Help with a leather term

[JoelR]

Can someone please explain to me what is meant when a leather is described as 'Hot Stuffed' and what are the pros/cons to this (and maybe add it to the 'leather terms' post)? Thanks.

[katsass]

I believe that this term relates to bags, purses, and formed items of that sort. My understanding is that the item is filled with warm sand, or something of the sort, to assist in drying and molding the moist leather into the final shape. Mike

I may be wrong but I seem to remember hearing of the process many years ago. It seems to my poor old memory, that it was/is not done much in modern times but was a 'traditional' meathod used by good London leather smiths.

[bruce johnson]

Siegel's website has a reference section that is pretty complete. Her is a link to section on hot stuffing harness leather - Production of Harness Leather.

[Art]

Hi Joel,

Put leather in a drum,

Add stuffing oils, tallows, greases, waxes, ........... whatever. Probably hot.

Spin the drum. The centripetal force forces the "stuff" into the leather.

Usually yields a water resistant leather, latigo, etc.

Usually veg-tanned leather is stuffed, I guess you could do it to chrome-tan.

There is also curried leather (cold stuffed??) where the stuffing is forced into (or worked into) the leather by hand.

Art

Can someone please explain to me what is meant when a leather is described as 'Hot Stuffed' and what are the pros/cons to this (and maybe add it to the 'leather terms' post)? Thanks.

[JoelR]

Thanks everyone.