, for the manufacture of haberdashery products (mainly gloves), a husky is used, which is created from the skin of lambs and after chrome tanning it becomes soft, elastic and very pleasant to the touch. They are also made from suede, the front surface of which is covered with low soft pile. Because of this surface feature, it is difficult to clean, gets dirty faster, spots can form on it when moisture gets in, and it wears out faster than other types of genuine leather. Therefore, usually suede products are not intended for everyday use, in addition, they have a very winning appearance - stylish and noble.
Bags, wallets and belts are made of yufti (the so-called “Russian leather”), which can be of different thicknesses and properties, depending on the material from which it is made - usually these are cattle skins. In any case, this type of skin is characterized by high strength and softness; yuft obtains such properties after treatment with plant components. Men's belts are sometimes made of chabraka - it is very tough leather, which is characterized by increased wear resistance.
To create shoes, various types of leather are used, depending on the purpose of the shoe. Most often, this is its smooth variety - expensive quality products are made from it, since the material itself is characterized by high characteristics. Shoes and boots are often made of patent leather, which does not allow legs to breathe, but looks expensive and neat. Also, for the production of shoes, suede and other types are used.
For jewelry, craftsmen use either soft and thin types of leather, or, if it is necessary to leave a print on the product, they are more rigid, for example, yuft or shabraki.
Rare skin
Separately, it is worth recalling parchment, which in the modern world is used much less often than before - in bookbinding, for jewelry and musical instruments, in a word - in specific activities. In the past, it was the main material for creating manuscript books.
What is a crust?
Krust is a tracing-paper from the English word “crust”, which translates as “peel”.
How does skin crust treatment work?
After the initial grading of cattle skins, they begin to be soaked. Krast has several features here: when processing it, a large amount of chrome and water is used, which makes the skin supple and at the same time soft, and, moreover, it is necessary to comply with environmental requirements.
At the next stage, the skin is stained by drum dyeing. Thanks to modern methods, the paint penetrates the skin and thus gives a through staining. For this reason, you can not be afraid that the upper painted layer will crack.
An imprint of a drum net may remain on the back of the workpiece due to the specifics of the painting method. The front surface is not finished, therefore genuine leather crust has a natural pattern on it, which is why it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a quality crust from smooth skin. In addition, the lack of processing of the front surface allows you to avoid subsequently many of the disadvantages associated with the destruction and delamination. Also, the skin is characterized by increased resistance to water, which occurs at the tanning stage.
Areas of use of the crust
The special qualities of leather crust allow its use in the production of a variety of objects. This material is strong enough, but at the same time pliable and lightweight, and besides, it is durable. Therefore, it is used in the manufacture of bags, shoes, haberdashery, various office supplies and even furniture. In addition, leather craftsmen, among other types, choose crust for embossing, as its texture is best suited for this finish.
Crust Care
Care for this type of skin is necessary, given the features of its surface. Erasing a crust does not make sense, since it is waterproof and will only lose part of its strength and aesthetics. But it can be cleaned of dust with a dry rag, and if dirt appears on the product - it is better to remove it with mildly alkaline cleaning solutions applied to a soft sponge. After wet cleaning, wipe the product thoroughly. From time to time it is worth using crust with a breakdown to lubricate the skin with special products that will preserve the elasticity and strength of the material.
Small scratches that inevitably occur with frequent use of the product, the crust is able to heal itself due to the fact that the natural skin pattern is preserved - from friction, the scratches are aligned and disappear completely with time. On bends and in areas of severe friction, the skin color may darken, creating the appearance of antiquity and quality.