The hair is removed by a chemical treatment to loosen it then hand-pulled to ensure the skin is presented in its best condition.
“A mechanical pull would be too harsh,” NZLL managing director David Cassidy said.
The hair is sold for further processing into protein while the hide continues its journey through the plant with a 36- hour pickling process in huge, revolving wooden drums.
Once pickled NZLL’s experienced staff grade hides according to which clients’ finished leather requirements they could meet.
“It’s not until skins have been pickled that we clearly know the quality of each hide,” Cassidy said.
Clean hides with no scar faulting are suitable for luxury clients and, subject to successful further processing, will command a premium price.
However, about a third of the intake is downgraded because of faults or damage that halve the hide’s value, and a few skins are only fit for landfill because of tears, scars or other damage.
“Most damage occurs in the 24 hours prior to processing, when the animal is being drafted and transported. Generally skins from animals processed in winter have less faulting because the longer hair provides some protection.”
Recurring problems are reported to the supplying processor.
Hides go through the first three days’ processing – defleshing, hair removal and pickling – then are held as what are known as “wet-blue” until needed for dying to client-specific colours.
Processing from the wet-blue stage starts with a visual inspection under special lights, and an automated camera scan and computer grading process.
The scans determine the degree of faulting in each skin and the images are held on record for reference.
“We have an image of every skin dyed.”
Each product line has a particular finishing standard that determines how the tannery’s experienced staff handle the line post-scanning.
Is that Ferrari red? Visitors from the New Zealand Elk and Wapiti Society tour New Zealand Light Leathers’ Timaru plant.
Feral deerskins are kept separate from farmed with good reason, NZLL managing director David Cassidy said.
“It would be a disaster if we inadvertently delivered a skin to our luxury partners with a bullet-hole in it!”
The farmed origin of NZ deerskin is regarded as a positive by NZLL’s clients, the animals having had a good life on a farm with high welfare standards, Cassidy said.
“Our clients are increasingly asking about the ethical side of how the animals are handled and their retail consumers are wanting this information too.”
KEY POINTS
- Deer hides have a natural grain, and are soft and strong
- They take dyes of many hues
- Farm-source sustainable and welfarefriendly
- Scars from stock handling are the chief cause of hide downgrades
- Several skins are needed to make one top-brand handbag
- Deer hides command a premium over sheep or cattle hides
