Leather smell general
As a natural product, leather has its own odor, which is often perceived as pleasant, but which can become stronger or change depending on the tanning process.
Furthermore, the odors can vary greatly depending on the tanning, dyeing, and fat-fattening agents, as well as the type of leather. Cowhide and buffalo leather naturally have a less odor than goatskin, which is primarily used in India.
Leather smell after tanning
Chrome tanning uses a chemical process to remove the leather's typical fragrances. Industry, in particular, favors leather tanned in this way, as overly strong odors can quickly become a nuisance and often lead to complaints.
With vegetable tanning, the leather takes on a significantly different scent. If the manufacturer uses unsuitable or inadequate oils for regreasing, the leather may develop an unpleasantly intense odor.
Disturbing leather smell
Overall, the intensity of the smell results from the different components and can vary greatly depending on the combination of substances.
At what point the leather smell becomes too intense and therefore disturbing is up to each individual. Opinions often differ widely on how and how strong a leather smell is "allowed" to be.
In this video you will learn some tips on how to remove leather odor:
Additional sources (accessed 14.01.2019):
- www.leder-info(punkt)de/index.php/Ledergeruch
- https://ap-donovan(dot)com/de/blog/intensiven-ledergeruch-entfernen-n72
- www.t-online(dot)de/heim-garten/haushaltstipps/id_67105384/ledergeruch-neutralisieren-tipps-und-tricks.html
