wax cotton cords – Leather By India

USAGE of Waxed cotton

Waxed cotton became an instant success with the commercial shipping industry, and Webster’s as primary manufacturers turned to thinking of alternate markets that the product could be used in.

One of the early adopters was J. Barbour & Sons in the outdoor industry, producing waxed jackets for farmers and gamekeepers; and as motorcycling was then the predominant form of personal transport, the new company of Belstaff also developed clothing.

Waxed cotton came in either black, or an inconsistent dark olive. Colour was controlled by the amount of copper left from the cupro-ammonia treatment, and because of variability of the olive a complementary dark brown corduroy collar was placed on dark olive jackets.

Barbour’s entered the motorcycling market from the early 1930s, with the Barbour International motorcycle suit, developing their market presence through sponsorship of the British competitions and teams in motorcycle trials. Barbour International suits were worn by virtually every British International team from 1936 to 1977, and in the 1964 International Six Days Trial, actor Steve McQueen and the rest of the American team.

Adopted as the first choice waterproof clothing for the British armed forces during World War II, uses of waxed cotton escalated in the late 1940s and 1950s as spare material and army-surplus was sold off cheaply.

Rubber was also widely used for waterproofs during the nineteenth century and although not breathable was highly versatile and widely used. In 1823 Charles Macintosh patented a double textured fabric sandwiched around a layer of rubber. The Mackintosh became the synonym for the rain coat. Improved Macintosh was extremely versatile and was developed for fashionable wear and sporting activity and was made by numerous Manchester manufacturers. Other waterproof and wind proof fabrics, such as Burberry, Grenfell and Ventile were developed from the late nineteenth century. By the early 1960s wartime-developed materials including Nylon and PVC had come to the commercial market in volume. The development of synthetic polymers innovation began in the 1920s gathering pace during and after the Second World War, though it took time for light, breathable waterproofs to be developed. Although the uses of waxed cotton have reduced considerably, today there are various forms of waxed cotton with differences in look, touch and performance between each one. Modern uses of waxed cotton have niched to those areas where its greater warmth provides a greater benefit over its cost, weight and maintenance disadvantages.

Source:Wikipedia

Leather crafting Techniques

Leather crafting or simply Leathercraft is the practice of making leather into craft objects or works of art, using shaping techniques, coloring techniques or both.

Techniques

Dyeing

Leather dyeing usually involves the use of spirit- or alcohol-based dyes where alcohol quickly gets absorbed into moistened leather, carrying the pigment deep into the surface. “Hi-liters” and “Antiquing” stains can be used to add more definition to patterns. These have pigments that will break away from the higher points of a tooled piece and so pooling in the background areas give nice contrasts. Leaving parts unstained also provides a type of contrast.

Alternatives to spirit stains might include a number of options. Shoe polish can be used to dye and preserve leather. Oils such as neatsfoot or linseed can be applied to preserve leather but darkens them. A wax paste more often than not serves as the final coat.

Sweat and grime will also stain and ‘antique’ leather over time. Gun holsters, saddlebags, wallets and canteens used by cowboys and buckaroos were rarely colored in the Old West. The red, brown, and black tones develop naturally through handling and as the oiled leathers absorb the rays of the desert sun.

Due to changing environmental laws, alcohol-based dyes are soon to be unavailable. There are currently water-based alternatives available, although they tend not to work as well.

Painting

Leather painting differs from leather dyeing in that paint remains only on the surface while dyes are absorbed into the leather. Due to this difference, leather painting techniques are generally not used on items that can or must bend nor on items that receive friction, such as belts and wallets because under these conditions, the paint is likely to crack and flake off. However, latex paints can be used to paint such flexible leather items. In the main though, a flat piece of leather, backed with a stiff board is ideal and common, though three-dimensional forms are possible so long as the painted surface remains secured.

Acrylic paint is a common medium, often painted on tooled leather pictures, backed with wood or cardboard, and then framed. Unlike photographs, leather paintings are displayed without a glass cover, to prevent mold.

Carving

Leather carving entails using metal implements to compress moistened leather in such a way as to give a three-dimensional appearance to a two-dimensional surface. The surface of the leather is not intended to be cut through, as would be done in filigree.

The main tools used to “carve” leather include: swivel knife, veiner, beveler, pear shader, seeder, cam, and background tool. The swivel knife is held similar to pencil and drawn along the leather to outline patterns. The other tools are punch-type implements struck with a wooden, nylon or rawhide mallet. The object is to add further definition with them to the cut lines made by the swivel knife.

In the United States and Mexico, the western floral style, known as “Sheridan Style”, of carving leather predominates. Usually, these are stylized pictures of acanthis or roses. California, Texas, and a few other styles are common. By far the most preeminent carver in the United States was Al Stohlman. His patterns and methods have been embraced by many hobbyists, scout troops, reenacters, and craftsmen.

Stamping

Leather stamping involves the use of shaped implements (stamps) to create an imprint onto a leather surface, often by striking the stamps with a mallet.

Commercial stamps are available in various designs, typically geometric or representative of animals. Most stamping is performed on vegetable tanned leather that has been dampened with water, as the water makes the leather softer and able to be compressed by the design being pressed or stamped into it using a press. After the leather has been stamped, the design stays on the leather as it dries out, but it can fade if the leather becomes wet and is flexed. To make the impressions last longer, the leather is conditioned with oils and fats to make it waterproof and prevent the fibers from deforming.

Molding/Shaping

Leather shaping or molding consists of soaking a piece of leather in hot or room temperature water to greatly increase pliability and then shaping it by hand or with the use of objects or even molds as forms. As the leather dries it stiffens and holds its shape. Carving and stamping may be done prior to molding. Dying however must take place after molding, as the water soak will remove much of the color. Molding has become popular among hobbyists whose crafts are related to fantasy, goth/steampunk culture and cosplay.

Laser cutting/etching

Carbon dioxide lasers cut through leather very smoothly, and at low power a laser cutter can etch detailed designs into leather to any desired depth.

Source:Wikipedia

Tips for Leather Care

Your leather belongings look classy and sophisticated and needless to say must have taken a hit on your wallet. With the chaotic rains playing havoc in our daily lives, it’s important to know how to take care of these expensive leather products. Leather is resilient and can last long provided the proper precautions are taken. Despite its durability, if it is not looked after, especially during the monsoons, it can get spoiled way before it’s time is up. Here are a few ways you can protect your leather items and make them last longer.

Some important tips of Leather Care:

Tip 1

Wet Leather!

If leather gets too wet: If your leather product (leather bags, leather cords) has gotten exposed to the rain, gently brush off the dirt and dry off the water in room temperature. You can take out the moisture from the shoes with the help of a newspaper or a towel. Dry it slowly. Speed drying leather changes its chemical structure and you end up with stiff crinkle cut chaos. So room temperature with gentle air works better than direct heater time with hair-dryer. And keep it in the shape you want it to end up.

Tip 2

Dry Leather!

If leather gets too dry: Rub something moist into it. Pick a leather dressing or cream or wax or oil. Leathers can have paints, waxes, oils and all sorts of things applied to their surface, so you probably want to pick something similar to how it came.

Tip 3

Avoid Water At All Costs!

No matter how strange this sounds, water is certainly the no.1 enemy for leather. This is why it is highly recommended to apply a water repellent before you wear them – this way, they will not get dirty or stained if water reaches the leather. It is almost impossible to prevent them from getting wet over the years, but if you use a repellent you will at least minimize the damage.

Tip 4

Storage area!

Moisture is a common element during the monsoons. Even if your leather products are safely kept, they are susceptible to being affected by the moisture. Storing your leather in a completely dry place is important.

Tip 5

Dirty Leather!

If leather gets dirty: Just use a damp cloth. You don’t want to be putting any soaps or foreign substances in there.
Tip 6

Plastic Wrapping!

Don’t wrap it in plastic, as your leather needs to breathe. What you’re really trying to stop is any mildew growth, so keep some ventilation going.

Things to avoid
Do not use heat in any form to dry out the shoes. Excessive heat makes the shoe at risk of cracking.

Broken or spoiled leather cannot be fixed, so any forms of artificial fixing should be avoided.

Do not expose your leather products to a blow dry, especially if they are wet.

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Finishing Cord and Ribbon Jewelry

Thick braided cotton cords,Wide silk ribbons, delicate lace, velvet ribbons, wax cotton cords etc.… irrespective of which cord or ribbon you choose, they’ll add a pop of color and texture to your jewelry designs. Many techniques for finishing jewelry with cords and ribbon are similar to finishing techniques for leather and suede cord. Weight and delicateness are the two factors make ribbons and cords a little trickier to finish.

Below are the few techniques to finish Cord and Ribbon Jewelry

Knotting:It is the very easiest method,you can just finish it by knotting the end of your leather cord.
Knotting with Cones:To hide your knots being exposed we use this technique
Wire Wrapping
Using Knot Cups
Using Fold over Cord Ends

Wax Cotton Cord from Leather By India

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Raw material for Leather industry-series-post 5

Some projections indicate that this growth will slow down by up to half of the current rates over the next two decades. The reasons for this decrease cited by FAO are:

Slower population growth;
countries such as China and Brazil have now reached fairly high levels of consumption and therefore have less scope for further rises;
the growth of meat consumption in India may be limited by cultural factors, and many people living in rural areas are likely to remain vegetarians;
in Sub-Saharan Africa, slow economic growth will limit increases in both meat and dairy consumption.

The slowdown of growth in the demand for meat is expected to be most noticeable in the bovine sector. Herd development is also expected to decrease as better husbandry leads to larger animals and therefore to more meat and milk per animal. The proportion of cattle grazed on pasture is about one third of the total and this is expected to drop further. Data for pigs is far less reliable from the point of view of the leather industry since it depends on whether the skins are removed or scalded on the carcass.

A major producer omitted by the USDA statistics is Vietnam with around 27 million pigs. The EU is clearly an important producer; the current estimates for key countries are: Germany: 27 million; Spain: 25 million; Poland: 16 million; France: 15 million; and Denmark 12 million (data for other EU countries have not yet become available). Undoubtedly, pigskin supply from Central European countries has dropped significantly in the last fifteen years.

WILL BE CONTINUED IN NEXT POST…………………………….

Raw material for Leather industry-series-post 4

This is an area of great controversy that brings the livestock industry into a heated dialogue with development agencies, climate scientists, conservationists, and pressure groups. One of several important papers written on this subject, Livestock’s Long Shadow, was published jointly in 2006 by LEAD (Livestock, Environment and Development Initiative) and FAO. The key points made in this study can be summarized as follows:*

8 % of water used by humans goes to livestock production;

18 % of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the livestock sector;

20 % of terrestrial animal biomass is livestock;

20 % of pastures and rangelands are degraded by livestock;

26 % of ice-free land is occupied by livestock;

30 % of land once home to wildlife is now occupied by livestock;

33 % of cropland produces feed for livestock;

37 % of anthropogenic emissions are generated by the livestock sector;

37 % of pesticides are used in livestock production;

50 % of antibiotics are used in livestock production;

55 % of anthropogenic nitrous oxide emissions are generated by the livestock sector;

70 % of agricultural land is occupied by livestock;

70 % of deforested land is converted to pastures.

Livestock’s Long Shadow has had a great deal of influence on the public sector and it has been widely publicized in support of a number of causes. There is doubt about some of the numbers and calculations in the report and the debate continues. It would appear that, due to errors in the calculations on deforestation, the 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions would more correctly be 12%. In Latin America, grazing on land cleared from rainforests creates soil erosion and further deforestation. In semi-arid environments, overstocking during dry periods frequently involves desertification risks.

Slower population growth in the developing world, along with obesity and food safety concerns after incidents of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), will slow down the growth in meat consumption. This is also due to the fact that a relatively high level of meat consumption has already been reached. Over the last decade, meat consumption has risen by only 1.3% a year in the industrial countries. This is in contrast with the developing countries, where demand for meat has grown by 5.6% a year over the last two decades.

WILL BE CONTINUED IN NEXT POST…………………………