ISO/PRF 23974-3

• Abstract:

  This draft standard prescribes guidelines for grading raw red hair skins on the basis of their mass and size.

• Status: Not Published
• ICS: 59.140.20 - Raw skins, hides and pelts
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 120/SC 1 - Raw hides and skins, including pickled pelts
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 120/SC 1 - Raw hides and skins, including pickled pelts
• Current Stage: 5020 - FDIS ballot initiated: 2 months. Proof sent to secretariat
• Start Date: 22-Sep-2026
• Completion Date: 26-Sep-2026

Overview

ISO/PRF 23974-3 is an ISO draft standard for leather and raw hides and skins, focused on red hair sheep skins. It provides guidelines for grading raw red hair skins based on mass and size, helping support more consistent classification across the leather supply chain.

This standard is useful for organizations involved in raw skin handling, inspection, purchasing, and quality control. By using a shared grading approach, producers and buyers can improve comparability, transparency, and market consistency when dealing with red hair sheep skins.

The document is part of the ISO 23974 series prepared by ISO/TC 120/SC 1, which covers raw hides and skins, including pickled pelts.

Key Topics

The standard addresses practical grading methods for raw red hair sheep skins, with attention to both presentation and measurement.

• Scope of grading

  • Applies to raw red hair sheep skins
  • Focuses on grading by size and mass

• Presentation requirements

  • Head cut straight behind the ears
  • Shanks cut at right angles above the knee and hock
  • Tail cut not more than 40 mm from the butt

• Size-based grading

  • Length measured along the backbone line
  • Width measured at right angles to the backbone line
  • Area determined from length and width
  • Typical categories include extra small, small, medium, large, and extra-large

• Mass-based grading

  • Covers wet salted, dry salted, and sun-dried skins
  • Requires weighing to a defined level of precision
  • Supports classification into the same general grading bands by mass

This makes ISO 23974-3 grading guidelines relevant to organizations that need a clear and repeatable approach to skin sorting and valuation.

Applications

ISO/PRF 23974-3 has practical value across the leather and hide industries, especially where raw red hair sheep skins are collected, traded, or processed.

Common applications include:

• Procurement and purchasing

  • Helps buyers compare lots using standardized mass and size categories

• Quality control

  • Supports consistent acceptance and sorting procedures

• Raw material valuation

  • Assists in pricing decisions based on measurable characteristics

• Trade and logistics

  • Improves communication between suppliers, processors, and exporters

• Processing operations

  • Provides a common reference for pre-tanning classification and handling

For businesses seeking leather grading standards and ISO skin classification guidance, this document offers a practical framework for routine operations.

Related Standards

This document belongs to the ISO 23974 series on red hair sheep skins. Related parts in the series may address other aspects of the same material category.

Also relevant are ISO references and resources used in standardization:

• ISO/TC 120 - Leather
• ISO/TC 120/SC 1 - Raw hides and skins, including pickled pelts
• ISO Online Browsing Platform
• ISO/IEC Directives for standards development

For organizations working with raw red hair sheep skins, mass grading, and size grading, ISO/PRF 23974-3 provides a structured and market-relevant reference for consistent classification.

International
Standard
ISO 23974-3
First edition
Leather — Red hair sheep skins —
Part 3:
Guidelines for grading on the basis
of mass and size
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
Reference number
ISO 23974-3:2026(en) © ISO 2026

ISO 23974-3:2026(en)
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
ii
ISO 23974-3:2026(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Presentation . 1
5 Grading . 2
5.1 Grading on the basis of size, measurement of length and area .2
5.2 Grading on the basis of mass, determination of mass .2
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
iii
ISO 23974-3:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of
...

Formatted: Spanish (Uruguay)
ISO/DISPRF 23974-3
Formatted: Spanish (Uruguay)
ISO/TC 120/SC 1
Secretariat: BIS
Date: 2026-05-1809-09
Leather — Red hair sheep skins —
Part 3:
Guidelines for grading on the basis of mass and size
DIS stage
PROOF
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ISO/DISPRF 23974-3:2026(en)
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication
may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO
at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: + 41 22 749 01 11
Formatted: French (Switzerland)
E-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO/DISPRF 23974-3:2026(en)
Contents
Foreword . iii
Scope . iii
Normative references . iii
Terms and definitions . iii
Presentation . iii
Grading . iii
Grading on the basis of size . iii
Grading on the basis of mass . iii
Foreword . iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Presentation . 1
5 Grading . 2
5.1 Grading on the basis of size, measurement of length and area . 2
5.2 Grading on the basis of mass, determination of mass . 2

iii
ISO/DISPRF 23974-3:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of
ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights
in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a) patent(s)
which may be required to impl
...