Friday, August 10, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
What is the importance of shoes?
Shoes are very important for human being both protect feet as well as, when incompatible in size and shape, present exciting factors in inflammatory conditions e.g. bunion. Despite the presence of pain, people are reluctant to change their footwear styles. The main function of modern footwear is to provide feet with protection from hard and rough surfaces, as well as climate and environmental exposure. To the wearer the appearance of their footgear is often more important than its (mis)function. Consumer resistance to change style is common. Informed decisions of shoe styles are thought to occur when the benefits of alternative shoe styles are carefully explained and footwear habits discussed in a culturally sensitive manner. To explores the world of shoe making in an attempt to inform both lay person and health professional.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
What is leather?
Leather, the oldest materials known to man, is animal skin which, by the process known as tanning, is transformed into such things as garments, shoes, furniture and dozens of other everyday articles. Its scent, appearance and texture combine to make it a unique material. Since it is unlike any other type of material, proper care is essential.
The Benefits of Leather
Leather is an extremely versatile material. It is warm is the winter and cool in the summer. Leather’s excellent insulation characteristics allow both ventilation and evaporation to take place. There is almost no other clothing material that will provide the service and durability of genuine leather. Leather’s well known aging qualities enhance its popularity and value. Whether from disease or injury, scarring in the skin imparts a unique natural beauty inherent to genuine leather garments.
The Difference B/W Suede & Leather
Smooth leather or grain leather refers to the top outer layer of the animal’s skin. The only difference between suede and leather is the finish that is applied to the skin. The most common types of hides used in garment manufacturing are lamb, cow and pig.
Nubuck is created by lightly buffing the top grain until it takes on a very fine nap that appears smoother than suede.
Suede is generally the underside of the hide buffed to a smooth finish. Suede may also be split from a thick hide. The top surface of the new layer looks like suede but is not as soft.
Routine Care
Smooth leather - Use a soft, water dampened sponge or cloth to remove surface dirt or stains.
Suede or nubuck leather - Brush regularly to keep dust and dirt from settling in the nap and to maintain its velvety look. Use a brush or block designed for suede and nubuck available at your leather retailer. Never use a wire bristle brush.
• Wear a scarf to protect the collar area from perspiration and body oils• Avoid spraying perfume or hair spray while wearing leather or suede• Avoid the use of pins and broaches as they will make permanent holes in leather and suede• Never apply tape or adhesive stickers (such as name tags) to leather or suede, as the glue will permanently damage the skin.
Storage
One of the many benefits of leather is that it doesn’t easily wrinkle if stored properly. Leather is a great choice for extended wear or travel. Suggestions to keep your garment wrinkle free:
• Store garment on a broad hanger, not wire, to maintain its shape.• Some garments have a chain loop at the collar. Do not use this as a hanger. The weight of the garment and contents in the pockets may be too heavy and result in a tear.• Never store in plastic because leather is a skin which needs to breathe.• Store leather in a cool, dry place. Leather can mildew if stored in a hot, humid environment.• Do not store leather near a direct source of light If wrinkles occur due to improper storage, simply hang garment and brush nap (if suede or nubuck). Most wrinkles should hang out.
Wrinkles occurring naturally in the skin are the defining characteristics that distinguish leather from man-made materials and cannot be removed. If ironing is necessary, contact Leather Craft for further information.
Care When Wet
If the garment gets wet, remove all items from pockets, hang on a sturdy, padded hanger, and let air dry naturally away from heat. When dry, brush suede and nubuck items to lift the nap.
Stains - If staining occurs, it is recommended that you take your garment to Leather Craft for professional care as soon as possible. Although there are numerous care products available commercially, most will only be effective in removing minor marks. Ink and protein stains such as blood, oil, egg and milk are difficult to remove from leather, and require professional care. If you decide to purchase a product from your leather retailer remember to follow the instructions exactly. When a spill occurs you may want to try one of the following to help prevent the stain from settling:
On smooth leather - blot the area with a cloth dampened with water.
On suede or nubuck leather - blot the area with a cloth dampened with water. If the stain is oil based, you may sprinkle the area with baby powder or chalk shavings to try and absorb the excess oils. Do not rub. Let the garment sit overnight. Shake powder off and gently brush nap with a suede brush.
Sign That Garment requires Cleaningt
Professional leather cleaning is recommended when needed, depending upon the wear and care you give your garment.
• Ground-in-dirt appears around collar, cuffs or pocket areas• Stains occur• Color looks faded
All parts of suits or multi-piece outfits must be processed at the same time to ensure a color match.
The professional leather cleaning methodEach leather garment is a unique natural product requiring specialized processes that vary depending on the type of leather and color of the garment. Leather Craft’s professional leather cleaning method cleans and restores oils occurring naturally in the skin. Following cleaning, every garment is hand finished to restore and enhance the garment’s original color. Finally, Leather Craft’s own Shower Craft water repellant is applied to protect your garment from the elements.
What to expect after cleaningLeather Craft’s professional leather cleaning method leaves skins feeling soft and supple. Leather is a natural skin, and each panel may be of varying thickness, texture, color with scars and/or wrinkles. Changes will almost always result from the cleaning process, especially during the first cleaning. These characteristics contribute to the authenticity and uniqueness of a leather garment, and do not affect its wear. Tanneries often fill scars and imperfections on the leather before dying the garment. Cleaning removes some of the fillers and may cause the surface scars to reappear. After cleaning, leather will tend to go back to its original lines. As you wear your garment, it will reconfigure to your body. Smooth finished leathers will have a surface dye applied to restore the garments original color and hide any faded and worn areas. Suede and nubuck may have a slight variance in the depth of color after cleaning due to the color fastness of various skins.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
what is leather material?
Leather is a material is highly aeisthetic and which is created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrefiable skin into a durable, long-lasting and versatile natural material for various uses.
Leather technology involves little bit complecated but interesting technolgy since it is a combination of chemical engineering,biotechnology,process engineering etc.
Leather is an important material with many uses for example we can make leather goods,footwear materials,garments,upholstery etc. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. The leather industry and the fur industry are distinct industries that are differentiated by the importance of their raw materials. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product. Taxidermy also makes use of the skin of animals, but generally the head and part of the back are used. Hides and skins are also used in the manufacture of glue and gelatin.
How leather technology works in India?
Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattleLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable, long-lasting and versatile natural material for various uses.
Leather is an important material with many uses. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. The leather industry and the fur industry are distinct industries that are differentiated by the importance of their raw materials. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product. Taxidermy also makes use of the skin of animals, but generally the head and part of the back are used. Hides and skins are also used in the manufacture of glue and gelatin.hide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable, long-lasting and versatile natural material for various uses.
Leather is an important material with many uses. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. The leather industry and the fur industry are distinct industries that are differentiated by the importance of their raw materials. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product. Taxidermy also makes use of the skin of animals, but generally the head and part of the back are used. Hides and skins are also used in the manufacture of glue and gelatin.
Leather is an important material with many uses. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. The leather industry and the fur industry are distinct industries that are differentiated by the importance of their raw materials. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product. Taxidermy also makes use of the skin of animals, but generally the head and part of the back are used. Hides and skins are also used in the manufacture of glue and gelatin.hide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable, long-lasting and versatile natural material for various uses.
Leather is an important material with many uses. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. The leather industry and the fur industry are distinct industries that are differentiated by the importance of their raw materials. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product. Taxidermy also makes use of the skin of animals, but generally the head and part of the back are used. Hides and skins are also used in the manufacture of glue and gelatin.
What is Leather Technology?
Leather was one of the first manufactured materials, and the Leather Technologist can claim to be a member of an ancient profession. The output and quality of leather has steadily increased and improved for at least the last 3,000 years, and for the last 100 years or so the UK has been a pioneer in the field of formal education and training in Leather Technology.
Tanners convert the raw hides and skins of animals into leather. At its simplest, leather is hide or skin which has been treated so that it will not decay, and will last for hundreds of years. Every hide and skin is unique, and varies not only from species to species, but even between individual animals. To these natural differences of grain pattern, stretching properties and strength, further features are added which tanners can tailor during processing, such as colour and softness. The complexity of leather manufacture becomes apparent.
Leather is turned into a wide variety of articles - footwear, clothing, bookbinding, gloves, saddles, harness, belts, wallets, luggage, bags, gas meter diaphragms, driving belts, gaskets, hydraulic seals used in aircraft, rockets and underwater craft, upholstery including automobiles, sports goods and many others. Tanners keep the end use very much in mind, and since many of the uses are subject to fashion, such features as eye-appeal, colour, texture and drape, while difficult to quantify, are essential to success. Using modern techniques of production engineering, tanners must retain the individuality of each skin and, without losing its appeal, produce leather to a degree of uniformity required by customers.
Although the leather industry has a long history, the pace of change has been rapid in the twentieth century, and accelerating in the last decade. The time required to process raw hide or skin to finished leather has decreased from over a year to a matter of days. Quality, variety and consistency of product have improved in response to customer demand.
While remembering its craft past, the leather industry is now firmly established as a technology based on scientific principles. From the early 1900s, the scope and depth of knowledge of protein chemistry and of the other natural and synthetic products used in leather manufacture have advanced at an accelerating pace. The Leather Technologist has become familiar with a wide range of pure and applied sciences, and with the constitution and properties of many types of material.
To produce high quality leather, Technologists must understand the nature of the materials used, the way in which they react, the means of controlling this reactivity, and the methods of testing and analysing the finished product. With this knowledge as a basis, tanners must become familiar with all the practical tanning processes and machinery operations that are necessary to prepare the skins for tanning, the tanning process itself, and the many subsequent operations which determine thickness, softness, texture, colour and waterproof-ness of leather.
Many students choose a course of Higher Education without having explored the opportunities afforded by this fascinating, challenging and rewarding industry. This is surprising, since leather is very much a part of everyday life, and is always in demand for fashion, sport and comfort.
Understanding the reactions and processes occurring during leather manufacture involves a fascinating blend of the strict disciplines of the pure sciences with the practicalities of the continuous batch production of a material whose aesthetic appeal must be maintained, whilst creating its utilitarian properties. The pure sciences involved are chemistry, physics, biochemistry and microbiology, combined with mechanical and chemical engineering, polymer sciences, statistics, computing and management.
The successful student who possesses a qualification in Leather Technology usually has no difficulty in finding a suitable post within the industry. There are excellent opportunities for obtaining senior positions in the leather and allied industries in production, quality control, research, management and marketing. These opportunities are available worldwide.
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