Leather Industry Glossary (G-H)

Leather Industry Glossary - A collection of frequently used terms, abbreviations and jargons used in the Leather Industry with their definition and meanings.

Glove Leather:
A self-explanatory term which, however, covers two rather distinct classes: the leather going into utilitarian or work-gloves and made of a variety of hides and skins, of which the most important are horsehides, cattlehide splits, calfskins and pigskins; and the leather going into dress-gloves, including those for street, riding, driving, and sports wear. the latter is tanned predominately from sheep and lambskins; but there is a considerable item made of deerskin and a small one of pigskin, while an important item for the highest grades of women’s fine gloves is tanned in a few countries of Europe from kidskins.

Guilds (Gilds):
Western European trade associations, grew strongly in the 12th and 13th centuries to protect and promote trade groups. Data from the Brewers’ Company in London show that their were at least 14 different guilds concerned with leather listed in London in 1422).

Handlers:
One of the series of pits or vats in which heavy leathers are tanned with bark or vegetable extracts. They are usually worked with stronger liquors than the suspenders, but with weaker liquors than the layers.

Heavy Leathers:
A term distinguishing sole leather, belting leather, and harness leather proper from other classes which are referred to collectively as light leathers.

Helvetia Leather:
Oil tanned hide from which not all the excess grease is removed.

Hydraulic leathers:
A collective term sometimes used for the cattle hide leathers, chiefly rawhide and combination tannages, employed in pump valves, as piston packing, oils seals and so forth.