Draft:Peccary Leather



Peccary leather is the result of tanning skins from White-lipped peccary (Tayassu Peccary) and Collared peccary (Tajacu Peccary), obtained by subsistence hunting in the Peruvian jungle. This leather is distinctive for its groups of 3 pores (follicles) in an non pattern series, also, this leather is very soft and is used in luxury goods as gloves, shoes and garments.

Peccary is included in the Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and both species are distributed in the tropical forest from North, Central and South America as far as Argentina. The population of peccaries are protected in most of the continent and is regulated by a sustainable annual quota in Peru. So far, Peru is the only country allowed to participate in the legal trade of this skins due to the regulations placed by the CITES institute in the country SERFOR (Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre) and their great population of peccaries located in the area.

General Description
Peccary leather is very distinctive in its appearance, and it’s characterized by the group of 3 pores (Follicles) in a non-pattern series in all the skin. The texture is soft and spongy which makes it very flexible and resistant. Also, Peccary leather is divided in 2 types according to the animal (Tayassu or Tajacu). The Tayassu or Black hair Peccary is thicker, harder and is usually used for shoes while the Tajacu or Grey Hair Peccary is thinner, not as textured and it’s usually used for the glove makers and artisans to do small leather accessories.

History and economic importance of the peccary skins in Peru
The use of peccary skins has historically and economically been important in the Peruvian Amazon. In ancient Peru the use of peccary skins was described by Thevet in 1558: “the inhabitants are dressed in animal skins called guanganas” (Meseldzick 1993). During the last part of the century 18th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, peccary skins were exported to Europe, via Brazil. At the end of the rubber heyday, around 1920, peccaries and other species were hunted for their skins professionally. This lasted until 1973, when this activity was prohibited.

After 1973, the Ministry of Agriculture allowed legal trade in peccary skins if they originated from subsistence hunting. This law prohibited commercial hunting but allowed subsistence use of wildlife (Pacheco 1983; Bodmer et al. 1990). After 1973, the peccary skin trade began to decline, becoming less lucrative for hunters and more strictly controlled by the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture. With these changes, the export of skins fell to its current level of around 35,000 peccary skins per year which led to a low selling price. This low price further discouraged commercial fur hunting. That is why, the law enacted by the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture prohibiting commercial fur hunting was a success because it helped regulate commercial fur hunting in Peru.

Today, the peccary skin trade is an important industry involving Peru and importing countries such as Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France, where the skins are used in the manufacture of high-quality gloves and shoes as seen in this peruvian company and many brands across Europe.

The Leather
Peccary leather compared against bovine or horse leather is very small, like any other exotic leather skin. The average size of the skins are between 4.5 and 5.5 square feet (0.4 – 0.5 m2). The size and thickness of the skins is determined by the maturity of the animals and varies depending on production methods.

The tanning Process
The skins are processed according to the following tanning processes: soaking, liming, fleshing and degreasing, de-liming, pickling, chrome tanning, setting and streching, sammying, shaving and trimming and dyeing.


 * 1) Soaking: This process involves soaking the skins in water which has certain chemicals added to prevent bacterial and fungal growth.
 * 2) Liming: This means soaking the skins in a drum or pit filled with milk of lime, an alkaline solution. Liming results in the removal of natural grease and fats as well as keratin and hair. It also causes the swelling and splitting of fibers to the desired extent and prepares the collagen in the skin to a condition that is ideal for tanning.
 * 3) Fleshing and degreasing: This process involves removing connective tissue and meat residue from the flesh side of the skin. It uses rotating scraping rolls.
 * 4) De-liming: It’s the step in which the alkalinity of the hides is reduced by adding acids to the hides in a drum or pit. The swollen fibers of the skin shrink once more in preparation for the next process.
 * 5) Pickling: involves treating the skins by salt and then acid. The salt prevents the adverse effects of a sharp increase in acidity from the acids used in pickling. This process is important because it prepares the collagen for maximum penetration of the tanning agents in the tanning stage.
 * 6) Chrome tanning: In this step the skins are soaked in baths containing acidic salts until they are ready for the next step. The bath includes chromium tanning agents and the acidity of the bath is decreased until the surface of the skin starts absorbing the chromium agents. The wet hides produced from this process are blue, and known as “wet blue hides.”
 * 7) Setting and stretching: next step is let the skins rest and hang free. This allows the skins to absorbe moisture uniformly and then is necessary to stretch it out to help prevent shrinkage.
 * 8) Sammying: it consists of applying strong pressure on wet skins to remove excess water from the fibers, making them compress and adhere to each other.
 * 9) Shaving and trimming: is this stage the leather is given the thickness desired according to the final product.
 * 10) Dyeing: The process begins by soaking the leather in water to prepare it for the dye. The dye is then added to the drum along with the leather, and the drum is rotated for several hours until the desired color is achieved. Once the dyeing process is complete, the leather is removed from the drum and dried.

Skins defects
Due to its wild nature these skins are not perfect and present many defects like: Healed scars, open cuts, bullet holes, holes, grain damage, parasites and freckles.


 * Healed Scars: are old battle wounds and bite marks. Healed scars have closed grain and they are perceptible on the surface of the skins.
 * Open cuts: are wounds that were fresh and unhealed on the skin. These types of defects have open grain, and typically cannot be included in the cutting area.
 * Bullet holes: These are holes made from the bullets of subsistence hunting.
 * Holes: Usually occur from scars or cuts that opened up during the tanning process due to the mechanical action of the drum’s rotation. Also, holes can happen as a result of poor skinning technique.
 * Grain Damage: This damage can be caused by improper raw skin preservation and care. It may also occur from poor tanning techniques.
 * Parasites: These defects are tiny round holes in the skin. They are a result of parasites present in the skin before the tanning process.
 * Freckles: Some skins may present freckles. Some more than others but they don’t represent a big problem in the dyeing process. Freckles are not considered a defect.

Grading
The grade or selection of the skin is determined primarily by the quantity and location of natural defects in the skin. The leather is the same tanned quality from Grade 1 to Grade 4.

Grade I
These skins have a suitable work surface for 5 or 6 hands at least. Here are some characteristics of this grade:


 * Some skins barely have any defects.
 * There could be defects on the center surface of the skin.
 * There are at least 1 to 5 bullet holes. Some skins could have more holes but their work surface will be guaranteed at 5 or 6 hands.
 * Freckles are common in these skins.

Grade II
These skins have a suitable work surface for 4 or 5 hands at least. Here are some characteristics of this grade:


 * Defects on the center surface of the skin. Almost 80% of the skins have center uneven surfaces
 * Some skins can have open holes and cuts or healed cuts in the periphery.
 * Freckles are common in these skins.
 * Bullet holes in the skin.

Grade III
These skins have a suitable work surface for 3 or 4 hands at least. Here are some characteristics of this grade:


 * Holes in the center of the skins and in the periphery. At least 80% of the skins present this defect.
 * Defects on the surface of the skin without being holes. Uneven surfaces.
 * It could contain moth holes around all the skin.
 * These skins present healed scars and open cuts.
 * Bullet holes in the skin.

Grade IV
These skins have a suitable work surface for 2 or 3 hands at least. Here are some characteristics of this grade:


 * There could be blood stains and tanning stains.
 * Grain damages in the periphery and Center.
 * Big center holes.
 * Moth holes in 80% of the skin.
 * Bullet holes in the skin.

Uses
Peccary leather is considered to be a small skin so the uses are gloves, small leather goods like wallets, shoes and belts. Traditionally, fashion has driven the demand for peccary leather. Brands like Hestra Gloves and Roeckl are examples of successfully used peccary leather in gloves for many decades. Footwear is another way in which renowned brands showcase the material. Belts are another major accessory that utilize peccary leather; There are other uses for peccary leather notably wallets and small handbags.

Different geographic regions have different demands for peccary leather. For instance, Northern Europe has an especially strong market for peccary leather gloves due to their extreme winter season in some countries, while the south has many designer shoes using peccary leather. Also, in Japan, the market for sustainable exotics leather is booming as it is the demand for peccary leather by their artisans.