RUSSIA LEATHER (Ger., _Juchtenleder_).
This is tanned in Russia with, the bark of various species of willow,
poplar and larch, either by laying away in pits, or handling in
liquors, much like other light leathers, the lime being first removed
by bating, either in a drench of rye- and oat-meal and salt, by
dogs' dung, or by sour liquors. After tanning, the hides are again
softened and cleansed by a weak drench of rye- and oat-meal. They are
then shaved down, carefully sleeked and scoured out, and dried. The
peculiar odour is given by saturating them with birch-bark oil, which
is rubbed into the flesh-side with cloths. This oil is produced by
dry distillation of the bark and twigs of the birch. The red colour
is given by dyeing with Brazilwood; and the diamond-shaped marking by
rolling with grooved rollers.
Much of the leather now sold as "Russia" is produced in Germany,
France, and England. It is tanned in the customary way, occasionally
with willow, but more generally with oak-bark, and probably other
materials. Economy would suggest the use of such materials as, from
their red colour, are objectionable for other purposes, and therefore
cheap. The currying is in the usual manner, care being taken that the
oil used does not strike through to the grain, which would prevent
it taking the dye. The colour is given by grounding with a solution
of chloride of tin (100 parts tin perchloride, 30 parts nitric acid,
25 parts hydrochloric acid, allowed to stand some days, and the
clear solution poured off, and mixed with 12 volumes of water). The
dye-liquor may be composed of 70 parts rasped Brazilwood, 3 parts
tartar, and 420 parts water, boiled together, strained, and allowed to
settle clear. The grounding and dyeing are done on a table with a brush
or sponge (see Glove-kid dyeing, p. 229). The odour is communicated by
rubbing the flesh-side with a mixture of fish-oil and birch-bark oil,
which sometimes contains no more than 5 per cent. of the latter.
[Illustration: PL. VII.
_E. & F. N. Spon, London & New York_
"INK-PHOTO" SPRAGUE & CO LONDON
TREADING AND DYEING THE SKINS.]