The leather is selected and cut to size. The leather strap is then fitted with grommets and eyelets.
Leather is a natural product. This therefore means that there are no two identical pieces of leather. And it is precisely this that the leather lover loves: the lively grain structure and colour nuances that are specific to each piece of leather. Natural features such as neck creases, small fused scars, open rough grain marks, dung stains, insect bites, belly stripes or a dorsal line may also be noticeable; they contribute to the depth and natural, warm and vibrant beauty of the leather.
The leather is cut according to a template. The edges are finished nicely so that all burrs are removed. The fixing holes are punched, grommets and eyelets are placed
TIPS & TRICKS
Let’s quickly go through some important tips to make this process as easy and safe as possible.
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- Look carefully at the photos + additional explanations beforehand so that you can get a perfect idea of the steps provided and the end result.
- Make sure you have all the necessary materials and tools in advance. Use the tools correctly. There are manuals available for this.
- Use scissors that are sharp enough to cut the leather. If necessary, use a sharp knife.
LEARNING AND ENVIRONMENT
Leather production was once an extremely polluting activity. Wastewater, tanning agents, dyes …. Were discharged unceremoniously into nature for years. In recent decades, however, there has been a clear turnaround here.
In Europe, there are strict regulations around leather production: origin of the hides, waste water, use and presence of chemicals in the leather, social conditions in which the leather was produced …. . Many of these parameters find their concrete expression in environmental standards. Every year, 7.2 million tonnes of animal hides are produced as by-products of the meat industry. These hides are ‘upcycled’ into leather and lead a second life that can last decades. Never was or is a cow slaughtered for the sake of its hide. Leather’s primary function is to protect an animal from the outside world (climate, injuries, etc.) and is therefore a rigid, strong and extremely flexible material. Thousands of fibres are knotted together in countless directions. The tanning process naturally preserves this structure and therefore leather retains its typical properties. In other words, a sofa upholstered in solid furniture leather guarantees a lifespan that often spans several decades. As a result, not only the upholstery of the furniture will last a long time, but also the furniture (wooden structure, foam, suspension …) will serve much longer. And aren’t durable products just what we are looking for today?
3. Take the glue stick and apply the glue to the back of the template.
4. Glue the template on the reverse side of the leather sheet. Glue this to the edge of the sheet so that as little material as possible is lost.
6. Press the template onto the leather sheet. Make sure the sheet is nicely stretched.
7. Carefully cut out the sheet following the outline lines of the template.
8. The quality of your scissors is extremely important to achieve a beautiful result. Most experienced craftsmen will agree that cutting is an essential skill in any leatherworking project. Any project will look better with clean cutting edges.
9. The end result is a leather strap about 20 cm high by 3 cm wide.
LEARNING ABOUT LEATHER
A story that began a long time ago
Leather has been used as a protective and useful material for thousands of years. Humans have often used as many parts of animals as possible to survive and develop tools for an easier and better life. Leather footwear, for example, made it easier to walk and explore.
If nearby animals were large enough, their skins could be turned into clothing. In colder climates, the fur on top of the leather provided excellent warmth. In warmer climates, the hides could be used for shade and to help keep cool. Leather goods were mainly focused on function.
As humans evolved and societies built up, so did the uses of leather. Its uses grew to include leather harnesses, boots, tents, writing surfaces, armor and jewelry. In some cultures, leather was seen as a symbol of high status. Leather goods became both functional and visually appealing.
The evolution of leather
Furthermore, over time, leather would become natural in everyone’s life. Mass-produced leather shoes, gloves, jackets, bags and accessories became widely available. Leather craft was now a full-fledged industry. It had a global supply chain for raw materials and an equally large number of international consumers eager to buy and use leather goods.
The demand is so high that even synthetic leather material made from plastic and other compounds, are becoming popular to meet the demand. They also serve as less expensive, more animal-friendly options for buying leather.
Few materials have been around and used as long as leather. It is incredible to see how the craft has evolved over time, and to learn how far it has come from the earliest days.
1. Take the cut-out leather strap with the template and place it on the eyelets clip.
2. Using an alder, pierce the leather strap. Press on the alder with the necessary force.
3. If perforating is difficult; you can add the multitool to make the piercing go smoothly.
4. The hole is slightly enlarged by extending the alder further.
5. Any protruding burrs are cut off from all perforated holes.
6. The final result is a strap with 4 holes.
TAUROM AND LEATHER
The Taurom has a history of several years. For the development of this first upcycle instrument, experiments were carried out with leather skins of different thicknesses. The choice of leather as a drumhead determines the instrument’s name. After all, Taurom refers to Taurus, meaning bull.
Leather, a beautiful natural product that can take many forms. The craft of leather tanning can easily take about three weeks, with many processing stages. A soft and supple sheet as the end result, each piece is unique. The durability of leather also makes it ideal for making furniture… Cowhide is also used for numerous percussion instruments. Think djembé, conga, bongo, doundoun,…Whether you play an African drum, Brazilian drum or Middle Eastern drum, add a fresh sound to your Doumbek, Djembe, Ashiko and more. Modern drummers love the feel and hear the sound of natural leather, from rock to jazz.
When making leather products, such as salons, car interiors , there is always a surplus of leather, or ‘waste’ so to speak. Although, in our eyes, such a beautiful and precious material should never be seen as waste. So we started looking for a way to reuse these leftovers in new products, the sheet and leather handle.
For the manufacture of Tauroms with natural leather, we bumped into numerous challenges: thickness of the sheet, clamping possibilities, availability of the material, wear,… This led us to choose PVC tarpaulin.
Our continent owes its name to a rutting bull. According to myth, Europa was a somewhat naive princess, whom Zeus had his eye on. Disguised as a white bull, the devious supreme god cheated poor Europa.
Daily, sayings and expressions are used whose original meaning is unknown. Many expressions derived from such objects can only be seen in museums today.
New wine in old leather sacks
Meaning: It is something new brought in the same way
Getting off leather
Meaning: starting to fight / verbally lashing out fiercely at someone
Explanation: The word ‘leather’ here stands for the leather sheath in which the sabre, sword or other hand-operated striking or stabbing weapons used to rest. Those who ‘drew leather’ thus drew their weapon and went on the attack, or at least prepared for a fight.
The widest belts are cut from other people's leather
Meaning: It is easy to be lavish with money or goods meant for another.
INFO + PHASED PLAN
TAUROM GENERAL
1. Introduction construction instrument
2. Materials and tools
3. Music technique
