SECTION IX. BAG LEATHER 



HIDES to be tanned for bag leather receive a treatment 

 which is little different in fundamental principle from that 

 of dressing hides for upper leather, except that the tannage 

 is usually shorter. Hides for bags and portmanteaux 

 represent a type of dressing leather in which the outstanding 

 features are that the goods are split but not rounded. The 

 splitting is done at all stages, according to the requirements 

 of the tanner. Some tanners split " green," i.e. split the 

 pelt itself. The advantage of this is that the fleshes may 

 then be treated in quite a different way, e.g. pickled or 

 given a much cheaper tannage. Other manufacturers split 

 after tanning, the advantage being that there is much less 

 material to handle. The general opinion, however, favours 

 a middle course in which the hides are split after being in 

 the tan liquors for a short time. The advantage of this 

 course is that the hides are easiest to split under these 

 conditions a great consideration being coloured through 

 with tan, just a little plumped, but not hard. A smoother 

 flesh is obtained together with more even substance. Here 

 again, however, are differences; some tanners prefer to split 

 after two days, others after two weeks in tan. Much depends 

 upon the nature of the tan and the strength of the liquors. 



For this class of work, flat, spready and evenly grown 

 cowhides are obviously the most suitable material, and are 

 invariably used. It is important, however, that the grain 

 be good, and free from scratches and similar defects. The 

 tannage must be sweet and mellow, i.e. contain no acid and 

 little astringent tan. Hence myrabolans and gambier have 

 always been the favourite tanning materials. A soft and 

 rnellowtannage is the more important, inasmuch as theleather 

 is not heavily stuffed with grease in finishing. These types 



