Leather processing

Processed, curried leather is called suede. It is a soft, durable and beautiful material. It is breathing and waterproof. Sue can be used not only for making clothes and footwear, but also for various household and even military purposes.

To make clothes suede made of deer skins was mostly used. In the beginning, the inner surface of a skin was cleaned with scrapers from fat – flesh. Arctic peoples call their scraper-knives for cleaning skins ulu. Such knife consists of a wooden handle and a stone or metal blade that was set in the handle horizontally. Then the skin was soaked in water and treated on the outside – it was smeared with fat, and hair was removed with the help of a scraper. After that the skin was washed and dried – it was then ready for making clothes.

The first European researchers of the Arctic often used Eskimo fur clothes that they put on over their fabric clothes, while the aborigines did not wear anything underneath their leather or fur clothes. However, instead of warming up, the Europeans froze on the contrary. The reason is that leather has pores and lets air through. So if a person warms up while working or running, their bodies do not get covered with sweat, as the clothes lets through cold air. But if leather clothes s worn over fabric, it absorbs sweat and when chilled covers with an ice crust and the person freezes.

Leather bag. USA, Montana state. The Crow. Late 19th cent.		The Aleutians at dressing of seals. USA. Aleutians. The Aleutians. Iohelson V., 1910