Russia leather
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Russia leather is a particular form of bark-tanned cow
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...
. It is distinguished from other types of leather by a processing step that takes place after
tanning Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...
, where
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
oil is worked into the rear face of the leather. This produces a leather that is hard-wearing, flexible and resistant to water. The oil impregnation also deters insect damage. This leather was a major
export good A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a sing ...
from
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
in the 17th and 18th centuries because of its high quality, its usefulness for a range of purposes, and the difficulty of replicating its manufacture elsewhere. It was an important item of trade for the
Muscovy Company The Muscovy Company (also called the Russia Company or the Muscovy Trading Company russian: Московская компания, Moskovskaya kompaniya) was an English trading company chartered in 1555. It was the first major chartered joint s ...
. In German-speaking countries, this leather was also known by the name Juchten or Juften.


Production

Producing the leather involved three processes: * Tanning the leather. This was a bark tanning process, similar to other vegetable-tanned leather. * Saturating the tanned hide with birch oil. This is the most distinctive part of the process, giving Russia leather its water resistance and distinctive smell. * Dyeing the leather either red or black. This was not an essential part of the process, but was characteristic.


Tanning

The tanning process was unexceptional amongst other
vegetable tanning Tanning is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather. A tannery is the place where the skins are processed. Tanning hide into leather involves a process which permanently alters the protein structure of skin, makin ...
process using
tree bark Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines, and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and cons ...
. It followed the usual steps of long soaking and cleaning in water, liming to remove hair, and then the tanning itself. Tanning steeps the leather in a solution of tanbark for around five weeks, with twice daily agitation and weekly replacement of the 'tan', or tanning solution. A great quantity of tanbark is required, around 2,880 litres for 150 hides.This is the quantity of ''bark'' required to make the tan mixture. The liquid volume is considerably more than this. The tanbark used in Russia was the poplar willow '' Salix arenaria'' or in
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
the more readily available bast (dark inner bark, beneath the papery bark) of the birch tree; it was also reported that spruce bark would be equally effective.


Oiling

The oiling process is what really distinguishes Russia leather from others. Birch oil is applied to the flesh side of the leather, soaking through completely and saturating the leather entirely. Care is taken that it is only applied to one side of the leather, keeping it away from the grain side to avoid discolouration and poor dyeing later.
Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
oil is also reported to have been used. The production of Russia leather is thus a currying or curing process, more than merely tanning.


Birch oil

Production of '' 'degot' '', the birch oil or
birch tar Birch tar or birch pitch is a substance (liquid when heated) derived from the dry distillation of the bark of the birch tree. Compounds It is composed of phenols such as guaiacol, cresol, xylenol, and creosol. Ancient and modern uses Bir ...
for leathermaking was a specialist craft and practised by only a few villages that then supplied other leathermaking sites. It was a partial
pyrolysis The pyrolysis (or devolatilization) process is the thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures, often in an inert atmosphere. It involves a change of chemical composition. The word is coined from the Greek-derived elements ''py ...
and
distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separation process, separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distilla ...
process, similar to the making of
turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a special ...
. The papery birch bark was peeled from standing trees and collected. Trees were carefully chosen, older trees being favoured. The season for collecting bark was in late June, when there was the most
sap Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...
. This bark was then pressed flat under weights and left for a week. Distillation was performed by a process akin to
charcoal burning A charcoal burner is someone whose occupation is to manufacture charcoal. Traditionally this is achieved by carbonising wood in a charcoal pile or kiln. Charcoal burning is one of the oldest human crafts. The knowledge gained from this industr ...
, involving the entire village in a group effort. A large, shallow conical pit was dug, 100 feet (30 m) in diameter and lined with clay. A central drain was constructed, with an underground lined drain leading outwards to a collection pit beyond the burning pit. This drain was protected by a strainer dome to avoid ash entering the tar drain and to separate the burning bark from the flammable tar. The pit was then stacked with carefully arranged layers of birch bark, above an insulating and filtering layer of linden husks. The bark was very carefully stacked, so that there was no airspace between layers and so combustion could be controlled. A completed pit might be filled ten or twenty feet high (3–6 m). An airtight cover of earth, animal dung and damp fireproof material was placed over the pit, in the manner of a
charcoal clamp Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...
. A fire of straw was then lit in the centre, spreading slowly outwards into the birch bark. Most of the bark burners would then watch the burn proceeding, carefully sealing air leaks in any areas that were burning too fast. The tar ran down through the bark, filtered through the linden and then through the clay drain and into the collection pit. Others would ladle the collected tar from the pit and into barrels. A burn could go on for ten days continuously, day and night. A quantity of five hundred'' 'fuhren' ''of birch bark could give three thousand buckets of tar. A smaller-scale process was also carried out by some individuals using a kettle-like clay pot a couple of feet high. It was considered, even into the nineteenth century, that although the manufacture of 'Russia leather' could be successfully undertaken in the rest of Europe, production of the necessary birch oil would still require import from Russia or Poland. It was likely that other tree species could be found that would produce an oil with similar preservative properties, but the distinctive aroma of genuine Russia leather would require the traditional birch.
Cedar oil Cedar oil, also known as cedarwood oil, is an essential oil derived from various types of conifers, most in the pine or cypress botanical families. It is produced from the foliage, and sometimes the wood, roots, and stumps left after logging of tr ...
is still used today as a similar preservative ingredient in leather treatments applied to finished leathergoods, such as an ingredient in
British Museum leather dressing British Museum leather dressing has been used by many conservators since its publication(Plenderleith, 1946) to protect and conserve leather. Formulation The basic formulation is: The first three ingredients are mixed warm, then added to the ...
.


Dyeing

Before dyeing, the leather was softened by soaking with
alum An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double salt, double sulfate salt (chemistry), salt of aluminium with the general chemical formula, formula , where is a valence (chemistry), monovalent cation such as potassium or a ...
water and mechanical working. In later years, Russia leather was tooled to give a decorative surface texture. This was done by rolling it with a grooved brass roller, usually twice in slightly different directions to give a cross-hatched effect. The usual colour of dyeing was red and this was performed with an alkaline liquor made by boiling chips of a dye wood,'' 'fernambuk. This is described as red
sandalwood Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for us ...
(''
Santalum ''Santalum'' is a genus of woody flowering plants in the Santalaceae family, the best known and commercially valuable of which is the Indian sandalwood tree, '' S. album''. Members of the genus are trees or shrubs. Most are root parasites w ...
sp.''), but by the dark colour resulting in the leather has also been identified as logwood.The use of logwood is unlikely for dyeing here, for two reasons. First, logwood gives a deep red, but only in acidic solutions. In an alkaline dye bath, logwood gives a blue colour. The dyeing process for Russia leather was based on lime, i.e., strongly alkaline. Second, sandalwood is produced across the Indian subcontinent, with trade routes into Russia via Afghanistan. Logwood is a
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
species of
Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
.
A black leather was also produced, although in smaller quantity. This was considered a coarser, more utilitarian product and was usually applied to the horsehide Russia leather also produced for weatherproof exterior equipment such as horse harnesses. Two forms of dye were used, both based on black
iron tannate Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in front ...
s produced by reaction of iron salts with residual
tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...
in the leather. A similar colour is found in
iron gall ink Iron gall ink (also known as common ink, standard ink, oak gall ink or iron gall nut ink) is a purple-black or brown-black ink made from iron salts and tannic acids from vegetable sources. It was the standard ink formulation used in Europe for ...
. The first dye used the normal fernambuk dye, with the addition of
iron(II) sulfate Iron(II) sulfate (British English: iron(II) sulphate) or ferrous sulfate denotes a range of salts with the formula Fe SO4·''x''H2O. These compounds exist most commonly as the heptahydrate (''x'' = 7) but several values for x are know ...
or ''
green vitriol Iron(II) sulfate (British English: iron(II) sulphate) or ferrous sulfate denotes a range of salts with the formula Fe SO4·''x''H2O. These compounds exist most commonly as the heptahydrate (''x'' = 7) but several values for x are know ...
''. This dye turned black immediately, reacting with tannin in the red dyewood. The second, cheaper, black dye was produced by scrap iron dissolving into an acidic liquor, usually stale
kvass Kvass is a fermented cereal-based Alcohol by volume, low alcoholic beverage with a slightly cloudy appearance, light-brown colour and sweet-sour taste. It may be flavoured with berries, fruits, herbs or honey. Kvass stems from the northeastern ...
(''quas'' at that time), the ubiquitous Russian ryebread beer. This dye has no distinct colour to begin with but relies on reaction with the tannins of the leather. This cheaper dye is also
fugitive A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also known ...
and fades in time to a rust-red colour.


Secrecy of its manufacture

Although its manufacture does not appear to have been preserved as a secret, it was a process that could not be replicated outside Russia, despite attempts. Production gradually moved to other countries during the 19th century. In 1807, von Meidinger, who worked for an early Russia leather factory in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
, learned details of the process from a Russian tanner and described it. His view was that this process, once known and understood, could be replicated in Germany. In 1874, Marshall Jewell, U.S. Minister to Russia, who was also a currier by trade, discovered the recipe and published it openly in the USA, rather than profiting personally by it.


Uses


Chairs

Upholstered Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. ''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English word ...
chairs first began to become common in the 17th century, in the later period of the Age of Oak. These used expensive fabrics as a covering, costing far more than the wooden frame of the chair. Other, cheaper, chairs were extensively carved in wood – any sort of chair, rather than a stool, was a luxury item. Leather, and Russia leather, was also used as an upholstery material. The use of Russia leather in particular was encouraged by the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
and the
Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...
styles it encouraged. Plain leather upholstery, even though an expensive item, was seen as less ostentatious and so more acceptable than either fabric or carving. Leather was applied to simple backstools, a chair with vertical rear posts and simple crosswise rails. These would be a commonplace chair today, but at the time it was more usual for chairs to have a solid wooden back. The leather was stretched across between the rails and nailed into place with large headed brass nails. Such undecorated chairs are a characteristic furniture style of the Interregnum period. Only Russia leather was flexible enough to be used in this way. Inferior leathers, when used, would crack across the edges of the frame. A better technique with such leathers was to support the leather from beneath with interwoven strips of canvas webbing. The odour of birch oil was recognised in the completed chairs and considered as a mark of quality. Russia leather chairs have been remarkably hard-wearing and examples have lasted in use into the 19th century, without recovering. When finally worn out, this was often by the surface of the leather having worn right through into a hole, still without any structural cracking of the leather, as a less flexible hide would fail.


Footwear

Russia leather was (and still is) commonly used for production of footwear. In Russia itself, it was usually used to make high boots (sapogi). In this craft, Russia leather was usually divided into two sorts: the more expensive ''yalovka'' (produced from calf skin) and the cheaper ''yuft'' (from all other kinds of animal skins). In Soviet times, yalovka leather was used to make army officers' field "Chrome" boots, and yuft leather, in combination with an artificial leather substitute called
kirza Kirza (russian: кирза) is a type of artificial leather based on the multi-layer textile fabric, modified by membrane-like substances, produced mainly in the Soviet Union. The surface of kirza imitates pig leather. The material is mainly use ...
, was used for the enlisted men's boots.Война без сапог
/ref> Some senior rank officers were given standard yuft boots with thicker leather and micropore rubber soles. Versions were created with buckles for tankers and zippers for pilots, rare winterized versions also exist.Russian boots history
/ref>


Perfume

The distinctive birch oil aroma, and its connotations of high quality, led to its use as a deliberate fragrance. *
Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty, c ...
's '' Cuir de Russie'' perfume, from 1927. * Cussons'
Imperial Leather Imperial Leather is a brand of soaps, toiletries and healthcare products manufactured by PZ Cussons. The brand originates in Britain and is now available in a number of other countries including Australia, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indo ...
soap, from 1938


Notes


References

{{Leather Leather Russian inventions