LEATHER--WHAT IS LEATHER?
From Knob Knowledge
"Sir/Ma'am, if the fresh skin of an animal, cleaned and divested of all hair, fat, and other extraneous matter, be submerged in a dilute solution of tannic acid, a chemical combination ensues; the gelatinous tissue of the skin is converted into a nonputrescible substance impervious to and insoluble in water. This, Sir/Ma'am, is leather." (Source: The Guidon, 1998-1999, p. 76)
