10 Facts About Leather You Didn’t Know!

1. The Leather Industry Has an Annual Revenue of Over $53 Billion

Due to the material’s popularity and impressive durability, its no surprise than the leather industry generates an annual revenue of more than $53 billion. This is surprisingly higher than the revenues of coffee, tea, rice, rubber, cotton and sugar combined. Leather shoes take the top spot for generating 60% of the revenue.

2. Top Grain Leather is Not The Highest Quality of Leather

Due to it’s name, people often confuse top grain leather with being the most genuine and highest quality leather you can buy when in fact, full grain is considered the highest quality leather available on the market.

3. Leather Was Once Used as Wallpaper

Back in the 17th century, it was all the fashion to have your house wallpapered with leather in places such as Florence and Venice in Italy.

4. The Average Person is Wearing Four Pieces of Leather

On a normal day, the average person is supposedly wearing about four items of leather. This could be shoes, belts, jackets, watch straps, wallets, purses or items of clothing. Four items seems like a lot to be wearing at one time when you first read it but you’d be surprised at how many leather items you’re probably wearing right now.

5. You Can Get Salmon Leather

This is one you’ve probably never heard before but you can actually buy leather which comes from the skin of a salmon. It’s not salmon coloured but is extremely durable and has a unique look, so has become very popular in Iceland and Norway although it is not particularly well known in the UK or US at the moment.

6. Leather Has Been Popular Since 3000BC

Popular leather products actually date all the way back to 3000 BC when the Romans used leather sails on their boats. Leather was also used for furniture, tents and weapons. It began to be used more for fashion purposes around 1000 years later when it started to be worn by Egyptian women.

7. White Leather is The Most Difficult to Produce

White dye can only be used with the best top quality hides. When it is used on poor quality hides, the leather becomes very hard and at risk of cracking making white leather very difficult to produce.

8. Leather Changes its Texture Based on The Environment

As leather contains pores, it changes in texture and appearance depending on what environment it is in. In a fairly humid environment, leather becomes softer as it soaks up the moisture that’s in the air so therefore, a dry environment makes the leather much tougher. So it’s always a good idea to keep your leather items in a suitable environment.

9. The Leather Business in Italy is Renowned All Over The World

Leather is the second most important source of revenue for Italy after machinery and equipment. Italy is second in world exports of clothing and leather goods after giant exporter China.

10. Cowhide is The Most Popular Choice For Leather Production

Out of all the skins available, cowhide is the most widely used of all. This is thought to be due to the fact that it is very easy to take care of as well being as the thickest usually weighing in at between 1 and 12 ounces.