Split leather is one of the most popular forms of leather used as a raw material in the making of leather goods. To understand what is split leather and how it is different from other types of leathers, the basics of leather manufacturing must be covered. Here we discuss how split leather is made.
Layers of leather
The entire thickness of the leather comprises of three layers. The flesh layer is made of tight structures of fibers which makes the strong inner skin of the animal. The middle layer is called corium which makes up the greatest thickness of the hide. In this layer, the fibers are disorganized and open in terms of structure. The purpose of this layer in the animal skin is to provide the cushioned barrier for the animal and bestow thickness to the skin.
The outermost layer is the upper layer that we can see on the outside. This layer has the hair follicles that will protect the animal from different kinds of abrasions and drying out. In this layer, the fibers are tightly knit and provide the resilient surface called as the grain.
While full grain leather retains the hide’s full grain, other types of leathers do not. For instance, leather that is used to make bags does not retain grains. Looking at the retail price of tanks, you can’t assume the quality of the leather used.
Leather splitting
Since the original hide is so thick, it can be split into two layers finding use for both the layers. Splitter is the name of the machine used to split leather in to two layers in the horizontal plane. This process consists of peeling out the top layer from the bottom layer. The resulting layer is two thinner layers from the first layer. Among these two layers, the one with grains becomes the full grain leather and the other one becomes the split leather.
Split leather applications
Split leather can also be used like the full grain leather, but the one difference is it is seen without grain. Also, it is more fragile than the full grain leather. It lacks the tight fiber structure of the full grain leather. This type of leather can tear so easily and is less resilient. It must hence have a reasonable thickness to be of any use to us. The top surface of the split leather can be treated in many ways to enhance its appearance.
Cow split leather manufacturers in India often coat the split leather with a thick layer of pigment, which is usually a plasticized paint or polyurethane finish. This can also be embossed to show up a grain pattern. Split leather has a variety of applications in the leather goods manufacturing industry. Some of the most common goods made of split leather include gloves, aprons and other types of specialized clothing. Due to its economical pricing, split leather is one of the most popular options in the leather industry.
