12 Amazing Facts About Leather

We all know some facts about leather. Like it's made from animal hides, it has a particularly nice smell and its super easy to clean. But there are also other facts we usually don't know because, even though its part of how the industry works, it's not really common knowledge. So, we are changing that today and we're going to tell you all this "secrets not so secrets" about leather.

Here are some amazing facts:

• An average consumer can be found to be using at least 4 leather products at a time. These products may include a pair of shoes, belts, wallets and even the leather strap of a wristwatch.

• Leather industry is a Billion Dollar industry and is slated to reach revenue of $91.2 billion by 2018. And a major chunk of this revenue is going to be from leather footwear.
• Leather is a by-product of the cattle and dairy industry. Its value is only around 5% - 10% of the total value of the animal.
• Romans widely used leather sails on their boats. They also used it for home furniture, shoes, and armor. And around 1000 BC fashionable Egyptian women wore leather as a luxury fabric.

• Leather shoes were assigned left and right only in 1818. Until then, they could be worn on any feet. They had no worries about wearing the wrong shoe on the wrong foot.
• Goatskin leather was traditionally used to make maps and pigskins were used to carry around water. Obviously, as there were no water bottles during that era.
• In the Victorian Age, it was a commonplace practice to take one's homemade leather mugs to the local pub for a drink. Talk about keeping it hygienic.

• Leather processing was a necessity that followed the meat and dairy industry. If not for it, the world would be looking at a huge disposal problem.
• Leather is measured in ounces per square feet. The amount of weight per square feet determines the thickness and quality of the leather. For instance, if a square foot of leather measures 3 ounces, its thickness would be around 1/8th of an inch. Sometimes, fun facts include some math!
• Cowhide is the most commonly used hide for the production of leather due to its ease of care and wide variation in weights from 1 -12 ounces.

• There is such a thing called as exotic leather which is usually made from the skin of alligator, deer or ostrich and sometimes even snakes. One of the most exotic leathers is the Stingray leather from Thailand.
• Colored Leather is fun. And white leather is the most difficult to make as not all hides can absorb the white dye without giving it a cracked look. Only high-quality hides can absorb the white dye and look natural.