Gloves are right back in fashion and Pittards is in demand to explain the benefits of its unique developments in gloving leather.

Like Australia, Argentina has been battling with severe drought. According to the World Beef Report, western areas of the Buenos Aires province have recorded between 180 and 200mm of rainfall during 2003, well under the historical averages of 700 to 900mm. Other provinces in the northern half of the country have also been drought affected with some still in a dire situation. The drought is expected to raise cattle prices and reduce the number of calves coming through in 2004.

Japan confirmed its ninth case of BSE on Tuesday, 4 November. The animal, a 21-month-old Holstein steer, was born on 13 January 2002 in the Hyogo Prefecture and raised in Fukuyama before being slaughtered in Hiroshima. This is the first case of BSE in the western part of Japan.

Prospects for the Uruguayan cattle and beef industry are expected to continue improving into 2004, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Think Pink! That's the message to fashionistas following the funkier side of fashion for the home.

Experts at SATRA have developed a 'walking foot' to speed up simulated wear testing of footwear soles.

Pittards have won a top award for their use of languages to improve overseas trade. The company, who are recognised as a world leader in innovative technical leathers, won the Large Company regional category of the UK Trade & Investment 2003 Languages for Exports Awards.

Following reorganisation, the Bayer Group announced on November 7 that it intends to maintain its focus on its core businesses and in the future concentrate on health care, nutrition and innovative materials. For this reason, Bayer Chemicals (excluding H C Starck and Wolff Walsrode) is to be combined with certain parts of the polymers business in a new company with the provisional name 'NewCo'.

Automotive and furniture upholstery leather tanners, Wollsdorf Leder, were able to increase their turnover by 10% in the 2002/03 fiscal year compared with the previous fiscal period. The increase was attributed to a rise in market share in the furniture sector in Germany and the overall company development in the automotive sector.

The Uzbek-Pakistani joint venture, Zafko, recently launched the production of leather footballs at a factory in Karhi in Uzbekistan's Kashkadarya region, according to UzReport.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reports that the United States exported hides and skins worth US$4.56 million to Brazil in the first half of this year, compared with US$4.29 million in the same period in 2002. American hides and skins exports to Brazil in the whole of 2002 were worth US$7.76 million.

Statistics New Zealand reports that New Zealand exported raw hides and skins worth NZ$618 million (US$353 million) in the twelve months to the end of July this year, a year-on-year fall of 15.7%. Livestock exports were 7.9% lower year-on-year at NZ$145 million (US$82.9 million).

Unconfirmed reports from Riga say that a court in Latvia declared the local VentTopaz Latvian-Canadian footwear joint venture insolvent in early October, according to Baltic Business News. The company's liabilities far exceed their assets. VentTopaz started operation in 2000. Reports indicate that VentTopaz shareholders decided to liquidate the company as long ago as last January.

Kazakhstan's National Statistics Agency reports that Kazakhstan produced 49 million square decimetres of leather from cattle hides in the first nine months of this year, a year-on-year fall of 10.7%, according to the Interfax news agency. Kazakhstan also produced 21,700 square decimetres of sheep, pig and goat leather, a year-on-year increase of 60%.

Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole are to leave Gucci when their current contracts end in April, 2004. Having rescued Gucci a decade ago when they were close to collapse, they have successfully rebuilt the luxury leathergoods group which includes Yves St Laurent, Sergio Rossi, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Boucheron, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney.

Croatia's Bureau of Statistics reports that the production of leather and leather products in Croatia in the first nine months of this year was 10.5% lower than in the same period in 2002. In comparison, overall industrial output in Croatia in the January to September period was 5.2% higher year-on-year.

If you have recently completed or will shortly be completing research studies relevant to hide preservation, hide and leather defects, leather manufacturing technology, new product development, tannery equipment development, leather properties and specifications, tannery environmental management, or other related subjects, you are encouraged to present the results of this research at the next annual convention of the Association to be held at Chase Park Plaza, St. Louis, MO, June 16 - 20, 2004.

Eighteen delegates from leading tanneries in Thailand attended the recent week long 'Fashion Seminar', held in Bangkok and organised by Stahl in conjunction with the Thai Tanning Industries Association. The theme of the seminar, 'Translation of a feeling into reality', enabled John Schoemans from Stahl Holland and Steve Apps from Stahl Thailand to teach the delegates how to understand their fashion dreams and convert them into attractive and saleable leather. They used the concept of a dreamer, a watcher and an achiever as the three steps needed to convert an original idea into the reality of a leather that will attract the eye of a buyer.

Odewald & Compagnie, a Berlin based portfolio investment group, have acquired TFL Holding GmbH (TFL Ledertechnik) from Permira. The announcement was made at TFL's talk show held in Bologna, Italy, October 28. Permira a leading European private equity firm only acquired the business in March 2001and were advised by Credit Suisse First Boston. It is believed they sold TFL to raise cash for other projects.

Once again, Hong Kong will be the focal point for the leather industry when the next edition of APLF takes place from March 29 to April 1, 2004. The event is now known as APLF Materials, Manufacturing and Technology (MMT), in recognition of the broader scope of both natural and man-made materials now available to manufacturers as well as the expanded role of technology.

On October 11, the Ethiopian Tanners Association organised a workshop at Addis Ababa Abattoirs Enterprises, sponsored by Unido. The subject of the workshop was the introduction of the Static Flaying Frame in Ethiopia. Some 50 people attended the workshop, some coming from 700 km away, and all expressed a keen interest to promote distribution of the SFF all over the country.

The All India Skin and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association has stressed the need for mergers to step up the scale of operations in the country in order to remain competitive in the global market.

The Ethiopian Minister for Trade and Industry, Girma Birru, has led a delegation of approximately twenty entrepreneurs and officials on a visit to the Assomac headquarters in Vigevano (Italy).

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that Ukraine exported 'leather raw materials' worth US$97 million in the first eight months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 17%, according to the Interfax news agency. Ukrainian imports of the same types of commodities were 10% higher year-on-year at US$26 million.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service reports that the United States imported hides and skins worth US$2.42 million from Russia in the first eight months of this year, compared with US$2.28 million in the same period in 2002.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw hides and skins worth US$47 million in the first nine months of this year, a year-on-year fall of 29.4%.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Hungary in the first eight months of this year was 22.5% lower than in the same period in 2002. Total sales of these commodities by producers in the same period were also 22.5% lower year-on-year, including a fall in sales of 22.9% on the domestic market and 22.3% lower sales on export markets.

The Domino tannery in the Czech Republic's Southern Moravia region say they have acquired a new strategic partner from Ireland, according to the CTK news agency's Business News. This has enabled Domino to revive production and take on staff, instead of ending production as planned this autumn. The Irish partner is placing orders with Domino.

Organisers of Le Cuir A Paris are currently engaged in the second phase of the fair's development by inviting new sectors to join the exhibition. Material, component, accessory and leather garment manufacturers who are aiming at the mass market and, amongst others, at teenage fashion, will be invited to exhibit at the next edition of the fair in April 2004.

Cotance have updated their site [http://www.euroleather.com]

Twenty-two top executives representing the national standards bodies of the Asia Pacific region convened at ASTM International, W Conshohocken, PA, for a two-day Open House. The event, held September 22-23, was an open forum for frank and stimulating discussion regarding today's changing world of international standardization. The countries participating in the dialogue included: Australia, Taiwan, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, PR China, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the US and Vietnam.

The British School of Leather Technology (BSLT) will be using this year's Tanning Tech event in Bologna to launch their official alumni database.

Every autumn and winter shows a marked contrast in lifestyle from spring and summer. Outdoors the weather is getting steadily colder while indoors the warmth of a fire, real or artificial, is supplemented by a somewhat heavier diet that helps us to keep warm. These thoughts are reflected in the colours that are predicted by Stahl for the autumn/winter season 2004/05. The cool, somewhat neutral shades that cover both country and town contrast with the warmer and darker interior tones.

Klenzyme Ltd have won the Smart Award from the UK Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service (SBS), which aims to encourage innovation in England.

Clariants' business unit leather are offering their customers a new tool for professional leather colour matching called Match Wizard. During many years, colourists have been using computer colour matching as a daily tool for their colour adjustments and quality control. In cooperation with their customers, Clariant have developed an easy-to-use software especially for the leather industry.

Introduction

Summary

Depending on the end-use and types of leather, a wide spectrum of tests based on visual, physical and chemical and instrumental techniques have to be carried out in a testing laboratory. With leather being a non-homogeneous commodity, performance tests have an important role to play in assessing its quality.

The most important step was taken during the 1980s, when the basis for aqueous finishing was developed₁. Water dilutable top coats have been replaced by waterborne top coats, which have been used in leather finishing since the 1990s.

Abstract

While this, and what follows, is obvious to many, putting obvious principles into practice often seems to pose difficulties. Having a cookery book on your shelf does not turn you into a Cordon Bleu cook! But it says a lot about your intentions.

Introduction

Abstract

The problem

In use, leather can be subjected to considerable stresses, eg during lasting it is heated to temperatures which can be in excess of 100°C and stretched with considerable force.

'The response has been very positive. The report has been in existence in one form or another for 18 years and many of the subscribers have been following it throughout. They also welcome the fact that it is available at a very attractive price now due to the lower overheads.'

A chill autumn wind blew through the hide markets during the months of September and early October.

Tanners around the world cite many reasons for preferring crust these days. Many like to start their processing from a 'cleaner' stage; wet-blue is more expensive and awkward to transport long distances and warehousing is critical.

The rapid rise in Texas steer prices which moved from $62.50 in August to nearly $68 in the third week of September, finally hit the ceiling in the last week of the month. Branded material fell by one dollar and prices eased on natives as well. Tanners and traders resisted when heavy Texas steers were offered at $67-68. While a few sales were made at $67 on 62/64lb averages, towards the end of the week bids of $66 were being refused. However, by the end of the week, business was being conducted at this level in order to move production.

The Indian government has deferred the introduction of a controversial draft bill which aimed to ban the slaughter of cows which are accorded a semi-religious status by the country's majority Hindu community, following strident protests from opposition parties. Beef exports from India are already banned. Individual states are, however, able to implement their own laws and some allow cow slaughter, including the predominantly Christian and tribal north-eastern states.

Autumn typically carries with it both a renewed spirit for tanners and an influx of leather orders for the tanning industry in Mexico. This represents that time which most Mexican tanners have been looking forward to all year. That time when all tanners alike can recoup their costs for what the prior months have generally considered a sluggish business, mediocre, at best. However, even now, when certainly tanners are more optimistic and business is generally better, the Mexican tanning community continues to be plagued by both internal and external factors, which are causing the business to remain at a lackluster standstill.

Nuran Yenisehirli is an Izmir-based agent for Australian doubleface producers and, in March 2003, became the region's agent for the Spanish Colomer Group's Ledexport division. She also supplies goat skins from Greece and France, representing the Hellenic Tanneries and Arpo acquisitions of the Colomer Group.

The market for American steer hides rose substantially between early August and the last part of September. Numerous traders, sensing a need to buy, especially on the part of Chinese tanners, established sizeable long positions in the weeks leading up to the Shanghai leather fair during the first week of September.

Since the Wright Brothers got 'Kitty Hawk' off the ground a century ago (1903), the aviation industry has rarely weathered such turbulent times. In the main, traditional tanners have followed the piper of capricious fashion trends. But, tanners of aviation leathers find their sector being reinvented by new patterns in air travel. Survival depends on servicing niche markets and adding value for customers.

Leather International provides a worldwide selection of raw materials prices for the leather industry. Although we update these on a regular basis, they are only intended as a guide since market fluctuations occur constantly.

Irving Wiseman has recently retired after working for Stahl Canada for thirty six years, twelve of them as general manager. Irving joined Stahl Canada in February 1967 as the controller. In the late 1970s he became co-manager and was subsequently promoted to general manager in 1991.

In mid-September strikes ended at Eagle Ottawa and Wolverine World Wide. At Eagle Ottawa, where work stopped on July 27, workers approved a three-year bargaining deal but this was coloured by a threat to take on replacement workers.

Hi Sam, I just read your July limeblast (How free should trade be?). You put your finger on a problem the size of which is incredibly large. It has bothered me for years. Shouldn't the name of the subject be: 'unfair trade practices'? Whether or not.

Once upon a time, many decades ago, Europe and North America ruled the leather world - and world leather. They had the biggest, most modern, most efficient tanneries. They invented all the new machines and chemical processes. They made most of the world's shoes and leathergoods.

I would like to react to the request by the Pakistan Tanners Association for the imposition of a 25% import duty on garment leather as reported in the August issue of Leather.

It is a privilege and an honour to address you as the new president of the IULTCS. First of all allow me to introduce myself. For 36 years I have been working as a scientific researcher in the CSIC which is the largest public research organisation in Spain and is affiliated to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

My dear Sam,

With the fear that a declining herd in the USA will reduce the number of animals available for slaughter, hide prices shot up this week but in most cases there were no takers. Increases of $8-9 were reported and even the weak dollar could not compensate entirely. Nor did reports of another case of BSE in Japan do anything to alleviate the ensuing panic in the market.

Lithuanian leather processors will be able to import around 1,000 tons of hides duty-free from Ukraine during the period from early October to the end of this year, according to Baltic Business News. This quota, allocated to Lithuanian leather processors Siauliai Stumbras and TDL Oda, was agreed upon at bilateral talks in Yalta in Ukraine at the end of September. Ukraine decided to restrict duty-free hides' exports to Lithuania as of March 1 this year after establishing that Lithuanian companies had been re-exporting the hides.

The Snoras bank has recently sold a 39% stake, part of a total stake of 56%, in the troubled Lithuanian leather producer Siauliai Stumbras, according to the LETA news agency. The name of the buyer of the stake has not yet been announced. Snoras retains a 17% stake in Stumbras, as well as mortgaged assets in the company. These assets were mortgaged for loans issued by the bank. As of June this year, Siauliai Stumbras had debts worth US$11.9 million, which compare with annual sales worth around US$18.3 million.

On October 11, the Ethiopian Tanners Association organised a workshop at Addis Ababa Abattoirs Enterprises, sponsored by Unido. The subject of the workshop was the introduction of the Static Flaying Frame in Ethiopia. Some 50 people attended the workshop, some coming from 700 km away, and all expressed a keen interest to promote distribution of the SFF all over the country.

During a press conference in Ludwigshafen, BASF Performance Chemicals for Leather presented Eusapon OD, a groundbreaking new universal and high-performance degreasing agent for leather and woolskins. It can be applied at all stages of production for soaking, liming, deliming and degreasing.The product sets a new standard in providing a unique bundle of outstanding properties to add value for tanners and benefit the environment.

Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that Israel exported raw hides and skins worth US$4.6 million in the first eight months of this year, compared with US$4.5 million in the same period in 2002. Israeli hides and skins imports were worth US$1.1 million, against US$1.5 million in the same period last year.

Around 90 companies exhibited at a leather industry trade fair held in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia in early October, according to the Bulgarian Telegraphic Agency. The event's organiser remarked that Greek companies were particularly well represented at the fair. Half of the fair's exhibitors were manufacturers, with the remainder including providers of various leather industry services.

Milan, Paris, London, New York - this is where fashion is born and the summer reveals what colours will be popular in the coming winter. The trends, however, are discovered much earlier.

At the fifth edition of Le Cuir A Paris in September, 53 of the 231 exhibitors were showing for the first time. This show continues to grow and provides designers and prestige companies with a preview of what is available for autumn and winter 2003-04. Overseas visitors were up from 40% to 43% and there was an increase in top buyers from the USA and Italy. Always a significant presence in international leather fairs around the world, in October 2001 Italy represented 31.5% of the exhibitors, increasing to 36.25% in September 2002 and 37.5% in September 2003.

The UK section of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists (SLTC) held their 106th annual conference and dinner at the Moat House Hotel, Nottingham, on September 13. Although the conference was poorly attended by its usual standards, there were a number of interesting and varied presentations.

During the 106th annual SLTC conference a number positions were elected. The election of Ken Nokes, Satra, to the position of vice-president. He replaces Ian Tate, Stahl. Karl Flowers, BSLT was elected as honorary secretary/treasurer. Dr Geoff Attenburrow, BSLT and Ian Richardson, Pittards, both stepped down as council members. They were replaced by Dr Matt Walker, Clariant, and Christine Powley-Williams, BLC Leather Technology Centre. Dr Amanda Long, BLC Leather Technology Centre, was elected as chairman of the SLTC technical subcommittee and Judi Moakes replaces John Williams as the membership secretary.

Exhibition organisers Ezgi Ajans have announced a second leather garments exhibition in May. Called International Leather Days-FUR'IST Fair, the event will be held from May 20-22, 2004, in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Poletto, once the biggest Italian group in the tanning machinery sector, told Leather International: 'Work has got off to a great start.' With an important and well remembered name as their foundation, and the crisis and dismemberment behind them, the new company Poletto Technology is offering spray lines, atmospheric emission eliminators, drying tunnels, milling drums, shaving, fleshing and resetting machines.

Pittards have installed a unique £725,000 software package that links every aspect of their total operation. The system has been developed and installed by IFS UK and will be providing comparative data on all sections of manufacturing including source and stock, technical and chemical procedures, despatch, sales, maintenance and even personnel.

Nigel Anthony Payne is the new managing director for Forestal Mimosa Limited in the UK. Prior to this appointment he was managing director of the Wattle Company in Zimbabwe, producers of the Rhomosa brand mimosa wattle extract among other things. He has had twenty years of service with the Wattle Company and continues to sit on the board.

Plans by Brussels to put a straight jacket on the European chemicals industry have been relaxed somewhat after the outcry from both the chemical sector and the most affected countries (Germany, France and the UK) who have argued that the legislation could cripple the industry. The two European commissioners who are sponsoring the law, Erkki Liikanen (industrial policy) and Margot Wallström (environment) have agreed to a revised proposal that will make the strict data registration compulsory for far fewer chemicals than originally envisaged.

Elmo Leather will become the first leather manufacturer to reduce nitrogen emissions by 80% by investing around SEK40 million (US$5 million) in a new treatment plant at Svenljunga. Provided all the permits are granted, Elmo Leather estimate that they can start building the new treatment plant this month (October) and be up and running from autumn 2004, considerably reducing the company's environmental impact.

Elmo Leather of Svenljunga have become one of the first companies in Sweden to receive the certificate which guarantees that the company meet the requirements of the automotive industry's global quality standard, ISO/TS 16949.

Cromogenia's newly acquired plant was taken on with a view to increasing production of syntans for the leather industry. It is currently in the final stage of adjustment and will soon be in a position to meet their requirements.

The famous French bovine tannery group, Costil, now have two new owners:

Leather International and theSauerReport have formed a partnership to organise a two day conference in Verona, northern Italy, to be held the weekend after the Lineapelle trade fair from May 1-2, 2004. This conference is the beginning of a wider partnership between Leather International and theSauerReport.

The Stoppani Group, Italy, have announced that with their new plant for basic chrome sulfate in Russia, they are putting their major efforts into offering the Salcromo brand to their customers around the world with better and faster service on a global basis. Stoppani have basic chrome facilities in the following countries: Italy, Brazil, Uruguay and Russia.

Dr J C (Cec) Bickley has retired as honorary secretary treasurer of the UK section of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists having joined the society 56 years ago (1947). He was elected to the council 43 years ago (1960) and was president 30 years ago (1973). In more recent times he was minute secretary for 13 years and has held the position of secretary/treasurer for the past nine years. Cec Bickley joined Richard Hodgson & Sons Ltd (later to become Hodgson Tanning Products Ltd, then Hodgson Chemicals Ltd, and now part of Clariant UK Ltd) in the laboratory analysing tanyard liquors.

Barry Wood is leaving his post as operations director, BLC Leather Technology Centre to become technical director at Shanghai Richina Leather (SRL) in Shanghai, China.

This proved highly successful both with the public and the sector, obtaining the participation of over 200 operators from the American fashion system. The museum, Frank Lloyd Wright's enormous spiral and one of the most famous places in the world, was chosen to enable the consortium to emphasise their intention to associate vegetable tanned leather with culture and art; a perfect partnership of tradition and innovation, from aesthetic appearance to quality.

Sedat Aydin and Hasan Dilki established their own chemical firm, Hi+Chem, Arti Kimya San ve Tic Limited Sirketi, a year ago in Istanbul. They found an enthusiastic backer in Arie Benezra, a specialist importer of chemical auxiliaries and aqueous pigments. Twelve or thirteen wet-end products, such as softeners, wool washing agents, penetrators and fixing agents, are on offer, formulated for the hair-on side of hides and skins.

The use of common cationic dye fixing agents for wet-white articles is, in most cases, not sufficient for the dye fixation, due to the highly anionic character of this kind of leather. Therefore, TFL have developed Sella fix WW, which is especially designed for wet-white leather fixation. It is very suitable for all kinds of articles where high wet-fastness properties are requested:

From 'waste' to a high-tech product, Bayer's Levacast system offers a variety of options for finishing splits and the splits that are produced during the horizontal separation of the hide during leather production are often mistaken for high-quality products.

Sourcing executives from a dozen US footwear distribution companies are scheduled to visit at least 13 Indian shoe manufacturing companies such as Liberty Footwear, K H Shoes, Superhouse Leathers, Bonaventure Shoes, Metro, Virola International etc, between October and November of this year.

Export prices of leather and leather products in Bangladesh, which jumped 30% in 2000-01, are now declining and the trend continued during 2002-03, according to the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) figures.

Following a difficult year for the international leather industry, many people in the trade were relieved to be doing business again at a major exhibition in Asia.

Fawad Ijaz Khan has been re-elected chairman of the Pakistan Leather Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PLGMEA) for the year 2003-2004.

APLF Ltd and the CLIA are to join forces with the organisers of Lineapelle Asia.

The house committee on Trade and Industry, which supports an Anti-Smuggling Bill, has recommended that Malacanang (the presidential palace) immediately adjust the most-favoured nation (MFN) tariff on imported shoes to 35% from 10% to provide relief to the ailing domestic industry.

The Chennai based Farida Group have acquired a 4,000 sq m plot in the Calcutta Leather Complex (CLC), making it the largest project to be housed there. M Rafeeque Ahmed, president of the group, said they would set up a tannery at CLC and later move into other levels of the value chain.

Clariant's Business Unit Leather has now fully completed their new technical centre, officially inaugurated in October 2002. The Guangzhou Technical Centre or GTC will assume the role of the main technical service centre for the Greater China region.

APLF Materials, Manufacturing and Technology is the new name for APLF Raw Materials and Manufacturing which will be adopted from the APLF 2004 edition, March 29 - April 1, onwards. The change has been made to reflect the changing needs of the industry, both in the materials it uses and the way it manufactures its products.

The Static Flaying Frame was designed by Sam Setter and given to the poorer nations in the hope of enabling them to upgrade their hides and skins and gaining more added value from their raw materials. It is a very simple piece of technology and has achieved great success in some locations while failing in others.