Alum Tawed Pigskin From A Medieval Recipe

Michael Chrisman of Bookbinders Workshop and Franz Hoffman Leathers  of Stuttgart, Germany have revived genuine Alum-tawed Pigskin Leather.  This leather has been unobtainable anywhere for many years and is now available through EDEN WORKSHOPS. THIS GERMAN RECIPE IS THE ORIGINAL ALUM-TAWED PIGSKIN that was used profusely in bookbinding through the 15th to 18th centuries in Europe.

Michael Chrisman of Bookbinders Workshop wanted an alum tawed leather that would be suitable for a mammoth 15th Century biding project. (One of the 256 volumes he has bound can be seen on the left)

He went to Franz Hoffman in Germany, and together, following a medieval recipe which requires the hand-dipping of each skin once a day, for three consecutive days, in addition to all of the other labor intensive processes involved in it's manufacture, they produced a wonderful leather.

These Alum-Tawed Pigskins are softer and more supple than any pigskin I have seen, and they tool and patina beautifully.

In the picture above you can see how nicely the leather forms round the large raised cords on the spine. This leather has to be seen to be appreciated. The kind of pigskin I have come into contact with in the past has been hard, inflexible and the very devil to pare, this leather though extremely tough, is DIFFERENT.

I think this leather has to be the best of it's type in the world, the only leather to think of when faced with a binding that has to last many centuries or where you want to create an early period feel.

Price per sq ft £19.72 Average size 18 - 20 sq ft.

We are happy to supply half skins 9 - 10 sq ft.

These are grade 1 skins.

NOTE: The prices above are the price per square foot of this material, but is sold by the full or half skin. the final price, including shipping will be calculated at a later time depending on the size of each individual skin available. Please contact me below.

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norman.richard@orange.fr