The Leather Finishing Process – Stage One

Ever wondered how the leather for your Leather Chesterfield Sofa gets treated? Well, let’s get technical now!

Before your Chesterfield Sofa can be covered, the leather has to be ‘finished’. There are three stages to this. Here is the first stage – known as “Rawhide”. (Put all thoughts of country and westerns, cowboys boots and whips to one side for a minute!!)

This is the term used basically for raw leather, once it has been removed from the carcass of the animal and cured.

Fat and flesh deposits are removed from the hide after the leather has been taken to the tannery. This process is actually called the beam house process. It got it’s name, as traditionally the fat and flesh deposits were removed by laying the hide over an oak beam and then scraped off with a sharp knife. However, this process is now performed mainly by machine, as it is more precise and a lot quicker.

The next step is called liming. The hide is placed in a large drum and spun with a lime or calcium carbonate solution. This makes the hair and any other deposits soluble which can then be washed away. The excess lime is then removed and the hide is treated with enzymes to remove any final proteins.

Keep your eyes peeled for Stage Two!

You’ll look at your new Chesterfield Sofa in a whole new light.