There are various terminologies in leatherwork. The leather artist must understand these terms. He must perfectly know their meanings so that he can be a chief or exponent in the field. Some of these terms in leatherwork are discussed.
Appliqué is a decorative technique in leatherwork whereby a cut out design is glued to the surface of the leather and sewn around it. Antique is a decorative treatment given to leather. It involves the giving of the leather a mellowed effect for it to look like an ancient piece.
Bakometer is a hydrometer used for determining the specific gravity of tanning solutions. Bazaar is the selling of a wide range of products in leatherwork in a shop or store. Burnishing is a finishing technique in leatherwork that involves the making of the surface of the leather shiny by means of rubbing its surface with a smooth instrument such as a bottle, the disc of a spoon, etc. Blushing is the dulling or mottling of the finish of the leather resulting from condensed moisture during drying of the finish.
Channel is a slanting cut made around the edge of an outsole or insole to provide a groove for the stitching and to keep the line of the thread below the surface of the leather. Checking is the separation of leather or composition heel lifts from each other. Crop is a side with the belly trimmed off. Crocking is the transfer of finish or colour when leather is rubbed with a wet or dry cloth. Currying is a process of treating tanned hides with oils and greases to prepare them for a belting sole, harness leather etc.
Dyeing is a decorative technique of applying a liquid colouring agent to the leather material in a decorative manner to create pleasing effects on the leather. Dubbing/Dubbin is a mixture of oils and fats for stuffing leather.
Embossing is the creation of raised patterns on leather as a decorative effect. It can be done either by heating the surface of the leather with a stamping tool or by laying a cut out hardboard design and laying the leather on it. Exhibition is a public display of products in order to attract viewers and buyers. Eyelet is an annular ring of metal or other material inserted in leather to provide a durable ring for lacing.
Goring is a woven fabric with rubber threads forming an elastic material. It is used as an insert in footwear. Incision is a decorative technique involves reducing the thickness of the leather around a marked out design on a leather material by chipping away or cutting off, the same as with wood or other materials. In-laying is a decorative technique involves the cutting out of a drawn design (i.e. positive areas) and placing a new coloured leather piece under the cutout design thus, in-laying. The in-laid leather piece is maintained in position either by stitching, sewing or gluing. Lacing- This is the fastening together of a leather piece with a lace (a decorative open work that employs thread.)
Marbling is a decorative technique whereby a piece of leather is crumpled and dyes are sprinkled on it to create decorative patterns. Plaiting technique involves the braiding of strips of leather to join pieces together. Quirk- A small triangular piece of leather used between the fingers of a glove.
Scorching technique is applied on leather by first sketching or tracing patterns, motifs, drawings etc. on leather then a metal rod or soldering rod is heated and in the hot state used to burn along the lines traced onto the leather. Score is a cut made by a flaying knife on the flesh side during removal of the skin from the carcass. Scudding- The removal of scud from unhaired hides by scrapping with a blade either by hand or machine.
Slat is a dried, untanned sheepskins with little or no wool. Slunk is the skin of an unborn or prematurely born animal especially a calf. Skiver is the grain split of a sheepskin used for hat sweatbands and small leather goods. Shank refers to the part of the shoe that comes under and supports the arch of the foot. Suede- Leather finished by buffing with an emery wheel to produce a napped surface.
Stamping- This is the creation of designs onto the leather material using heated stamps of varying designs.
Stuffing is the process of incorporating grease in leather by drumming the wet leather with warm, molten grease and oils. Tooling is a decorative technique involves the creation of finely outlined patterns on a leather item. The leather material is moisture or made damp. The outlined pattern is created with pencil onto the leather item. A round sharp-edged tool which can be heated is made to go through the outlines to create the pattern on the leather item. Vamp is the lower part of a shoe upper that is attached to the sole or welting. Veal is a large calfskin almost as large as a kip. Waxing is the application of wax on leather as a form of polish or finish. It can also be applied to threads to strengthen them before they are used for sewing. Weaving is creating an interlaced design or pattern with different coloured strips of leather on a leather item.
