The History of Leather Production

Derived from the skins of animals and a byproduct of animals slaughtered for meat, the origins of leather can be traced back thousands of years. In fact, archaeologists and anthropologists speculate that hides were used far earlier than remains suggest. Sophisticated tools, purpose made for scraping, cleaning and cutting hides have been discovered, indicating a dexterity which precedes physical remains of early clothing, shoes and accessories that are scarce due to the fallible nature of organic textiles. 

Understanding the uses of leather is intrinsic to understanding the evolution of the production of leather. Humans have adapted over hundreds of thousands of years to survive in adverse conditions, and the manufacture of clothing was one borne of necessity initially. However, modern leather use is less about protection from the elements and more about culture, style and status, yet it remains popular and highly valued for its exceptional natural properties. 

Let’s take a closer look at how textiles derived from animal skins have developed over time into the leather production practised today. 

Prehistoric Leather Production

The Pleistocene Epoch is the period of time that lasted from approximately 2.48 million to 11,700 years ago, also known as the Ice Age, which overlaps with the Stone Age. It is during this period that humans first developed tools and is when the earliest evidence of leather production can be traced back to. Clothing decomposes after a relatively short amount of time, so discoveries of early textiles are rare. However, dozens of bone tools have been found in a cave in Morocco that bear remarkable resemblance to the modern day tools still used for processing hides now. This gives a strong indication that hides were processed for use in daily life during this period.

Dozens of bone tools found in Contrebandiers Cave on Morocco’s Atlantic coast closely resemble modern hide-processing tools and date back 90,000 to 120,000 years, suggesting that animal hides were being worked even earlier. Pierced shells found alongside them hint at early forms of adornment or symbolic behaviour. 

These findings led scientists to conclude that not only was clothing being made from hides as long ago as this, but that it was not just protection that early humans sought. Style and aesthetic were important too. An article in the Smithsonian Magazine connects these early leather working tools to the onset of lowering global temperatures and the need for humans to protect their bodies from the elements, even in the relatively mild climate of Morocco. 

It is believed that leather was used for clothing, shoes, accessories, shelter and tools from before this time. Initially, hides were dried using heat to make them harder for use as shoes or softened with animal fat and brain matter to make them more supple for clothing. Smoking, salting, and curing were among the earliest methods used to preserve hides, making them more durable and marking the beginnings of leather tanning.

Ancient Leather Production

By around 2,000 BCE leather was being used across ancient civilisations as sandals, belts, chariot wheels, bags, furniture, furnishings, book bindings and armour. Tanning had evolved by then too, with vegetable tanning widely used to preserve hides. Vegetable tanning with bark, plant and oil extracts softened the hides, making them suitable for a wide range of uses. Leather continued to be a popular material, valued for its flexibility, strength, appearance and availability. 

The Roman Empire, world leaders at the time in innovation, decked their soldiers out in armour made from leather, while the ancient Greeks predominantly used it for sandals and bags. Though it is suspected that the Romans were responsible for introducing vegetable tanning, the ancient Egyptians led the way making animal skins durable using oil tanning. 

First, they cured it by drying it out in the sun to stop it from decomposing. After this the skin was rehydrated in water and then soaked in lime to loosen the hair. This was then rinsed and the hair scraped off. Finally, the skin was shaved to make it thinner and stretched to dry out once more. This prepared the rawhide for oil tanning, making it more supple, weather resistant, and durable.

Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa the leather remains that have been discovered display intricate decorations using dyes, appliqué, different hides sewn together and a variety of threads. Examples of leather displaying these have been found decorating tombs from Ancient Egypt and chariots from Ancient Rome, as well as armour, bags and clothing. 

Medieval Leather Production

It was during the Middle Ages, from the 5^th to 15^th centuries, that leather manufacture became an essential industry with leather widely used in daily life across Europe and the Islamic world. Tanneries could be found outside of most large towns where guilds were formed to help tanners and leatherworkers formalise the industry and promote safe production, apprenticeships and shared skills. Oil and vegetable tanning were still widely used but alum was also introduced in tawing – a method of tanning using aluminium salts to preserve raw hides, similar to pickling. 

It was around the 14^th century that leather production in Medieval Europe became more specialised with emerging professions including white, red, fur and chamois tanners. Each specialism involved unique techniques that resulted in hides of different colours, textures and properties. Similarly, leatherworkers began to specialise as cobblers, book binders, saddlers and glovers, although general leatherworkers also remained. 

The odorous materials used in medieval tanneries, such as urine and dung, coupled with the decaying waste scraped from the hides, made them smelly and potentially dangerous places to work, and those who worked as tanners were not only exposed to contracting illnesses from decaying hides and fumes, but their industry was viewed as an unclean one and was infinitely less popular than leatherworking, despite being equally important. 

Leather continued to be used in daily life for a wide range of applications from functional items such as saddles, clothing, accessories and equipment to more decorative items such as ecclesiastic artefacts and ornate book bindings. 

The Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution, which began during the late 17^th century, saw the rise of mechanical and chemical innovations. Significantly, the invention of chrome tanning occurred around 1858 which enabled tanners to produce leather that was softer, thinner and more water resistant in a much shorter amount of time. Chromium tanning drastically reduced the processing time for hides, paving the way for the mass production of leather that continues to this day. 

Alongside this, machines were developed to automate much of the manufacturing process. Large machines required large warehouses, and the leather industry morphed from small artisan producers outside of towns to factories and industrial estates where leather could be processed in vast quantities to cater to the masses. 

This transformation from small to industrial scale production inevitably brought with it more waste, although the environmental impact of mass produced leather was largely ignored in favour of more affordable leather products.

Leather Production Today

At one time, there were approximately 90 small, independent tanneries in Cumbria alone. By 1910 this number was reduced to 10. Large-scale industrial tanning replaced the local, artisanal tanners found around most large towns in Cumbria and today there are none left in our northern county. The last tannery standing is Rusland Tannery which is cared for by the Lake District National Park Authority. Rusland hasn’t processed hides in a hundred years but the structures remain, reminding us of a once-thriving industry here in Cumbria. 

Today, most leather comes from mass production with the rise of fast fashion continuing to fuel demand for affordable leather products. Liming, dehairing, fleshing and splitting, tanning, dyeing, drying and finishing are all processes carried out using automated machines using advanced digital and chemical processing. 

Synthetic and chrome tanning have cut hide processing time from months to days, but they carry a much greater environmental cost than traditional vegetable or oil tanning. The impact of the leather working industry remains wasteful and disposing of chemical, liquid and solid waste continues to be a concern for environmentalists. 

Sustainable Leather Production

There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. Some small artisan leatherworkers draw on the ancient practices of oil and vegetable tanning. Consumers are more environmentally aware and there is an increasing demand for more eco-friendly alternatives. As the industry shifts towards a more sustainable future, leather manufacturers are looking for more environmentally friendly ways of processing waste, using less water and moving away from harmful chemical use.

Close to our hearts at Parnassus Leather is the value found in knowing where our hides have come from, the high welfare life our cows have lived before slaughter and how and where their hides are processed before we turn them into exquisite hand-crafted leather items. Ethically sourced leather from regeneratively farmed cows is a revival of the methods our early ancestors used. Small batch production, low in waste and transparent in journey from live animal to final product, is reminiscent of early humans and takes a much lower toll on the planet than mass production, automation and chemical processing. 

The Future of Leather Production

For the leather industry to evolve, it needs to look to these ancient principles. Transparency and traceability help consumers understand the environmental impact of a product’s manufacturing process, encouraging more conscious purchasing decisions. Parnassus, leading by example, traces our leather’s journey from beginning to end. When you buy leather goods from us you know exactly where it’s been and how it has been treated.

In addition to this, the sustainability credentials of the leather industry need to improve. From reducing the amount of water usage, chemicals and waste produced to monitoring animal welfare, the industry as a whole needs to take steps to becoming greener to adapt and survive. Some headway has been made already with a move away from chrome tanning and more effective waste management solutions being adopted, but there is still a way to go.

Synthetic, manmade and vegan leather predominately contain petrochemicals and plastics which are not kind to the planet and should not be seen as alternatives to real leather made from cow hides. Whilst there is a perception that cattle farming is damaging to the environment, in truth, farms that practice regenerative farming give back more than they take. Leather produced from cows reared in this way is far more sustainable than any other kind and at Parnassus we pride ourselves on the credentials of our products. 

There are lessons to be learned from ancient leather producing techniques and we’re working hard to do just that.