Pre-tanning operations were the initial steps taken to make the animal hides ready for further processing. This involved several procedures such as cleaning, soaking, and liming. Firstly, the animal hides were cleaned to remove any unwanted residues such as dirt, fat, and blood. This cleaning process was called ‘fleshing’. After fleshing, the hides were soaked in water to soften them and remove any salts that could cause damage to the hides.
Once the hides were properly softened, they were taken through a process called ‘liming’. Liming involved soaking the hides in a solution of lime and water, which helped to dissolve the hair and skin proteins, leaving behind only the collagen fibers. This collagen is the base material for the high-quality leather products we use today.
The hides were then ‘de-limed’, a process that involved soaking them in water with a weak acid to neutralize the lime. This was necessary before proceeding to the next phase of tanning operations.
The pre-tanned hides were then taken through tanning operations, where leather was created by chemically treating the hides to make them waterproof and durable. The hides were treated with a tanning solution, usually made of natural materials such as bark, leaves, or fruits, which would bind to the collagen fibers and create a strong bond.
The tanned hides were then put through several other processes such as cutting, shaping, and drying to create the final leather product. During the drying process, the hides were stretched and worked to remove any wrinkles or cracks that had formed during the tanning process.
Leather tanning was a vital industry, sustaining the economy and providing jobs for many people in pre-industrial times. However, it was a tough process, and workers had to put in long hours of heavy labor in hazardous conditions. Despite that, the leather produced was of exceptional quality, making it highly valued in the market.
In conclusion, pre-tanning operations of leather prepared the animal hides for tanning, removing unwanted components and softening the hide for further processing. After this, the tanning operation was performed, which chemically treated the hides to make them waterproof and durable, before the final phase of drying, cutting and shaping the leather into final products. These pre-tanning operations of leather were fundamental to the production of high-quality leather products, which remain highly sought-after to this day.