Leather is durable tough and has various applications.
Leather goods are produced for domestic consumption or exportation.
The business profile of leather goods
manufacturers includes high fashion stores to road side dealers. There are many
products that are in high demand like leather bags, shoes, belts and hats.
The
leather Industry
Leathers is Evergreen
Leather is a tough material made out
of the skin of animals. It is cured and processed to make it durable and easy
to manipulate.
The material is processed animal skin tanned
to produces leather a tough or flexible material. Leather is obtained from cows,
goat, sheep, camel, donkey or even dogs.
The skin is durable and lasts for ages without
depletion in quality. Leather is used in the fashion industry business because
of its interesting qualities.
It is made into shoes, bags, hats,
items of clothing like coats, and jackets. There are 2 basic types of leather gotten out
of animal skin,
Rawhide
leather is usually tough but brittle and subject to the elements. They are
inflexible and in some cases are not grouped under true leather.
The industrial application and
commercial value of leather industry is enormous considering the varied uses of
leather. Other applications of leather are automobile upholstery, tables and motorcycle
seats.
How
to Process Leather
Leather is gotten from the hide of animals
through various processes before it is safe and usable. Leather is made through
a process called tanning where the protein content is matched and impregnated
to stabilize the skin.
The process of tanning results in raw hide and
tanned grain. The tanned leather although stabilized is usually hard and
inflexible, while the other is flexible and is used for all types of
application.
The most common method of tanning
leather is chromium used to achieve a bluish sheen color. The leather is
immersed in chemicals or tanning liquid and tumbled to allow a slow process of
absorption.
The tanner has to periodically
observe the leather to know when it has been thoroughly cured. To check the
leather a cross sections is cut until a certain consistency is observed.
Which
is not a derivative of Leather
- Shoes
- Bags
- cups
- sandals
- Hats
- books
Processed
Leather
Tanned leather in manufacturing
application goes through further processing. The methods may differ depending
on the application.
Some of the additional manufacturing method is
when enzymes are introduced to dissolve casein, collagen and keratin. The method
of casting is basically tinning of the hide while retaining its sheen through
lubrication.
More Ways to Process Leather
The leather goes through splitting
which cuts the leather into two or more halves. Dyeing produces a particular
sheen or coloration. Softening the leather allows additional flexibility,
shaving, smoothness, oiling, and buffing.
Others are roller coating, spraying,
glazing, embossing, polishing and ironing. Leather goes through a lot of
changes depending on the industry and what function it is used for.
Vegetable Tanning
Some other mediums used to
processing leather are vegetable tanning. Vegetable tanned leather is derived
from leather immersed in vegetable matter.
Some of the matter is derived from tree roots, bark, fruits and leaves.
Boiling Tanning
Leather is sometime put through a
boiling process that has a shrinking effect on the material. A substance used
in this process the gelatin which preserves the leather.
If the leather is boiled it looses
some mass and shrinks. Another process is when the leather is boiled with wax
hardening and preserving the leather.
Brain Tanning
It sounds weird but this is a method
used by applying the animal brain into the tanning process. The process produces
very fine soft leather.
Tanning using the regular method of
chromium sulfate works just fine it is rigid and tough. While chamois leather
is oxidized uses oils and is water absorbent. Even some tanning method uses
flowers like the rose tanning.
Types
of Leather
Full Grain
|
Top
Grain
|
Corrected Grain
|
High Quality
|
Split Layers
|
Raw Hide
|
Rigid
|
Brilliant Sheen
|
Stained, Dyed
|
Long lasting
|
Common
|
Has imperfections
|
Things
that Affect Leather
1 Exposure to humidity
2
Hot weather
3
Passage of time
4
Water
5
Chemical damage
6
Ultra violet rays
7
Air pollutants
8
Corrosive acid
Different
Types of Leather
There are different types of leather
depending on the type of animal skin and method of tanning. Sometimes the medium used in processing gives
the type of quality in the finished product.
Full grain leather
High quality leather is refined to
what they call full grain leather. The skin maintains some grain which provides
rigidity to the fiber strength making the leather very durable.
The full grain leather is known to
contain less moisture and has not gone through the buffed, sanded or snuffed
stages lowering the leathers grain.
Full grain leather is identified by
the tarnish on its surface which is a fine sheen that protects the surface. The
patina provides durability, long-lasting protection for the leather.
The aniline variety is known for its
full grain tarnish white while semi or half grain has a slightly lower quality
to the full grain.
Top Grain Leather
Top grain leather is leather that is
known for its split layer and plastic feel. Common items that have high grain
leather are shoes, handbags and slippers.
They generally have a fine coat and brilliant
sheen. However, low value leather are easily broken and defaced with cracks on
the surface. They are less expensive with an unbroken finishing.
Corrected Grain Leather
Are semi aniline and pigmented,
their surface has artificial grain applied to it making them substandard and
full of imperfections. The dye is usually in huge quantities and applied to
conceal the leather imperfections.
Split Leather
Raw hide are usually spit grade
quality, the splitting removes the top grain further split into several layers.
Leather is durable, adaptable and is evergreen quality.
Leathers great properties make it an
indispensable item in today's business world.
Leather Products Business
The business person is at liberty to open an outlet, work
from home or open a leather manufacturing company. Small leather manufacturers
can concentrate on hand made leather goods.
With a little more capital the leather manufacturer can
easily expand his operation. The size and scope of the operation is purely
subjected to the manufacturer’s discretion.
Stay atop of your inventory have strong brands for sale
and decide on wholesale or retail segment of the business. You need to develop a recognizable brand
associated to high quality items.
The best way for small business owners is to focus on a
sector and specialize. There are many sectors like automobile and transport,
fashion and travel industry.
Leather bags are in high demand, shoes, fashion
accessories like bangles wristwatch straps and jackets.
How to
start Leather Goods Business
There are many leather goods to sell and make huge
profit. Leather business is very lucrative especially if you carve a niche for
yourself.
To start a leather
goods business you need to take into account a few considerations. You also
have to follow a basic sequence that covers all the basics.
There are two major business types in the leather goods
industry. You are either a wholesaler or retailer of leather or a manufacturer.
It doesn’t matter which one your favor, setting up
follows the same format. Here is a general way to start your leather goods
business
The Product
Long before you venture into the leather business you
need to determine the leather product to sell. The products derived from leather
are too numerous to mention.
However, a few are
custom made bags, shoes, wristwatch straps, jackets even car seats.
You need to decide on the type of leather goods you want
to sell or manufacture.
Training
Training involves learning how to produce the leather goods.
It does not cover wholesalers or retail segments except in learning how to
identify different quality leather.
Manufacturers need to have proper training in the use of
specialized equipment used in the manufacture of leather goods.
Some of the equipment involve stitching machines, stapling
machines, and cutting machine. The manufacturer also needs design templates and
hemmers.
Finance
The most important aspect of starting a leather business
is getting adequate finance. Poor financing can make or break a leather goods
business.
The entrepreneur could get financing form bank loans,
personal saving, cooperative accounts and family and friends. Another way is to
get a core investor or business partner.
Many countries have specialized banking services that
give loans to startup companies.
Location
Having a good Location in the wholesale ad retail leather
goods business is very important. Nearness to a ready market improves your
chances of huge profit.
Manufacturers have to be close to raw material to offset unnecessary
transportation cost. A small scale manufacturer has the advantage of locating
the business from home or a shop.
Staffing
Small scale manufacturers and retailers need only about
one or two staff. While large scale leather goods manufacturer hire according
to their needs.
There is nothing wrong in having a one man operation if
he can handle the job.
Production
The production output for small leather goods manufacturer
is small. But they have a good chance at focusing on high premium items.
Mass produced leather are cheaper than those with intricate
work, high leather quality and designs.
Sales
Outlet
Leather manufacturers should also consider where to
locate a sales outlet. Leather goods are sold in shops, stores on the street
and in high end boutiques. Selling online is possible through websites like ebay.com,
and olx.com.
Promotions
and Marketing
Marketing will help the business grow faster and reach
potential customers. The more focused and intense the marketing the higher
patronage you get.
Market your business in Newspapers, radio, television, online,
and magazines. The more exposure your product gets the more people are drawn to
it.
Leather good business is a highly competitive business
and you should be ready to have serious competition.
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