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The History of Leathercraft
The history of leathercraft, from ancient hide tools and Egyptian sandals through medieval guilds and chrome tanning to 20th-century hobby craft, with dates.
Foundations
Leathercraft History
How leatherworking developed over time.
Leather in Ancient Egypt: Sandals, Armor and Tanning
What leather did in ancient Egypt: sandals, shields, armor, chariot harness, and how hides were cured and tanned along the Nile, with the debates explained.
Leather Making Terms: A Glossary
A plain-English leather glossary: hides and skins, full grain vs top grain, suede, nubuck, temper, chrome and vegetable tanning, skiving, and burnishing.
Medieval Leatherworking Techniques
How medieval Europeans turned hides into leather: oak-bark pit tanning, currying, tawing, turnshoe construction, and tooling, explained step by step.
The History of the Leather Jacket: From Military to Motorcycle
How the leather jacket went from WWI flying gear to military A-2s, the Schott Perfecto, The Wild One, punk, and modern fashion. Includes common myths.
What Are Leather Makers Called? Names for Leather Workers
What are leather makers called? Learn the names for leatherworkers, tanners, cordwainers, saddlers, and glovers, and how the old leather trades differed.
What does leather mean in LGBTQ?
What does leather mean in LGBTQ communities? A respectful guide to the leather subculture, its history, events, the Leather Pride Flag, and myths.
When Did People First Start Using Leather?
When did people first start using leather? Tens of thousands of years ago, based on stone tools, bone awls, and some of the oldest known shoes.
Who are some famous leather workers?
Who are some famous leather workers? Meet saints, shoemakers, saddlers, and the founders of Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Tandy, plus common myths.
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