Upper Leather.—The finishing of upper leather, box calf, wil low calf, etc., consists of staking which is performed by a machine which forcibly drags the skin over the edge of blunted knife blades, to impart the necessary softness. After staking, the skins are fluffed or buffed on the flesh side by a buffing machine, a rapidly rotating emery-covered cylinder imparting a suede or pile finish to the flesh side. The necessary polish is imparted by first applying a "seasoning" m'.xture consisting usually of a weak solution of albumen or casein mixed with milk for the purpose of limiting the liability of damage by friction, and a little dissolved dyestuff for the purpose of enhancing the colour. The leather is then friction-glazed by a machine, a glass cylinder being rapidly rubbed over the surface under heavy pressure, thus imparting a high polish.
The box or willow grain is produced either by hand or ma chine. The skin is doubled, grain side inside, and then pressure is applied to the doubled portion in the required directions either by hand with a cork covered board or by rotating cork covered rollers, so as to make the natural grain take a defined form. Skins of this type are often finally smoothed by placing the grain surface of the skins in pressure contact with a polished plate.
Moroccos.—Goatskins for moroccos are usually grained by hand after glazing on a special type of glazing machine. For the best leather this is done, whilst the skin is wet, by hand with a cork covered hand graining tool, working the skin in five or more directions until the natural grain has been raised in a rounded or "birds-eye" form. The grain is fixed by drying the goods at a high temperature. The goods are re-glazed and re grained if a high polish is required. Sheepskins required for linings and leathers demanding a smooth finish are given a light rolling on a pendulum rolling machine.
Suede Leathers.—The suede or pile required is attained by "wheeling." This consists in applying the flesh side of the skin to the surface of a rapidly rotating emery or carborundum cov ered cylinder, which grinds the flesh fibres to a fine pile.
Embossed Leathers.—A very large quantity of leather is em bossed with an artificial grain in simulation of more expensive skins. The embossing is done by passing skins through machines possessing an engraved roller or electrotype plate, on which has been reproduced an intaglio of the kind of grain required.