From ancient times, man has used animal skins were used to keep themselves warm from the harsh winter. But the problem was that after some days, it started to rot. Eventually it was found that tannin which was found in the bark of some trees can be used to convert raw skin to the present day leather. In the course of time, dyestuff’s synthetic tanning agents and oils were introduced and these changes have made tanning into a modern manufacturing industry.

Leather is made from the skin or hide of animals like pig, cow, alligator, sheep or horse. The most common hide that is in use is that of cow. It is normally flexible and durable. The hide is chemically treated in tanneries. They use tannic acids present on plants to treat them. This will preserve the hide from rotting.  Various types of leathers are made by making them go through various processes to get the required properties. Some of the names are raw hide, pig hide, deer hide, cow hide, combination leather, bonded leather, oil tanned leather, and vegetable tanned leather and genuine leather.

In modern times, leather is not only used for practical purposes but also for aesthetical use also. Leather clothing and accessories like coats, jackets, shoes, hand bags, wallets, luggage and gloves are in high demand nowadays. Artificial   leather also known as faux leather is also in demand nowadays. This will meet the needs of those who are concerned about the cruelty to animals. This is found to be more durable and attractive than real leather. It is also not so easy to find the difference between the real and artificial one. Another type which is available in the market is patch leather. As the term itself suggests, it is made from different pieces of leather. Even though the pieces might be of high quality leather, since it’s made from leftover pieces, it comes cheaper in comparison to others.

The countries which comes tops in the list of exporting leather are China, Australia, Germany, Canada, United States, Belgium and Peru. Italian leather is considered to be one of the world’s best. They are made from the hides of Ostriches. So it is more durable and thicker than traditional leather. Since it is made of full grain leather, it gains a beautiful   luster as it ages. So an Italian purse can cost several hundreds of dollars in the market.