it was quite a surprise at this stage in my career to be asked to give such an important industry lecture and a great honour. I thought COVID had killed it, but made it to Wisconsin for what was an outstanding symposium 62nd John Arthur Wilson Lecture, 2023. 117th Annual Convention Retelling “Viewing Leather Through […]
Leather through the ages
Note: I wrote this in 2003 but the area it covers means I have not updated it, only corrected a few spelling and grammatical errors. It is a short read that I hope everyone finds interesting. Leather in ancient history was an important material. It was functional in a multitude of uses from armour to a […]
Definition of Leather
Legal Definition, BS 2780 Definition In the UK a definition of leather is set out in the British Standard Glossary of Leather Terms (BS 2780) and this definition is used as a guide in applying consumer protection legislation such as the Sale of Goods Act and the Trade Descriptions Act. In short, if a product […]
Changing Culture and its implications
Over the last few weeks I have been using my weekly items for International Leather Maker to dig into the concept of changing culture. Not in a particularly sophisticated way, but rather to consider how good regulation, properly enforced can push companies along a positive path. From the about 1970 onwards the leather industry in […]
The progressive leather industry
POSTED ON JANUARY 16, 2018 Waste is a design error Two 40 foot containers are put together to form one module of the new plant I first met Dietrich Tegtmeyer of Lanxess right at the beginning of this century – when Lanxess was still part of Bayer. I was working for ECCO based in Dongen […]
Water is not the best tool for tanning
It feels like we have been trying to replace water as the vital fluid in tanning fir decades. Dyeing with the Swiss Multimac machine was just a typical example of many ideas intended to avoid leather having to processed in an aqueous bath. The patent for this was applied for in 1986. I last saw […]
Life in the Leather Industry need not be the pits
SLTC 116th Annual Conference The long age of the SLTC Annual Conference is a measure of the introduction of chromium technology to the leather industry, as that was the moment when tannery owners started to hire chemists to manage their production. Testing pH and astringency by tasting it was no longer adequate as short process […]
Hemp, describing leather in a materials glossary and Hide to High Street
POSTED ON MAY 28, 2012 two items below Tanning by a distance New terms such as on line and blended learning are becoming increasingly used and with time at a premium in business not all companies are willing to send staff to Northampton for long periods. A physical presence is of importance in order to […]
SLTC and the University
POSTED ON APRIL 30, 2012 two posts below The Northampton Leather Hub Delegates awaiting the start of the SLTC conference. From left: Amanda Michel, Stephen Trantum, Ian Michel For the second year in a row the SLTC held their annual conference in Northampton. The one this past weekend was the 115th. I wonder if anyone […]
What is a trade fair for?
POSTED ON APRIL 20, 2011 What is a trade fair for? Meeting alumni is a good start. For those alumni who rushed from Hong Kong to Bologna this has been a hectic few weeks. Some even have added the Portland material show, more of an athletic than a leather one, but important none the less. […]