Trimming (cutting of hooves, tail, ears, shanks)

The selling price of a hide on a pound basis is less than the selling price of the meat on the carcass and considerably more than the price of offal the term offal as used here refers to the inedible portions of the carcass(head, trimmings entrails etc.) that are rendered for fats by the packer. It would be the packer`s advantage therefore, to leave as little flesh on the hide as possible, provided this flesh remain on the carcass the offal, on the other hand is more valuable as hide than as rendering stock. As a result of these factors it was the packing industry practice for many years to leave the ears tail, shanks, snouts and other appendages on the hide. In the case of collector hide it was common for a tanner to final even more weigh adding components such as hooves; horns and an occasional surplus piece of farm machinery the added weight as carried through the cure and shipped with the hide. The tanner than trimmed off these parts before starting process. These trimmed increased in weight but these are not essential for tanning these are trimmed before soaking so these trimmed are called raw trimmed and process is called raw trimming. Generally these trimmed are thrown out side a tannery if there is no proper arrangement to settle these trimmed. The putrefaction can take place and pollute the environment.
The economical loss from the old trim practice is obvious as a result of the cooperation between the farmers, packers, dealers and brokers through their respective associations, O Flaherty and Roddy Tanners Council were able to define a new trim system which has now become the standard of the industry.
The modern hide trim results in a higher price per pound for the tanner but a net economic gain in the saving of freight the packer gains more offal for his rendering plant. The modern trim is being taken a step further by some hide dealers in that hide are being segmented for the removal of double shoulders and/ or bellies so that they can be processed into different types of leather.

                                     LANXESS continue trend for price rises

Worldwide
Published: 21 May, 2010

Following announcements in May from global leather chemical makers Stahl and Clariant, Lanxess have also announced a rise in prices of leather chemicals. In a press statement dated May 21, Lanxess said that they were increasing their prices worldwide for leather chemicals by between 5% and 8% with immediate effect.

For certain products or in certain regions the increase may be even greater. This measure is primarily due to continued sharp rises in prices for raw materials, especially with respect to monomers, and to increases in transport and energy costs.

Lanxess are one of the leading suppliers to the leather industry and offer chemicals for all process steps in leather production. These include inorganic and synthetic tanning materials, preservatives, fatliquors, dyestuffs, tanning and finishing products. The Leather business unit belongs to Lanxess Performance Chemicals segment, which achieved total sales in fiscal 2009 of euro 1,530 million.