Chapter I: Harness Leather

Before entering upon details respecting the practical work of the harness maker, I shall give some general directions regarding the various kinds of leather used, its adaptation to specific grades and patterns of harness, together with such other details as may serve to assist the manufacturer in selecting his stock.

The familiar adage, “There is nothing like leather,” is an old one, and it is true in more senses than one. In the first place, leather is an article of such peculiar structure that those who have spent a lifetime in working it can not give any reliable rules by which an inexperienced person may judge to a certainty of its quality. The grain may be fine, close, and to the eye all that can be desired, the flesh side smooth, of good color, and finely finished, and yet the quality be such as to condemn it as soon as it gets into the hands of the workman. On the other hand, the grain may be coarse and the flesh side badly cleaned, and yet, for actual wear, it may be of good quality. The hides from which it was made may have been taken from old or poorly fed cattle, insufficiently tanned, badly curried with cheap oil and tallow, stuffed to weigh heavy, blacked with strong acids, which have passed through the grain and rendered it hard and brittle, of uneven thickness, the shoulders thin and unfit for general use; all of which faults are of a serious nature, and yet a long experience, by which the eye and touch are so educated as to detect almost by intuition defects other than the most prominent, is the only safe and reliable guide as to the actual merits of the leather.

There are, however, a few leading tests which assist in the acquiring of the needful experience. The character of the hide before it was tanned may be ascertained, in most cases, by close examination. It is a well-known fact that cattle raised in certain sections of the country produce much finer grained hides, possessing in a greater degree the firm, elastic nature necessary for the production of harness leather, than those raised in other sections. If the hide has been taken from an old and poor animal, the grain will be coarse, uneven, and irregular, the neck hard and rough, the flanks thick and flabby, and the shoulders and hips thin and baggy; if from a young, well-kept animal, the grain will in most cases be fine, close, and even, the flesh side smooth and of a good color, and the whole side of nearly uniform thickness. Grub holes are a sure indication of poor hides, but, as they can be so easily detected, it is unnecessary to caution buyers to avoid all having these defects. Short tannage is a very common fault, but it is one that can be detected by cutting a strip from the hide and wetting the freshly-cut edge with the tongue: if the color is uniform throughout, and the cut edge presents a smooth and glassy appearance, instead of being covered with fine fibres, the tannage is good. If, on the other hand, the cut edge presents a fuzzy appearance, feels harsh and rough when dry, and shows a white or light-colored strip through the center when wet, it is insufficiently tanned, and the wider this light strip the poorer is the tannage.

It frequently happens that leather which has been well tanned is injured in the currying, and it is much more difficult to detect faults arising from this source than those due to short tannages. The grain may have been injured while being tanned, but it is just as liable to injury from the use of strong acid blacks, which, while giving it a deep black color, cause it to become hard and brittle. The best and most reliable test for detecting this fault is to bend a narrow strip, flesh sides together, and close it down between the teeth; if the grain is hard and brittle, it will surely break off short, so as to show the natural color of the leather underneath. If, however, the leather is extra heavy, this test will be likely to rupture the grain, whether the quality be good or bad; but if good, it will have the appearance of having been torn asunder instead of broken off short. If the hard grain has been produced by strong acids, which have burned it, a freshly-cut edge will show to what depth they have penetrated, and there will be black streaks well down into the fibres below the grain. The use of impure oils or grease is also a source of much annoyance, it being very difficult, in fact almost impossible, to detect the fault until after the harness has been made up and exposed for a time in the showcase, when the tell-tale gum-spots will appear on the surface, exposing the fraud, though not until the manufacturer has suffered much loss by the depreciation in the value of his harness. It sometimes happens that these gum-spots will appear upon the grain before the side has been cut. When this is the case the leather may be treated as we have directed in Chapter V., and future gumming will be prevented.

These points seem to assist in the detection of the above-mentioned faults, but they can not be relied upon under all circumstances; frequent handling and close observation will alone give the eye and touch the training necessary for the intelligent selection of the different qualities. Good leather, in the language of one of the best known and most experienced men in the harness leather trade, should be “solid, but not hard; mellow, but not soft”—qualities that can not be explained, but which can be detected instantly by one who has the requisite experience. In this country there are three kinds of leather employed by harness makers—namely, oak, hemlock, and union (oak and hemlock) tanned, all of which are used to a considerable extent. All other conditions being equal, however, oak-tanned leather is by far the best. It is firmer, but not so hard as hemlock, the fibre is finer and more dense, and, as a natural result, is not so easily affected by water; it also works up finer, takes a much better finish, is more easily worked, and possesses more of the qualities indispensable to the production of good harness—strength and pliability—than any other tannage. Hemlock leather is harder; of a dark red color, which greatly interferes with its taking a good black, and also causes the latter to assume a dingy brown appearance on exposure to the elements; the grain is more open and appears coarser; it wets up quickly, and does not dry out as soft as does oak leather; it is harder to stitch, and is inferior in strength, particularly when the strap is placed in a position where the strain comes on a short bend or on the edge. It is also much heavier. A side of hemlock will weigh from eight to ten per cent more than a side of oak leather of equal spread and thickness, a difference that makes up for the margin in price between the two kinds. “Union” leather is either tanned with mixed oak and hemlock liquors, or first tanned with hemlock, and afterwards retanned with oak, the latter operation giving it a much lighter color than it originally possessed; in some cases the color on the flesh side being so light as to deceive the buyer who is unacquainted with this kind of leather. The grain is close and, as a rule, finer than either oak or hemlock, but for harness this leather is inferior to oak in every respect, and but a little better than hemlock. It weighs nearly as heavy as the latter, and possesses no qualities that recommend it to the buyer who desires good stock.

In some sections of the country, hemlock leather is made with much care, the hides being closely selected, well tanned, and curried with the best oil and grease. Prepared in this manner, it gives satisfaction when not brought into direct competition with oak-tanned stock; but, no matter how much care may have been exercised, it is inferior to oak-tanned leather with which the same pains have been taken, and there is but one condition under which it should receive the preference, and that is when the choice lies between inferior oak and superior hemlock.

The following general advice may be of value to harness makers and manufacturers of harness leather. Select hides of young steers or heifers which were in the best condition when killed: they only possess the requisites of fineness of grain, uniformity of thickness, and strength of fibre. A cow or bullock hide is entirely unfitted for this kind of leather; the butt of the former is liable to be thick and the shoulder thin, while the latter will be thick at the head and belly, thin and soft at the butt. Having found such a hide, examine it further and see that it has not been damaged by scratches. These, though apparently simple, are very injurious, as they can not be entirely removed, and will show upon the grain as soon as the leather is dampened by the workmen. See that there are no warble or grub holes along the back. These are not likely to be found in hides taken from cattle that are killed in the summer or fall. Next ascertain whether the hide has been damaged by the butcher or not. If it has been cut, it should never be used for harness leather. Length is an important consideration, and many hides are seriously damaged in this respect by the butcher having cut the animal’s throat from ear to ear, thus shortening the hide by severing the cheeks from the body.

Tanning, though not a portion of the harness maker’s business, should be understood by him so far as to enable him to distinguish between the various products. Oak-tanned is superior to any other now in use because of its being tougher and more pliable; but even oak-tanned may not be good. There are two general methods of tanning: one the sole leather, by which the leather is made firm and hard; the other the upper leather, by which the leather is made pliable and tough. By the first method greater weight is secured, but the quality is unsuited to the use of the harness maker. Some tanners follow the former method in part, and thereby secure a greater weight, but they can not produce a good quality. This leather can be detected while working it by its hard, sole-leather-like character. It does not work well in rounds, or when being raised, and is more likely to break when subjected to a sudden strain.

In addition to these features of tanning, there is what is known as the short-tanned, this leather coiling like a piece of tin, and when cut it shows a pale streak through the center. Then there is the limy leather, with a loose, wrinkled grain, or puffed up beyond its proper thickness, which will, upon being worked, stretch and fall away to its natural substance. There is also the black-oak tannage. This leather shows a greenish-yellow appearance in spots upon the flesh side. It is soft, and possesses less strength than white-oak leather. Well-tanned leather is too often injured in being curried; the use of poor oils and grease causes the “gum,” “spew,” or “fry,” as it is known in different localities; if properly curried with good oils, this pest of the harness maker will not appear. Leather that has been well curried will possess a surface free from roughness or wrinkles, and will be smooth and silky to the touch.

The buyer, therefore, should insist upon the seller furnishing him with hides such as have been recommended, reasonably free from scratches, warble or grub holes, or cuts by the butcher, of fine, mellow tannage, and curried in the best manner with pure oil and grease. Perfection is not to be expected; the harness maker should aim to secure leather possessing the minimum of defects. Hard leather is sometimes made to feel mellow and to appear tough by being moistened by the currier. The dampness may be detected by placing the palm of the hand upon the thickest part of the side. Such leather shrinks in weight, and proves a poor purchase to the buyer.

Next in importance to the procuring of a good quality of leather is the selection of that which possesses the requisite weight and strength for the kinds of harness designed to be made, and the particular parts for which it is intended.

So well is this understood by leading harness-manufacturers who make up full lines, that they never cut a harness from a single side, but select the leather carefully and use a specific grade or weight for each particular strap; while the leading custom manufacturers purchase or cut only backs of the best quality. The great majority, however, buy their leather in small quantities, and by so doing commit the error of not procuring a proper assortment. As a rule, they select the weight best adapted to the greater portion of their work, and when lighter stock is needed they resort to the splitting-machine, entailing on themselves extra labor, and wasting no inconsiderable amount of leather, besides materially weakening the straps thus manipulated, as the portion of the flesh side which is removed is the strongest part of the stock.

If extra heavy straps are needed, three thicknesses of leather are used, which in most cases calls for the use of the splitting-machine to prevent overweight, whereby further loss is incurred. If, instead of following this course, they would assort the sides so as to provide themselves with a full line of weights, from six to twenty pounds a side, they would at all times possess leather adapted to every requirement except the heaviest truck harness, which calls for the heavier grades. Light weights are needed for bridles, no matter what kind of harness is to be made, and, as a rule, sides weighing fourteen pounds and under can be cut to good advantage for this purpose. Traces, back-bands, and breeching-straps require heavier leather, and hides suitable for these particular straps should always be kept on hand. A few years’ experience will enable any man to determine the proper weights and proportions for his line of business, and he can procure assorted stock just as easily as he can any single weight.

Light road-harness of the best quality, whether single or double, is made up of two thicknesses and stitched throughout. The leather used should be of the finest quality of light weights, ranging from fourteen to sixteen pounds to the side for the harness proper, and eight to twelve pounds for the bridles, these weights being better adapted to this class of harness than the heavier grades that need to be split in order to reduce them to the required thickness. The grain is generally fine and the fibre strong; it fits up well, retains its shape, and finishes smooth and soft.

The track-harness, which is now one of the most popular styles in use for trotting-horses, is made up of single straps throughout, excepting the back-bands. The leather best adapted to this style is that made from fine-grained, young hides, the weight being about sixteen pounds to the side for all but the bodies; these, being also single, should be of a lighter weight, or they will have to be skived off on the under side to prevent the edges curling up. For bridles, the same weight should be used as for light road-harness.

The medium grade of light single harness is generally made up with single straps and lined points. For this style a heavier leather is required, except for the bridle, in order to obtain the requisite firmness and strength, the best weight being from sixteen to eighteen pounds to the side. These weights also answer well for all grades of single or double harness up to those requiring one and one quarter inch traces, though it is better to use heavier weights for traces, hold-backs, and back-bands.

For light coach harness, the best weight is about eighteen pounds to a side; but if extra heavy traces are used, it is better to select leather sufficiently heavy to allow of the employment of only two thicknesses, thus obviating the necessity of a filling-in piece. If the latter is used, it should be of quite light leather.

Coach and coupé harness require heavy weights, particularly for traces, hold-backs, back-bands, and breeching-straps; for all other straps, excepting bridles, eighteen to twenty pounds to a side are good weights, but the latter should be made from sides weighing about fourteen pounds.

Light express harness, being made up of single straps, requires the use of sides weighing from eighteen to twenty pounds each; the bridles, however, should be made from stock of about the same weights as that used for coach harness. These weights also answer well for farm and the lighter grades of team harness, while heavy truck and cart harness requires the use of the heaviest grades of leather in the market. The above weights are those of the average spread of oak-tanned sides; extra large or small hides, or those tanned with hemlock, may be gauged by these.

Grain leather is much used for folds, and, as a rule, the bellies, or at least the lower portions of trimmed hides, answer well for this purpose; though the finest, for coach and light harness, is made from sides weighing sixteen pounds or under, while for team and truck harness a heavier grade is required.