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Posted (edited)

So I just got around to doing the Siegel test on a lot of leather I was either given or bought. Turns out 90% of it is chrome tan. I know that there is more chrome tan around than veg tan, but the shocking thing is most of what I bought from local merchants was marked veg tan. 

One more question. I've noticed that some leather is referred to as chrome free but not actually veg tan. What would that be?

Edited by chuckgaudette
added chrome free question
Posted

I just cut up a side of cowhide I was given.  The cowhide was sent to a tannery by the ranch owners.  Then after it was tanned, it sat for many years and travelled across Canada and back.  Then sat in my storage for another year or so.  Seemed to absorb water somewhat, but not like vegtan.  Could stamp it, but didn't leave good crisp impressions.  Had been drum dyed, but centre was blue grey.  Also could not wet form the leather.  The blue grey colour in the middle clinched it for me.  Chrome tanned.  If struck through, the other behaviours here may help sort out the type of tannage.

Finally used it to make a set of saddle bags and gave them to the fellow that donated the hide to me.  He has MS, can still do some riding.  When he can't ride anymore, he can through them over the back of his wheelchair, or I can remove the yolk and split them into two separate bags with whatever type of handles he wants.

Tom

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Posted
On 8/7/2016 at 4:19 PM, chuckgaudette said:

So I just got around to doing the Siegel test on a lot of leather I was either given or bought. Turns out 90% of it is chrome tan. I know that there is more chrome tan around than veg tan, but the shocking thing is most of what I bought from local merchants was marked veg tan. 

One more question. I've noticed that some leather is referred to as chrome free but not actually veg tan. What would that be?

We are seeing some leather being sold as "synthetic tannage" but i am not sure what it is.  

  • 2 months later...
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Posted

Sorry for bumping this old post but it's what came up in the search results.

I  just did the "Siegel Test" to confirm whether the 'veg-tan' leather I bought in Morocco was really veg-tan or not. 

I have 3 different hides. With 2 of them, the samples immediately curled up and stayed curled which seems to confirm they're veg-tan.

With the 3rd hide, the samples (I tried a couple) immediately curled up but then straightened back out after being in the water for 5+ seconds?

I tried the burn test and the hides acted the same (no green ember I could see and they didn't burn very well, though the hide that 're-straightened' seemed to bubble out more liquid). The burned ends appear to scratch black (rather than green) on paper once burned.

The hides were all dyed through already and seem to absorb water well.

I think it's all veg-tan but I still feel uncertain - any other tests I can do? I won't be selling anything from these hides but I'd still like to know for sure what I'm working with!
 

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Posted
3 hours ago, Baldpacker said:

I still feel uncertain

It isn't always an either or situation. Latigo is both veg-tanned and chrome tanned. Typically veg-tanned can be tooled after being "cased", if that might help your determination.

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