Split leather
Split leathers are made by cutting the hides in two horizontally across the entire surface. Splitting can take place after depilation in the state of nakedness, after tanning in the wet state or at the end of the tanning process in the dry state. The first splitting machines were developed in the middle of the 18th century. Splitting waste that cannot be used to make leather is processed into gelatin or other collagen products.
The upper part of the skin consists of a papillary layer and an adjoining reticular layer and is split off as the upper gap or scar gap . This part has an inherently smooth side and a rough side. It is suitable for the production of smooth leathers - for example nappa leather, calf or cattle box, Chevreaux - and can also be used for suede. With nubuck the grain side is sanded, with velor the flesh side.
The lower part of the skin consists only of parts of the reticular layer and is split off as a flesh split , more imprecisely also as split leather or split . This part has two rough sides. It can be used as suede in the form of suede. A further use results from the application of a coating with polymers. As part of the coating, a structure is embossed into the surface, which is often modeled on a natural grain pattern. The product may be sold as "leather" up to a coating thickness of 150 µm (0.15 mm). If the coating is thicker, the article must be marked as "coated leather", if it is more than a third of the total thickness as " artificial leather ".
Leather from the flesh gap generally has lower strength values than grain leather. This fact should be taken into account during application and processing. Meat cracks are cheaper than grain leather.
Split leather from cattle is used as suede for shoes and clothing, coated split leather is used for small leather goods, shoes and steering wheels.
Meat cracks from small animal skins such as sheep and goats are mainly processed into clothing velours. Skivers are very thin (0.5 mm) crevices from sheep. They are used for lamination and as hat band leather.
In the processed state, the difference between grain leather and split leather is often very difficult to see.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Split leather - Leather Center Leather Lexicon. Retrieved September 17, 2019 .
- ↑ Split leather - www.leder-info.de - The leather dictionary. Retrieved September 17, 2019 .
