CALGARY (Staff) – Of 26.5 million hides processed in the United States last year, less than 10 percent made the top grade at a time when worldwide demand for quality leather products topped record levels.
Bob Koeppen, an American hide processor, said there is high consumer demand for leather furniture and auto upholstery, sneakers and clothing.
He works for Blueside Companies, a Missouri processor that accepts hides from across North America. His company has seen a general deterioration in hide quality in the last few years, he said. The more blemishes, the farther a hide is downgraded.
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Leather workers value large, undamaged pieces the most. The best hides fetch the equivalent of $3.50 per sq. foot and some upholstery companies will offer a $7 to $17 premium for brand-free hides, said Koeppen at the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association convention held here last week.
He has seen hides so badly scarred by brands, insect stings and skin diseases that they’re useless to the North American leather industry. The damaged hides are sent to Asia where they are cut into small pieces for items like luggage tags and key chains, said Koeppen.
The most preventable defect is branding. Multiple or rib brands can cause considerable loss because the damaged pieces must be cut away. If the brands are deep, the hide may tear.
Pitting is the most costly defect after branding. Pitting refers to scars left by open sores caused by biting insects. Up to 60 percent of the hide may be damaged. Pits may also be left by warts.
Next on the list is “diaper rash.” This is a form of dermatitis from urine and manure that doesn’t heal properly. It can spread down the entire hindquarters, leaving a stain that isn’t detected until the hide is tanned.
Scratches from lice and scars left by ringworm are also seen frequently by processors.
Mange, caused by parasitic mites, can sometimes lead to heavy scarring, which can damage the leather’s grain. If there is no grain or enamel left on the hide, it won’t hold dyes.
Grub damage that leaves sores along the back is also serious and isn’t seen until the hair is removed.
The hide can be worthless if pus crystallizes when the skin is tanned, said Koeppen.
“Pour-on damage” occurs when medicine or insecticides are poured on the animal’s back. It causes a burn-like reaction that stains the largest part of the hide.
Koeppen supports efforts by people in the livestock industry to trace problems back to the producers. Many of the defects can be prevented by proper management, which would increase the returns on hides and subsequently live cattle, he said.
