Читать книгу Handicraft Simplified Procedure and Projects in Leather, Celluloid, Metal, Wood, Batik, Rope, Cordage, Yarn, Horsehair, Pottery, Weaving, Stone, Primitive Indian Craft - Lester Griswold - Страница 9

Until the beginning of the 20th Century the leather generally used for fine tooling was a calfskin known as Russia Calf, so called because it was said to have been first made in Russia by means of a vegetable tanning process, using white birch bark from which it received a characteristic odor. It was frequently dyed a rich red color with dye made from Brazil wood and this leather became especially popular for book bindings.

The term Russia Calf is still widely applied to vegetable tanned calfskin, both natural and dyed colors and in the tanning industry any natural or undyed leather is classed as “Russet.” Consequently there is some confusion as to the color indicated by this term. Throughout this book it will be used to designate the natural or undyed leather.

Spanish or Mission Steerhide is a vegetable tanned leather which has been developed in this Century. It is a beautiful and durable tooling leather and is available in the natural russet, also in a variety of shaded and two tone effects. It has a characteristic boarded or grained surface which contrasts effectively with smooth tooled or modeled areas and though it is somewhat more difficult to tool than the softer calfskin it is well worth the effort since the finished article will retain its beauty almost indefinitely.