Bating (leather)
Bating is like washing your hands really well before dinner.
When someone makes leather, they start by tanning the animal skin to make it sturdy and resistant to decay. But the tanning process can also make the leather stiff and rough to the touch.
So, to make the leather softer, they use a process called bating. This is like adding soap to your hands when you wash them to get rid of all the dirt and germs. Bating uses enzymes (which are like little cleaners) to break down any leftover bits of flesh, fat, or hair on the leather.
This makes the leather much softer and more flexible, kind of like how rubbing your hands together with soap makes them feel smooth and slippery.
After the leather has been bated, it's rinsed off and then dried, ready to be dyed and turned into things like shoes, jackets, and belts!
When someone makes leather, they start by tanning the animal skin to make it sturdy and resistant to decay. But the tanning process can also make the leather stiff and rough to the touch.
So, to make the leather softer, they use a process called bating. This is like adding soap to your hands when you wash them to get rid of all the dirt and germs. Bating uses enzymes (which are like little cleaners) to break down any leftover bits of flesh, fat, or hair on the leather.
This makes the leather much softer and more flexible, kind of like how rubbing your hands together with soap makes them feel smooth and slippery.
After the leather has been bated, it's rinsed off and then dried, ready to be dyed and turned into things like shoes, jackets, and belts!