History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c37.s1.4

v1.c37.s1.4

In the tanning process, the hides and skins are soaked in water, treated with lime and fermented liquor in pre-tanning processes, tanned using vegetable tanning materials, alum, oil and fats and coloured and sometimes polished. Vegetable oils and fats were used to make heavy and tough leathers. Light leathers were made with alum alone or in combination with vegetable and oiling and also by oil (Chamois) tanning. Parchments are prepared by scraping off the hair with some pretreatment or after sweating.