A Little History of Leather
Ever since the primitive man first used it to protect his body from the harsh winters of Ice Age to this day - leather has come off a long ways. There had been quite a few goo d reasons behind this everlasting bond between the human and leather. Leather looks great, feels great and lasts for forever...well, almost.When our ancestors started using leather, it was nothing but the leftover skin of the hunted animals which they primarily killed for food. They would clean this skin and start wearing it in whatever possible form they felt comfortable in. They even used it as footwear to protect their feet. But now the problem with this skin was that over a period of time this skin would start decaying.  With their limited knowledge and experience, they had no idea how to preserve these hides. As centuries passed it was noticed that several things could slow down the decay of leather. If the skins were stretched out and allowed to dry in the sun, it made them stiff and hard and they lasted much longer. Various oily substances were then rubbed into the skins to soften them. As time passed, it was eventually discovered that the bark of certain trees contained "tannin" or tannic acid which could be used to convert raw skins into what we recognize today as leather.Labels: As time passed, As time passed .knowledge ., feels great and lasts, History of Leather, leather, our ancestors |
