ISO/FDIS 15115

Leather - Vocabulary

ISO 15115:2007 defines terms used in the leather industry.

Cuir — Vocabulaire

General Information

• Status: Withdrawn
• ICS: 01.040.59 - Textile and leather technology (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 59.140.01 - Leather technology in general
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 120 - Leather
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 120/WG 1 - Terminology
• Current Stage: 5098 - Project deleted
• Start Date: 06-Nov-2013
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Relations

• Consolidated By: ISO 5395-2:2013/Amd 1:2016 - Garden equipment - Safety requirements for combustion-engine-powered lawnmowers - Part 2: Pedestrian-controlled lawnmowers - Amendment 1: OPC, cutting means, pressurized hoses
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022

Standards Content (Sample)

FINAL
INTERNATIONAL ISO/FDIS
DRAFT
STANDARD 15115
ISO/TC 120
Secretariat: BIS
Leather — Vocabulary
Voting begins on:
2007-06-11
Cuir — Vocabulaire
Voting terminates on:
2007-08-11
Please see the administrative notes on page iii
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO
SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION
OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH
THEY ARE AWARE AND TO PROVIDE SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
Reference number
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO-
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES,
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON
OCCASION HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE
LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL TO BECOME STAN-
DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
©
NATIONAL REGULATIONS. ISO 2007

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ii © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

In accordance with the provisions of Council Resolution 15/1993, this document is circulated in the
English language only.
Contents Page
Foreword.v
Scope.1
Vocabulary.1
Annex A (informative) German terms used in the leather industry.102
Annex B (informative) Other terms .105
Annex C (informative) Figures.107
Alphabetical index.112

iv © ISO 20## – All rights reserved

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
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International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 15115 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 120, Leather.

FINAL DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/FDIS 15115:2007(E)

Leather — Vocabulary
Scope
This International Standard defines terms used in the leather industry.
Vocabulary
The terms are listed alphabetically in English with definitions. Terms used only in North America are identified
by “CA US” following the term.
NOTE Some foreign terms which are universally used in the industry are listed in Annexes A and B.
abrasion resistance
reciprocal of the loss in thickness of leather after a definite amount of abrasive action on the leather
NOTE This is an important property of sole leather.
acid bate
bate that can be used in the pH range of 3 to 5; active even at 20 °C
NOTE Acid bate smoothes the grain. It is less drastic than alkaline bate and can also be used on chromed stock, after
an acid wash, to remove the free chrome in the leather.
acid-salt ratio
ratio of acid to salt which controls the temper of tanning in vegetable tannage
NOTE Acid brings about fixation of vegetable tannins and salt suppresses the swelling caused by the acid.
acid soaking
soaking with the addition of acid to accelerate the process in respect of hides and skins cured by drying
acrylic syntan
essentially a polymer of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid with a small amount of an agent like sodium alginate
incorporated into the polymer
activated sludge process
biological wastewater treatment process in which a mixture of wastewater and activated sludge is agitated and
aerated; the activated sludge is subsequently separated from the treated wastewater by sedimentation or
returned to the process as need be
airless spray
spraying with hydraulic pressure instead of compressed air
albumin
kind of simple corpuscular protein containing sulfur, coagulable by heat and soluble in water
EXAMPLE Egg albumin is also known as egg white.
aldehyde leather
washable leather, which in its natural state is white, prepared usually from sheep or lamb skin splits or
degrains and tanned with formaldehyde
NOTE In France, this leather is also produced from other types of raw material (e.g. cattle hides).
alder
tannin-bearing tree grown in Balkan countries and Turkey
NOTE 1 Tannins occur in alder barks and fruit to the extent of 9 % to 16 %.
NOTE 2 The Latin name is Alnus glutinosa.
algarobilla
tannin-bearing tree grown in Central America and the West Indies
NOTE 1 Fruits/pods of this tree contain hydrolysable (gallo) tannins to the extent of 45 % to 50 %.
NOTE 2 The Latin name is Caesalpinia brevifolia.
alkaline bating
bating with either pancreatic or microbial enzymes, which are active in the alkaline range, usually pH 8 to 8,5
alligator
leather made from the skins of all aquatic species with a grain similar to the American alligator
alligator-grained leather
leather of various types, such as calf, sheep or cattle hide embossed to resemble the grain of alligator hide
2 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

alum-dressed leather
alum-tanned leather
leather prepared solely with a mixture of which the essential active ingredient is an aluminium salt, often, but
not necessarily, alum-egg yolk and flour
NOTE The natural colour of the leather is white.
cf. alum tawing (18)
alum retan
leather made by retanning with an aluminium tanning agent
cf. chrome retan (144)
aluminium tanning
tanning with basic aluminium sulfate stabilized with a masking agent like citrate and basifying to pH 4,2 which
completes the tanning
alum tawing
preparing leather using a mixture as described under alum-tanned leathers
ammunition leather
vegetable-, chrome- and combination-tanned leather curried and finished for making military boots
cf. army grain (33), russet leather (633)
amphoteric syntan
synthetic organic tanning agent possessing both basic and acid
NOTE The products are produced from aliphatic amines condensed with novolacks using Mannich reaction in organic
solvents or through condensation of polyhydroxyphenols with aldehydes and bases or by other methods. These are
soluble in water even though there are no sulfonic groups and are amphoteric in character.
angle of weave
general orientation of the hide fibres with the grain layer, making an angle that varies from the vertical to the
horizontal weave
angular spray
spraying of finishes at different angles to produce a two-tone effect; also known as Shadow spray
aniline dyed
leather that has been through-dyed by immersion in a dye bath and has not received any coating of
pigmented finish
cf. semi-aniline finished (669)
NOTE In Germany, the term is also applied to leather, which has been surface aniline dyed only by spraying or other
means.
aniline dyes
dyes synthesized from different chemicals and/or coal-tar products
NOTE These dyes are also known as synthetic dyes.
aniline finished
natural or dyed leather finished by application of transparent surface coating, clear or coloured with dye
aniline stained
leather that has been stained by brushing, padding or spraying and has not received any coating of pigmented
finish
NOTE In Germany, there is no differentiation between “dyeing” and “staining”.
antelope
fine, soft leather with a velvety, lustrous nap, made from antelope or gazelle skin sueded on the flesh side or
sometimes, in the case of antelope, frized on the grain side
NOTE 1 In the shoe and handbag trades, antelope is sometimes used to describe a suede-dyed-finished Russian
reindeer sueded on the frized grain side.
NOTE 2 In Germany, the term is often applied incorrectly to suede leather. In Holland, the term is applied to similar
leather made from goat or sheep skin. In Italy, this term is applied incorrectly to a chamois-dressed skin having the
properties mentioned above.
antique effect
antique look
leather with an old and worn-out look
NOTE 1 The word “antique” literally means old.
NOTE 2 The antique effect is in the general category of “contrast colours”.
antique grain
surface pattern of markings or creases, usually irregular, in which the hollows or valleys are given a
contrasting colour to produce a two-tone or two-colour effect
NOTE The creases are produced by embossing, boarding or other similar means.
4 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

apparent density of leather
mass per unit overall volume of the leathers
NOTE The overall volume ignores the volume of the pores in the leather and is calculated from the outer dimensions
only.
apron leathers
any one of several varieties of leather used in connection with textile machinery and blacksmith aprons
NOTE Comber and Gill Box apron leather is a soft, mellow, tough leather, tanned from steer hides, heavily stuffed and
boarded or otherwise softened, while Rub Roll apron leather is a flexible but firm, dry, strong leather.
aqueous finishes
finishes dispersed in water medium
army grain
embossed grained leather used for military leather goods
cf. ammunition leather (19), russet leather (633)
avaram
tannin-bearing tree grown in South India, which produces a condensed type of tannin
NOTE 1 The bark of this tree contains 12 % to 17 % tannins; largely used in East India tannage of hides and skins.
NOTE 2 The Latin name is Cassia auriculata.
babul
tannin-bearing tree which grows in India, the Arabian peninsula, Sudan, Nigeria and many other West African
countries
NOTE 1 Babul barks contain 12 % tannins and pods contain 18 % to 20 % condensed tannins.
NOTE 2 The Latin name is Acacia arabica.
baby calf
calf skin leather made from small, lightweight skins with a smooth or finely boarded grain surface, free from
any artificial surface pattern
NOTE The finish is more or less glossy and is produced by glazing, ironing or plating.
back
〈raw〉 main portion of the hide, obtained by cutting off the two bellies
See Figure C.1 a).
NOTE In North America, a back is a half cattle hide (or side) after the removal of the head and belly (see Figure C.1 b).
cf. halfback (349)
back
〈leather〉 leather made from the back (37)
bag hide
flexible leather generally embossed with a grain pattern, goat grain being the most usual; made from cattle
hide, usually vegetable-tanned, split to a suitable thickness and sometimes hand or machine boarded
NOTE In Holland and Spain, this leather may also be semi-chrome tanned.
bag leather
leather used in travelling bags and suitcases
NOTE It does not include the light leathers employed for women’s fancy handbags. The staple material for bag and case
leather at present is leather made from the hides of animals of the bovine species, but heavy seal skins and goat skins are
also used.
bag tanning
vegetable tanning of unhaired and fleshed hides and skins after stitching them in the form of bags, filled with a
slurry of vegetable tanning material in a vegetable tannin liquor
NOTE This was one of the early methods for carrying out tannage and was mainly used for Morocco leather production.
bark-tanned leather
leather vegetable-tanned mainly by means of the tannins contained in the barks of trees, the hides and skins
in process coming in contact with the raw bark
NOTE However, modern tanning would usually employ tanning “extracts” from bark.
barkometer
hydrometer used for determining the specific gravity of tannin solutions
NOTE A specific gravity of 1 000 is equivalent to 0 degrees barkometer (°BK) and each additional degree BK is
equivalent to an increase of 0,001 in specific gravity.
baseball leather
leather used for covers of baseballs
NOTE The better grades of balls have covers of alum-tanned horse hide. Some cheaper grades are made of kip and
sheep skins.
6 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

basic dyes
coloured compounds which on dissolution form coloured cations (positively charged ions)
EXAMPLE Triphenyl methane dyes.
basicity
percentage basicity
Freiberg basicity
Lehigh basicity
Schorlemmer's basicity
number of hydroxyl groups borne by a chromium unit as a percentage fraction of the same present in chromic
hydroxide
basification
treating the mineral-tanned stock with a mild alkali-like sodium bicarbonate with a view to form large
aggregate of metallic compounds by
— putting in additional OH groups onto the metal complex so that linear polymerization of the metal complex
takes place through olation, and
— forming additional ionized carboxyls groups needed to complex with the tanning metal
basil
unsplit pelt, usually of a wooled sheep skin, vegetable-tanned
NOTE In Germany, the term is not only applied to rough tanned sheep leather, but is also used as a description of origin
in the case of the wooled sheep skin. In the U.K., this leather is sometimes called “full sheep”.
bastard
skin from a cross breed of goat and sheep which has hair instead of wool
bate
enzymes mixed with an inert carrier and with or without a deliming agent; used to remove unwanted
constituents of hides and skins in order to make the grain smooth and the leather softer
batik effect
dye designs made by dyes diffusing through the cracks on a fabric coated with a sizing material (i.e. materials
which can be removed later on by washing starch or wax)
NOTE Cracking can be brought about in a variety of ways such as staking, dry milling, embossing, etc.
bating
removal of unwanted interfibrillary proteins, by treating the limed hides and skins with enzymes, to obtain soft
and pliable hide or skin with a silky and smooth grain surface
Baume scale
calibration scale (for liquids, especially acids) that is reducible to specific gravity by the following formulae
— for liquids heavier than water, specific gravity = 145/(145 − n) at 15 °C (60 °F);
— for liquids lighter than water, specific gravity = 140/(130 + n) at 15 °C (60 °F)
where n is the reading on the Baume scale abbreviated as °Be
NOTE 1 °Be = 6,9 °BK.
beam
convex wooden slab sloping downward from about waist height over which a hide is placed for unhairing,
trimming off excess flesh and ragged edges and for scudding by hand knife
beam house
first department of tannery in which raw stock is soaked, limed, unhaired, fleshed, bated and in short
subjected to all sorts of purification and conditioning processes preparatory to tanning
NOTE The name is derived from the wooden beams over which the hides and skins were placed for these operations in
earlier traditional tanning practices.
beam house operations
soaking, liming, unhairing, fleshing, deliming, scudding, bating and pickling
beaver lamb
sheep or lamb skin with short fine wool, which has been dressed with the wool on, dyed and finished by a
process giving a weather-resistant straightness and brightness to the wool lustered by ironing with
formaldehyde on a rotary iron
cf. shearling (685)
bellows hide
curried, flexible and air-proof leather made from split hide
bellows leather
leather which is either lightproof or airproof for fire, organ camera bellows, etc.
NOTE Some countries distinguish between lightproof and airproof types; others have the same term.
belly
〈raw〉 that part of the hide covering the underside and the upper part of the legs of the animal
See Figure C.3.
8 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

belly
〈leather〉 leather made from the belly (60)
belly grain
tanned outer (hair or grain) layer split from a belly
belly middle
middle part of a cattle hide belly
belt leather
leather used for waist belts
belting butt
butt portion of selected cattle hide that has been specially tanned, curried and dressed to produce strong,
flexible leather with minimum stretch, suitable for the manufacture of transmission belting
belting lace
chrome-tanned back, about 2,5 mm thick, heavily dressed with natural grease, suitable for cutting into strips
for the purpose of joining transmission belting
NOTE The oil-treated back is generally known as “Helvetia leather”.
belting leather
leather for machine belting generally made from butt portion of high grade cattle hides
bend
half of cattle hide butt, obtained by dividing it along the line of the backbone
See Figure C.7.
biff, verb
to beat a salted hide that has been placed on a rack, in order to shake loose salt from the hair
binder
film forming material, usually polymeric, used to bind pigment particles and additives for coating the surface of
the leather
binder leather
vegetable-tanned or chrome retanned butt leather of uniform thickness, dressed or impregnated to give it heat
or abrasion resistance
cf. softy leather (721)
birch
tannin-bearing tree which grows in northern Europe
NOTE 1 Birch barks contain 10 % to 15 % condensed tannins; they are used largely in Russia.
NOTE 2 The Latin names for two species exploited for tannins are Betula verucosa and B. pubescens.
bisulfiting
treatment of hot solutions of vegetable tanning extracts with sodium bisulfite in order to increase their solubility
and rate of diffusion into hides
bleaching
process of removing oxidized tannins and insoluble materials from the surface layers of leather, in order to
prevent cracking of the grain and to lighten the colour
NOTE 1 Bleaching is performed by dipping the leather in a weak acidic solution to render the tannin readily soluble,
dipping again in water, neutralizing in weak acid solution and washing.
NOTE 2 The process of lightening the colour of chrome leather by suitable chemical treatment or precipitating white
pigment in the surface of the leather.
bleaching syntan
synthetic tanning material added to the tanning process to lighten the colour of the resulting leather
bleeding
transfer of materials exuded from leather to other material that comes into contact with it
NOTE It is usually designated as staining.
blister
damage on skins usually caused by putrefaction as a result of bad or insufficient curing, preservation or sun
drying
block printing
printing using separate wooden blocks having curved designs for each colour
NOTE The total appearance will be the cumulative effect of all the colours applied.
10 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

bloom
light-coloured deposit of ellagic acid appearing on the grain surface of leather tanned with certain pyrogallol
tannins, such as myrobalans, valonia, and divi-divi
NOTE The appearance may be objectionable for some purposes, but bloom does not significantly affect the other
physical properties of the leather.
blush
lacquer bloom
white milky appearance on the finished surface of leather caused by the moisture trapped in the film
NOTE When the solvent evaporates more quickly than the diluents or moisture condenses over this supercooled surface
by the rapid evaporation of low boiling solvents and diluents, blushing results.
boarded leather
hand boarded
leather that has been softened and the surface of which has been lightly creased by folding grain to grain and
then working the fold across the leather to and fro by hand boarding or by means of a boarding machine
cf. box calf (88), box side (90), morocco (473).
boardy leather
stiff, inflexible leather
boil test
testing a piece of fully hydrated leather to check whether there is any shrinkage after placing in boiling water
for 2-3 minutes only
NOTE When the leather retains the original area, chrome tanning is considered completed.
book binding leather
leather generally made from calf/sheep/goat skins and used for bookbinding
bore grain
appearance with square-shaped creases on the grain surface of the leather
NOTE The square-shaped creases are formed by boarding glazed leathers two-way, once from neck to butt and then
from belly to belly.
bottom leather
A generic term to cover all types of leather used for the bottoming of footwear
bovine leather
leather made from the hide or skin of a bovine animal; usually applied to the hide of an ox or cow
box calf
full chrome-tanned calf leather, black or coloured, smooth or boarded
NOTE In the U.K., it must be black.
box grain
appearance with square-shaped creases on the grain surface of the leather
NOTE The square-shaped creases are formed by boarding glazed leathers two ways, once from neck to butt and then
from belly to belly.
box side
full chrome- or combination-tanned leather made from cattle hide sides, black or coloured, smooth or boarded
NOTE In France, the leather may also be synthetic-tanned. In the U.K., any tannage may be used but the leather must
be black.
bran drench
fermented infusion of wheat bran extensively used for deliming in olden days
break of leathers
〈heavy leather〉 the place, in the areas where the fore shank and hind shank join the body of the hide, where
the texture of the leather changes quite sharply from the firm, close weave of the bend to a loose, open
texture
break of leathers
〈shoe upper leather〉 the superficial tiny wrinkling formed when the leather is bent, grain inward
NOTE Adjectives commonly used to describe this characteristic are “tight”, “fine”, “loose”, “coarse” and “pipey”, or
“flanky”. Generally the finer the wrinkles or grain break, the better the quality of the leather.
bridle leather
strong, flexible type of harness leather of reasonably uniform thickness with a plain finish and a close shaved
flesh; made from ox or cow hide, vegetable-tanned and curried
brining
process of curing hides by treatment in concentrated salt solution
12 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

brisket
fold in the middle of an unsplit suede, which has dried out during cure and become hard; should be trimmed
off
bristle
thick hairs of oval cross-section such as those on pig skins
bronzing
excessive concentration of crystallized dyestuff on the surface of the leather tending to give a metallic sheen
NOTE Bronzing is a dichroic effect produced by light reflected from the surface of the dyed leather. This happens when
a spot has a different refractive index from the environment. Bronzing effect is obtained when leather becomes brown on
exposure to sun.
bruising
softening leather by flexing grain outwards
brush colouring
application of dyestuff to leather with a brush or swab, the leather being laid on a table
NOTE Also known as table dyeing.
brush kid
Morocco leather tanned with sumac extract finished by applying wax coat and polished with a soft brush;
produced in the Philadelphia area, since the 1830s
brush-off effect
Florentique effect
brushed appearance
NOTE 1 The brush marks are made as follows. Over the pigmented resin coat having excellent adhesion and flexibility
with complete coverage, a high gloss, clear lacquer coat is applied and plated. A third lacquer coat with a contrasting
colour is applied. The film formed now should be tough enough to provide the usual resistance properties, yet soft enough
to be removed by the brushing action. The clear lacquer underneath is a guarantee that the brushing action does not go
through the base coat. Now, a rotating brush is applied to the finish surface and the surface finish layer is removed to
make a contrast with the base coat colour. The degree of contrast is controlled during brushing.
NOTE 2 Florentine effect is provided mostly on corrected grain leathers.
brushed pig skin
pig skin leather whose wearing surface has been finished with a velvet-like nap
buck
suede shoe upper leather dressed and finished in the same way as buck skin but not made from buck skin
cf. nubuck (497), buck skin (105)
buck skin
suede leather made from deerskin from which the grain has been removed, usually by frizing
NOTE Buck skin is generally tanned with fish oil or formaldehyde or a combination of both and may be finished on the
flesh or the frizzed grain side.
buffalo
leather made from the hide of buffalo cattle
NOTE In Italy, chrome-tanned sole leather made from bovine hide is also termed “buffalo”.
buffalo liming
method of liming which was practised in America in which hides were first treated with a solution of calcium
chloride followed by a solution of caustic soda
buff calf
leather made from the skin of a young or immature buffalo
buff leather
flexible dry leather, which has a cream or white, surface and is finished with a velvet-like nap on the grain side
NOTE Made from cattle hide, which has been oil-tanned. It is used for polishing of metals.
buffed leather
hand buffed
leather from which some of the grain (or flesh) has been removed by an abrasive or bladed cylinder or, less
generally, by hand
NOTE In the case of upholstery leather, the buffing process is invariably carried out by machine though it is sometimes
incorrectly described as “hand buffed”.
cf. corrected grain leather (179), machine buff (443)
buffing
hide buffing
the process of removing some of the grain layer by abrasion
NOTE In Spain, the buffing may be from any hide or skin. In North America, the thin grain layer of leather is removed
from cattle hide by the splitting machine.
cf. buffed leather (110)
14 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

buffing
removal of the flesh side of the leather by mechanical abrasion to produce a suede effect, or to reduce the
substance
NOTE Removal of the flesh side of the leather by mechanical abrasion to produce a suede effect or to reduce the
substance. Synonymous with fluffing (284) and now in more common use. In Spain, the buffing may be from any hide or
skin.
cf. buffed leather (110)
bull hide
hide from uncastrated male cattle
NOTE Hides from bulls are characterized by thick and rough head, neck and shoulders and by coarse flanks. Bull hides
are often poor in quality and heavy, ranging from 27 kg and above.
burning
impregnating by hand a thoroughly dried heavy vegetable-tanned leather on the flesh side with molten
greases and drumming (after cooling) with warm water until thoroughly wetback
burnishable leather
leather which develops a polish by being rubbed just as in the case of boot polishing
burnishing
polishing by machine to give the shoe upper a bright, glossy finish
NOTE On better grade shoes, the sole and heel edges are washed and burnished.
burst strength
load in kg/mm thickness of leather required for creating a crack in the grain and then completing bursting of
the leather as measured using a lastometer
butt
that part of the hide left after the bellies and shoulder have been removed
butt split
under layer split from the butt of a cattle hide
butty
hide or leather with thick butt
cabretta
gloving and shoe upper leather, made from sheep skin
NOTE Term generally applied in the United States to denote the skins of South American hair sheep and gloving and
shoe upper leather made from them, but also applied to the skins of similar hair sheep from other regions, e.g. East and
West Africa, and leathers made from them. The leather may be finished on the flesh side for suede or on the grain side,
which is fine and smooth resembling that of kid. The term is in more common use in North America than in the Republic of
South Africa.
calf
〈skin〉 skin of a young or immature bovine animal not exceeding a certain mass
NOTE This maximum mass is shown in Table 1.
Table 1 — Calf mass limits
Country Maximum number Mass qualifier Remark
of kilograms
Denmark 12 salted
France about 14 salted
Germany 14 green
Italy 14 salted Italian calf skins of all masses from
calves which have eaten grass are called
“erbaroli”.
Spain 14 green
Sweden 11 salted (Scandinavian Swedish calf skins up to 11 kg from
trim) calves which have eaten grass are called
“gräskinn” (grassers); between a salted
mass of 3,5 kg and 11 kg from calves
which have been fed on milk only, they
are called “gödskinn” (veals).
U.K. 16 green The skin of immature milk-fed animals
over 7 kg green mass is often termed
“veal”.
U.S.A. and India about 7 green

calf
〈leather〉 leather made from calf (122)
cf. buff calf (108)
calgon
sodium polymetaphosphate with a degree of polymerization of 15 to 20 and molecular weight in the range of
1 500 to 2 000, i.e. (NaPO ) 15-20
NOTE In the leather industry, this chemical is used as a water softener.
16 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

canaigre
tannin-bearing root which grows in United States and Mexico
NOTE 1 Canaigre contains 30 % condensed tannins.
NOTE 2 The Latin name is Rumex hymenosepalus.
canepin leather
fine leather, usually kid skin, but sometimes lamb skin or chamois, used for gloves
cape
originally a soft, grain gloving or clothing leather made from South African hair sheep skin; now any similar
leather made from hair sheep skin but not finished leather made from E.I. or native vegetable-tanned hair
sheep skin
card clothing leather
butt leather, vegetable-tanned, lightly curried and fairly flexible for holding the steel wires which form the
periphery of the cylinders on the carding machine used in the woollen industry
carpincho
grain gloving leather with a grain pattern somewhat like that of peccary, made from the skin of a water rodent
indigenous to Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil
NOTE One of the leathers commonly designated as hog skin.
cased skins
skins which have been drawn off animals (mostly sheep and goats) without being opened in the belly
case-hardening
〈tanning stage〉 defect due to high fixation of tannins on the surface at the initial stage itself preventing further
diffusion of tannin into the skin/hide matrix
case-hardening
〈drying stage〉 defect due to rapid drying of green hides and skins during preservation or due to rapid drying of
leathers after tanning, preventing drying of inner layers of hide/skin or leather
case hide
firm dressed leather, stained or otherwise coloured, generally having a smooth, more or less glossy surface
finish, sometimes embossed with an artificial grain
NOTE Made from full grain or buffed cattle hide, vegetable-tanned and suitable for the manufacture of suit and attaché
cases and similar leather goods.
cattle hide
outer covering of a fully-grown bovine animal
cf. hide (360)
chamois
〈tannage-based〉 leather made from the flesh split of sheep, goat or lamb skin, or from sheep or lamb skin
from which the grain has been removed by frizing and tanned by processes involving the oxidation of fish or
marine animal oils in the skin, using either solely such oils (full-oil chamois) or first an aldehyde and then such
oils (combination chamois)
NOTE France and USA restricted the term “chamois” without any qualification to the flesh split of sheep skin tanned
solely with oils. In Germany, the term “Samischleder” is applied to an oil-tanned suede leather made from sheep, lamb
roedeer, red deer, chamois, goat and kid skins and cattle hide splits. In Italy and Switzerland, this leather is incorrectly
termed “pelle di daino” and “Hirschleder” respectively.
chamois
〈leather〉 leather made from the skin of the mountain antelope or chamois
NOTE Such leathers are rare.
chamois goat
suede-finished, oil-tanned goat skin leather
cheek
〈raw〉 portion of cattle hides covering one side of the head
See Figure C.3.
cheek
〈leather〉 leather made from cheek
NOTE In Holland, no differentiation is made between “cheek” and “face”.
chestnut
tannin-bearing tree which grows in Europe and United States
NOTE 1 The wood of this tree contains 12 % to 13 % hydrolysable (ellagi) tannins.
NOTE 2 The Latin name is Castanea sativa.
18 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

chevrette
hat leather
hatband leather
leather made from the skin of a young goat, which is being, or has recently been, weaned, or the skin of an
immature goat; lightweight goat skin or heavy kid leather is sometimes termed “chevrette”
NOTE 1 In France, the leather is used for gloving and clothing and is generally chrome- or synthetic-tanned.
NOTE 2 In Germany, Holland, Italy and Spain, the term is also used for shoe upper leather dressed in imitation of
“chevreau”, mainly chrome-tanned from hair sheep or wooled sheep with coarse wool. The grain is smooth, glazed or
ironed. In Spain, the leather is aniline or pigment finished; the term is also applied to the raw skin. In Sweden, the leather
must be chrome-tanned.
In the U.K, the term is used for gloving and sometimes for hatband leather made from skivers. Traditionally, hatband
leathers are made from skivers.
chicken leg leathers
leathers tanned from skins of chicken legs, which have a typical grain pattern
chrome exhaust aids
bidentate complexing agents which can link up with two different complexing units and help in high fixation of
chrome
EXAMPLE Dicarboxylic acids like adipic acid.
chrome retan
leather that has been first chrome-tanned throughout its thickness and subsequently further treated or tanned
with vegetable and/or synthetic tanning agents and/or resin filling materials and/or mineral salts, these agents
penetrating notably, but not necessarily completely, into the interior
NOTE In France, this is known as “semi-chrome” or “chrome vegetal”.
chrome syntan
auxiliary syntan complexed with chrome
NOTE Chrome syntans can fill without loading; first made by Theis et al in 1952; first commercial product was named
Tannesco.
chrome-tanned leather
chromium-tanned leather
leather tanned either solely with chromium salts or with chromium salts together with quite small amounts of
some other tanning agent used merely to assist the chrome-tanning process, and not in sufficient amount to
alter the essential chrome-tanned character of the leather
clear coat
finishing coat without any dye or pigment
clearing coat
clearing the grain CDS
making the grain surface free from greasiness by brushing the surface with a weak solution of lactic or acetic
acid or with ammonia
cloak hide
flexible leather printed with a long or oat grain, made from vegetable-tanned split hide of suitable thickness
NOTE It is curried to contain sufficient grease to render it suitable for saddlery and military equipment.
coach hide
matt-finished dyed, full-grain, boarded, vegetable-tanned leather made from cattle hide
NOTE 1 The highest grades are simply aniline dyed; others may bear a small quantity of pigment but not so much as to
conceal the natural characteristics of the hide.
NOTE 2 In spite of the use of the word “coach”, this leather is normally used in the U.K. for leather goods such as
handbags, travel goods, etc.
coarse grain
type of rough grain on the leather surface due to excessive mechanical or tanning action
coarse rough fibre
fibres of flesh surfaces of leather or splits, which are frayed, separated and present a shaggy appearance
cockle
hard warty growth on sheep skin
cold crack resistance
crack resistance of leather at cold temperatures on being bent by mechanical actions such as bending,
flexing, etc.
collagen
principal fibrous protein in the corium or dermal layer of a hide or skin
collar back
harness leather, in the form of a back, of good selection, usually vegetable-tanned and curried, and having a
thickness of 4 mm to 5 mm
20 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

colour card
card or chart issued by manufacturers of leather and leather products and fashion forecasting
agencies/chemical companies to acquaint their respective industries or retailers with the season's new colours
and colour names
colour coat
finishing coat coloured with either dye or pigment or both
colour fastness
ability of leather to retain its dyes and colour without changing or fading with wear or storage
colour matching
composing a colour using a mixture of colorants to match a given colour
colour measurement
measurement of intensities of colour which are components of the colour on hand using either the so-called X,
Y, Z system or L, a, b system
colt skin
leather made from the skin of a colt, which has softer and finer grain than a horse hide
combination oil
tannage, or a process of tannage, in which the skin is tanned with formaldehyde or other suitable aldehyde
and also treated by the oil process
cf. chamois (135)
combination syntan
phenolic syntan of medium molecular weight and medium OH: SO H ratio used as pretanning agent and
agent for dispersing vegetable tannin sludges
combination-tanned
leather tanned by two or more tanning agents
EXAMPLE Chrome tanning followed by vegetable (chrome retan); vegetable tanning followed by chrome
(semi-chrome); formaldehyde tanning followed by oil (combination oil).
combing leather
comber leather
butt leather, chrome-tanned or combination-tanned, curried, as free as possible from permanent stretch,
tanned and curried to obtain maximum strength, flexibility and resilience
NOTE Combing leather is made into endless belts and used on machines designed to comb textile fibres.
concrete mixers
drums fitted with spiral blades mounted at an angle, capable of rotating both clockwise and anti-clockwise and
facilities to circulate the liquor used in leather processing
NOTE This is a possible alternative to usage of drum (229). Here, the stocks can be loaded or unloaded by changing
the direction of rotation.
condensed tannins
polyphenolic substance related to flavanoid compounds based on catechin or pro-anthocyanidin
NOTE These tanning materials possess the common characteristics of forming insoluble phlobaphenes or tannin-reds in
the presence of mineral acids.
condenser rubbing leather
back or butt leather, vegetable- or chrome-tanned, subsequently dressed to give medium flexibility and
resilience with freedom from stretch or shrinkage, for use on carding machines in the woollen industry
NOTE Not to be confused with condenser tape leather (170).
condenser tape leather
very flexible, thoroughly stretched, curried, vegetable-tanned butt leather for use in conjunction with
condenser rubbing leather aprons
cordovan
〈goat leather〉 fine grain, coloured Spanish goat skin leather
cordovan
crup
〈horse leather〉 leather made from the shell of a horse butt, viz. from a kidney-shaped, very compact layer
occurring in the butt of equine animals only, and isolated by removing the skin layer above and below it
NOTE 1 It is vegetable-tanned and curried.
NOTE 2 In Holland, leather sold as “cordovan leather” is not necessarily made from horse hide.
NOTE 3 Leather made from shell area of horse hide “Cordovan” is also used in a generic sense — the burgundy — like
colour and smooth, glossy finish of genuine cordovan.
NOTE 4 Today, most cordovan leather is actually cattle hide tanned to simulate cordovan.
22 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved

ISO/FDIS 1
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