SECTION VI. JAPANNED AND ENAMELLED 

 LEATHERS 



THE leathers which receive a japanned or enamelled finish 

 are usually vegetable tannages, and so may be discussed at 

 this stage. They are popularly known as " patent " 

 leather, but for no obvious reason. The chief object is to 

 obtain a leather with an exceedingly bright and permanent 

 gloss or polish, and this is attained by coating the leather 

 several times with suitable varnishes. The great difficulties 

 are to prevent the varnish cracking when the leather is 

 bent or in use, and to prevent it peeling off from the leather. 

 Almost all classes of vegetable tannage are japanned and 

 enamelled. Hides are split and enamelled for carriage, 

 motor car and upholstery leathers, and enamelled calf, seal 

 and sheep skins are used for boot uppers, toe caps, dress 

 shoes, slippers, ladies' and children's belts, hat leathers, and 

 so on. Broadly speaking, a japanned leather is a smooth 

 finish and is usually black, whilst an enamelled leather is a 

 grain finish with a grain pattern worked up, and more often 

 in colours. Hence japanned leathers are often made from 

 flesh splits or leathers with a damaged grain. It is in any case 

 advantageous to buff the grain lightly, for this permits the 

 varnishes to sink rather deeper and get a firmer grip, and 

 avoids the too sudden transition from phase to phase which 

 is one cause of stripping or peeling. Many flesh splits, 

 however, are printed or embossed to give an artificial grain 

 and are then enamelled, which tends to fix the embossed 

 pattern. 



Almost any method of preparing dressing hides for upper 

 or bag work will yield a suitable leather for enamelling and 



