How is sheepskin tanned? An overview of the tanning process

  Real sheepskin is a high-quality natural product. The warm, fluffy wool and the soft leather come from nature, or more precisely from real sheep. Everyone knows that skin and hair need care. Unlike humans, sheep do not use moisturizer or conditioner to care for their fluffy wool, but the sheep still supplies the skin and hair with valuable nutrients and cares for them accordingly. When sheepskin is produced, this natural supply of nutrients is lost and the question must be asked: How can real sheepskins, whether as a popular decorative object or fashion item, remain shiny and supple even after years of use? How do you ensure that real sheepskin does not lose quality over time or even rot?

The key word is “tanning”. 

Basics of Tanning

Those who have already dealt intensively with the processing of sheepskins and leather have certainly already come across the term “tanning”. But what does tanning actually mean? 

Sheepskins have been convincing for many years with their natural shine and unique fluffiness. In order to ensure that the popular natural properties of sheepskins are preserved for as long and as well as possible, the skins obtained from sheep must first be processed accordingly before they can move into our homes and spread their cozy shine. Tanning is an important step in this sheepskin processing. More precisely, tanning refers to the preservation process that uses various vegetable or chemical tanning agents to help create a high-quality product from the raw sheepskin and the freshly obtained sheepskin.

  step-by-step process of sheepskin tanning

  rawhide preparation

In order for sheepskins to ultimately produce a high-quality product, it is important that they are processed correctly immediately after they are obtained and prepared for the further production process.  The processing starts with a thorough cleaning. The focus is on removing dirt and excess fat from the raw hides so that the hides are clean on the one hand and optimally prepared for the further processing steps on the other.

pickling

Once the sheepskins have been thoroughly cleaned, the fur is mordanted. This is an essential step in preparing the sheepskins for tanning. The surface structure of the fur and leather is changed using mordants so that the tanning agents can penetrate and work better during the subsequent tanning process. Without the use of mordants, the effectiveness of the tanning process could be significantly impaired and the quality of the end product could not be guaranteed.

tanning

After the sheepskins have been pickled, they are then tanned. As already mentioned, this is a preservation process that uses certain mordants to make both the leather and the fur more durable and softer, thereby increasing the quality of the sheepskin. It is important to know that the choice of tanning agents also plays an important role and determines the quality of the end product, as each tanning agent has its own individual advantages.

There are many different tannins, but the most important distinction is between vegetable and chemical tannins.

Vegetable tanning uses plant extracts such as oak bark or chestnut, while chemical tanning uses chemicals such as chromium salts. Basically, all tanning agents aim to improve the durability and quality of sheepskins.                                                       

follow-up treatment

After tanning, the sheepskins are gently dried and softened. Even though tanned sheepskins are relatively robust, they should not simply be dried in the dryer. In order to dry the tanned sheepskin as gently as possible, most sheepskins are air-dried and regularly kneaded and shaken so that the individual fibers of the fur and leather become soft and supple. As an alternative to air drying, larger producers often use special drying machines.

In order to offer customers only products of perfect quality, the sheepskins are checked again for defects after drying. Depending on whether the sheepskin already meets the quality standard, further processing may be carried out to ensure 100 percent customer satisfaction.

  Advantages and disadvantages of the different tanning methods

We have already briefly mentioned that the different tanning agents have different advantages and that the type of tanning agent to use should be decided depending on the desired end product.

To help you choose the right sheepskin for you, we will compare the most important advantages of vegetable and chemical tanning below.

For many people, sheepskin is a very popular product because it combines luxury and sustainability. For those who value sustainability and naturalness, a vegetable-tanned fur is probably a better choice. Since only pure plant extracts are used, the processing of the fur is more environmentally friendly and sustainable. The sustainability aspect is reinforced by the particularly high durability of vegetable-tanned sheepskins.

But chemical tanning also has some advantages. The use of chemical tanning agents means that the tanning process is much faster than vegetable tanning. So if you want to get your sheepskin as quickly as possible, a chemically tanned sheepskin is the right choice for you. Chemically tanned sheepskin is also characterized by its particular durability.

Applications and care of tanned sheepskin

In principle, not every sheepskin needs to be tanned before it can be used by humans. However, since the uses for tanned sheepskins are much more varied than for non-tanned skins and the quality and durability of tanned skins are much higher, almost all sheepskins are tanned these days. These tanned skins are popular items of clothing, furniture, blankets and accessories.

Regardless of how the sheepskins are ultimately used, they must be cared for regularly and properly so that they remain soft and fluffy for as long as possible. Although tanning makes sheepskins more robust, they should still be vacuumed, brushed and shaken out regularly. In addition, always check whether your sheepskin has any defects, for example if it smells unpleasant or becomes harder. The more often and more thoroughly you check the condition of your sheepskin, the faster and more effectively you can counteract possible signs of wear.

Conclusion

In summary, tanning is a very useful preservation process to preserve the beloved fluffiness and softness of sheepskins for as long as possible. Knowledge about sheepskin tanning will not only help you choose the right sheepskin for you, but will also give you a special understanding of how to care for and clean sheepskins.