What is Sheepskin Leather: Why it's a Must-Have Material?

Last updated: Feb 01, 2023

What is Sheepskin Leather? In some contexts, "sheepskin" or "shearling" are terms used to describe a type of leather made from the tanned skin of sheep, an animal belonging to the ovine family. Due to its periodic preservation, wool leather has a very different final look than other kinds of leather.

Is sheepskin leather good? Sheepskin leather is an excellent material. In comparison to cow skin leather, it is often rather thin in its natural state. Sheepskin leather has an elastic quality that makes it seem rubbery, malleable, and softer. Additionally, it is capable of controlling moisture levels and temperature organically. Sheepskin resists muck, insects, and mildew better than usual.

Sheepskin leather is a popular choice for luxury handbags, boots, coats, and jackets. Since sheepskin leather is lightweight, many people feel that it is much more comfortable for apparel like jackets, coats, hats, and gloves. Leather Sheepskin is a fantastic material for wallets, purses, pants, and skirts due to its elasticity. Sheepskin is also best for its wonderful furniture and is suitable for handbags, wallets, belts, sofas, and car seats. Even using it as a shoe inner is effective.

History and Origin of Sheepskin Leather

The Merino sheep breed, one of the most popular varieties, has its roots mostly in France, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. The softness and density of its coat are well known. Larger skins come from New Zealand And Australia. They are often used in garments and as decorations.

When drawing influence from South American coats, it may be interesting to design reversible things like flight or bomber jackets that make effective use of leathers that appear realistically cracked.

Thick winter coats and indoor rugs and blankets are made from Icelandic skins, which are coveted for their rough, curling wool.

The Tuscan breed has long, delicate fleece, but the Bearnaise lamb, and the Mongolian lamb, have curled wool; the former is lighter and more ethereal. It is simple to mix the two to make leather goods, backpacks, or long boots with crepe bottoms.

What are the Characteristics of Sheepskin Leather?

Sheep skins offer the finest protection against cold weather, wind, snow, and dampness since they are as strong, breathable, and thermally superior as leather. They have distinctive qualities because of their duality. The spectrum of potential aesthetic and distinctive finishes has expanded from being formerly restricted to just being used with the wool on the outside.
Lambskins are distinguished by their extremely tiny size, varying from 0.2 to 0.4 square meters for each skin. Lambskins that have been tanned have a very fine, delicate, extremely smooth, and silky grain to the touch, especially the tanning process enhances these qualities;
Lambskins may be treated at very fine thicknesses little less than 0.6 mm because of their strong flexibility and breakage resistance qualities.
Lambskins are typically handled quite simply, with minimal aniline and color covering, to accentuate the natural features of this material; even the most basic polishing technique is sufficient for a magnificent presentation of the finished product;

These skins stand out for having a very low specific weight that exceeds three square meters for each kilogram of finished goods (typical for all ovine hides in general).

How is sheepskin leather made?

There is a huge difference between shearling and sheepskin. Sheepskins are made through a unique tanning process that preserves the wool on one side and transforms the other into leather, making it perfect for both sherpa and shearling products. Through this process, the protein structure of the sheepskin is altered to increase resilience, create a coat that lasts much longer, and make it simpler to dye for varied colors. Sheepskin leather makes a great sheepskin or shearling coat, with a smooth leather exterior and a cozy, fluffy interior for ultimate warmth and comfort.

There are several variants in the production process and numerous ways to categorize leather due to the variety of leather types. The production cycle for leather has the following stages:

Preservation

A process that enables the raw material to be moved and temporarily kept. Even if it's customary, if a tannery is close to a slaughterhouse, this is not mandatory. All animal leather, except reptile leather, is a by-product after the slaughtering process.

Tanning

The tanning process transforms the collagen in the skin into leather. Collagen in the hide is therefore protected from microorganisms. Drying the leather at this point would produce hard, unworkable leather. The numerous tanning agents that may be used include zoology, chromium, glutardialdehyde (GDA), synthetic compounds, and vegetable extracts.

After tanning, or Wet-end

To give the leather its final properties, synthetics, fat liquors, and colors are added to the wet end of the leather. Different mechanical activities and wet-end products are required for various leather goods.

Finishing

Completing the last stage of leather creation. Several processes enhance leather. A finishing film with several layers is used to protect the leather, enhance its performance, and give fashionable colors and patterns.

What is sheepskin used for?

Sheepskin is widely used in many industries and is used to make many products, such as sheepskin leather jackets, sheepskin coats, rugs, gloves, slippers, hats, and seat covers. It is also used to cushion a range of goods, such as boots and saddles, because of its dense and soft characteristics. Sheepskin is furthermore static-free and fire-resistant. This has made sheepskin safe and practical for residential use.

Sheepskin is employed in medicine to treat patients who are restricted to a chair or a bed. Nowadays, bedsores, decubitus ulcers, and pressure sores are treated and prevented with the use of medicinal sheepskins. In conclusion, sheepskin is crucial in a variety of ways.

How do you take care of sheepskin leather?

You should know how to take care of a sheepskin leather properly. Sheepskin leather jackets should be stored in fabric garment bags, never plastic, and should be hung on hangers with broad, curved ends. It's important to know the proper way to clean your shearling coat. Store shearling coats in fabric garment bags and hang them on hangers with broad, curved ends to preserve their shape, never in plastic.

When storing, keep away from intense sunshine, other heat sources, and arid or humid conditions. If your leather jacket becomes wet, store it away from heat sources in a cool environment. You have to take care of shearling coats and jackets so they can last you for a long time.

What’s the difference between lamb and sheep leather?

The age of the animal is the primary distinction between sheepskin and lambskin leather:

Lambskins are produced by newborn ovine animals.
The wool comes from fully grown ovine animals.

We are referring to ovine skins in both instances, which are from quite distinct breeds yet are shared by both sorts. The main distinction, as expected, may be seen in the fact that sheepskins are derived from older animals whereas lambskins are from younger ones.

Sheepskin Leather: Advantages and Disadvantages?

Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of sheepskin leather:

Advantages of Sheepskin Leather

Shearling leather is naturally soft and has a distinctive feel. Increased durability due to being hypoallergenic and breathable.
Highly sought after material for summer and winter clothing accessories due to its permeability and temperature/humidity control.
Provide warmth in winter and coolness in summer Sheepskin is widely used in apparel, furniture, and automobiles due to its elasticity and fire-resistance.
Contains moisturizing substances found in human skin Leather offers self-cleaning and antimicrobial properties, as well as the ability to soothe delicate or inflamed skin.

Disadvantages of Sheepskin Leather

The suppleness of sheepskin may sometimes work against it, especially when it comes to clothing. The attachment tends to stretch with use, which may compromise the fit of your clothing and the way it is worn. To avoid this issue, it's recommended to choose a size that fits snugly rather than one that is too large.
Sheepskin leather is inherently light and thin, which means it may not be as durable as other leathers that are thicker and more robust.
Compared to other types of leather, sheepskin is more delicate and requires more attention to maintain its appearance.

FAQs: What is Sheepskin Leather

What's the difference between sheepskin and leather?

After tanning, we obtain sheepskin leather as the final product, and a sheep's hide is sheepskin.

Is sheepskin expensive?

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Can you wear sheepskin in the rain?

Sheepskin naturally repels water. It is shielded from moisture by the thick, water-repellent layers of its wool fibers. After being exposed to snow or rain, sheepskin jackets simply require to be softly shaken and smoothed with a gentle brush.

Final Thoughts

Perhaps now You may confidently seek your sheepskin coats and jackets, now that you are aware of what is sheepskin leather and everything associated with it. If you want to maintain an item's natural attributes for as many years as possible, remember to take proper care of it even if you may like how real, incredibly comfy, and elegant it is. If you're wondering what is so good about leather jackets, then you need to look no further than the remarkable qualities of sheepskin leather jackets.

Even if other varieties of leather are tougher and more durable, genuine sheepskin leather stands out for its comfort, suppleness to the touch, ability to control heat and moisture, and unique look, weight, and grain. If that's what you're searching for, then you now know where to get it at an affordable price range!