Meryan Cueros de Córdoba - Leather techniques

Leather techniques

LEATHER WORKING TECHNIQUES

The techniques and tools used today are essentially the same as those used in the past, although, of course, they have in part been renewed as time has passed and the demand has modified the ornamental purpose, tastes and the coast of materials and labour.

First of all, it is essential to make a design on paper with which the artist gives form to the model to be made. Making this drawing is the most important and difficult part of the work to be done. Next , the design is traced onto onion-skin paper and this, in turn, is placed on the grain side of the leather which has been dampened with a sponge and water. The next step is the tracing, using a graver or tracer, while keeping the skin wet because of the property this has of registering all kinds of marks when wet, marks which remain when the skin dries.

Once the tracing has been done the real leather working can begin - on the wet leather and using the desired technique . We will now mention a few of these techniques briefly.

INCISION :
This is achieved by using an incisor or knife to cut a shallow groove, which can be opened at will later.

MODELLING :

This is relief work which is achieved by pressing the leather on the grain side with a spatula and although the surface of the leather is not raised, planes of slightly different depths are produced.

EMBOSSING :

This is the most common and well-known leather-working technique. It comprises making relief-work which is higher than the thickness of the leather. This has to be worked not only on the grain side but also on the underside , embossing pressing upwards with the ball-embosser until the desired relief is obtained.

GOPHERING :

This is really form of design common to various techniques, used as a complement to the principal method of working, but not as a technique in itself. It is executed with iron punchers which have small geometrical designs engraved on one face, in relief or cut, which when hit from the other side leave a shallow mark enhacing certain smooth surfaces.

MOSAIC:

This is a form of decoration made with small fragments of skins , of different shapes, quality and colours, used to give the desired shape to the proposed design, usually by juxtaposition the classical method of Roman mosaic.

COLOURING :

As the skins are of light tones , they are usually coloured to make them more decorative, either in monochrome or in polichrome with several dyes which heighten their beauty. There are obtained from chemical substances such as iron sulphate,potash caustic soda picric acid , or walnut-stain anilines and the most up-to dates alcohol dyes specially for leather.Oil paints are also used.

METALIZATION :

The principal characteristic and beauty of the embossed leathers is the metalization of the surface, once it has been worked , with silver or gold leaf which adhere to the grain indelibly by a special mixture. This must be at a desiccative point called " biting " for which we have to wait a certain number or hours depending on the case. After that the burnishing is done and colours are applied with varnish, oil or wax on the metalized surface, to obtain the final gloss.

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