Leather Categories
Leather can sometimes be perceived as a mystifying material to some, especially to those more familiar with working with man-made fabrics and textiles. Leather is a very natural material and… Full Aritcle
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Leather can sometimes be perceived as a mystifying material to some, especially to those more familiar with working with man-made fabrics and textiles. Leather is a very natural material and therefore has inherent traits and qualities that only natural materials do. However, understanding leather doesn’t have to be so complicated if you realize that despite the dozens of qualities and types of leather on the market, most leathers can be categorized in one of two categories: Aniline or Finished. What do these categories mean?
ANILINE is defined as a type of leather product that is aniline-dyed with a soft, supple texture or hand. It is made by a process of dyeing the raw material with various color dyes. Natural variations in color, tone, and texture are part of the beauty of this leather and highlight each hide’s unique history and natural markings. The dye does not provide full coverage of the hide and therefore Aniline leather is less consistent than Finished leather. Due to the lack of full finish coverage, this product type is subject to more soiling, fading, and wear.
FINISHED is defined as a type of leather product that is an aniline-dyed cow hide. Its natural grain character and soft comfortable hand create an aesthetically-pleasing leather. It is made by a process of surface coat-ing/coloration of a natural product with mechanical spray application of pigmented formula and topcoat which provides protection from soiling, fading, and wear. Finished leather is more consistent than Aniline leathers and fewer defects are apparent with a Finished Leath-er as compared to an Aniline leather. Another point is that some of these leathers may additionally be further qualified into Embossing and/or Hand Tipping leathers. Emboss-ing and Hand Tipping leathers are not their own categories, but rather they imply these added processes are applicable on certain products.
EMBOSSING is the process of adding a distinctive pattern to leather through the use of engraved or etched plates or rolls with heat or pressure. Embossed designs may be an imitation of the natural grain, different types of animal skins, geometric patterns, or custom designs. The Embossing process may be added to both Finished Hides or Aniline Hides. Inconsistency in pattern look (i.e., depth of print) may be evident due to processing. Depending on the pattern, visible match lines may be present. The size of plate or width of roll and match lines are defined on showroom sample la-bels and should be taken into account for appropriateness depending on the intended application.
HAND TIPPING is the process wherein the characteristic finish effect
(pigment) of leather is applied by hand. This human pro-cessing may affect the final look of the product. Variance in design and color is part of the natural beauty of this leather. Inconsistency in look of product within a hide and from hide to hide should be expected.
Calling all crafters, creators, makers, leather-lovers, deal-finders, sale-lovers, or anyone who just likes stuff!
Come to Townsend Leather (45 Townsend Ave, Johnstown) this weekend for our very super huge Garage Sale!
Townsend Leather GARAGE SALE!
Leather! Leather! Leather!
So many leather hides at super low prices!
We will be selling for two days, selling all kinds of leather, trade-show materials, leather, furniture, discounted leather, leather tiles, reduced-price leather, leather, things & stuff!
Crafters, creators, makers, deal-finders, sale-lovers, or anyone who likes stuff come to Townsend Leather (45 Townsend Ave, Johnstown) this weekend!
THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
AT TOWNSEND LEATHER, BUILDING 2
Saturday, May 19th 9 AM – 5 PM
Sunday, May 20th 9 AM – 3 PM
https://www.facebook.com/events/461422654288695/
The Namaste Collection was inspired by our venture into finding more zen in our everyday lives. In this fact-paced world and industry, ensuring our employees find balance in life is important to us.
One way we’ve done this recently is through incorporating the practice of yoga into our workplace culture.
Our Namaste Collection of leathers is available in our “sample store”, go to
www.townsendleather.com/leather/samples/featured/Namaste-Collection
to see the full collection and request your own samples.
Townsend supported the month-long training of Monica Carey, who has worked in Customer Service at Townsend for ten years, to become certified in Sivananda Yoga. She has since taught classes to Townsend employees during our work day. This has proven beneficial to our employees, providing them stress relief and placing an emphasis on the importance of caring for their mental and physical well-being.
Namaste is derived from the Sanskrit nama, meaning “bow,” and te, meaning “to you.” A common salutation, namaste literally means, “I bow to you.” But the significance of the word namaste goes far beyond its use as a term of greeting; namaste is an acknowledgement that we are all divine and that we are all ultimately connected.
Our Namaste Collection has taken all aspects of Yoga and the divine world that Yogis practice and turned it into a beautiful, calming, and luxurious leather collection that is offered in 8 colors with coordinating patterns and sheens. We hope this collection brings peace and beauty to each interior design where it is used.
~Namaste
Namaste Collection Prana Cowhide (PRN)
Prana meaning the vital life force or subtle energy of the vital breath – Prana is a Sanskrit word constructed of the syllables pra and an. ‘An’ means movement and ‘pra’ is a prefix meaning constant. Therefore, prana means constant motion. Breathing exercises are called Pranayamas, which means to control the Prana and control of the Prana leads to control of the mind.
Taking cues from the practice of yoga and the steady control of the vital breath, Prana Cowhide is an aniline-dyed, natural grain cowhide that has very light and subtle finishes that highlights the smooth grain of this select hide. Prana has a super softness, exceptional durability and cutting yield, and a semi-matte sheen which lends beauty to the 8 relaxing and calming colors offered in Prana.
Prana Cowhide is part of our Namaste Collection created to be soft in touch and color, inspired by the quiet beauty of nature our and our connection to it through the practice of yoga and to encourage a sense of calm and balance through interior designs.
Namaste Collection Shanti Cowhide (SHN)
Shanti is a Sanskrit term meaning “peace.” When you chant, “Om shanti shanti shanti,” it’s an invocation of peace. Yogis chant shanti three times in order to promote peace in body, mind and spirit. This mantra may also be used as a blessing of peace over the attendants.
Shanti Cowhide has a soft and subtle pearlescent finish that highlights the smooth, natural grain of this selected hide. Shanti has a super softness, exceptional durability and cutting yield, and a pearlized sheen which lends beauty to the 8 relaxing and calming colors offered in Shanti.
Shanti Cowhide is part of our Namaste Collection created to be soft in touch and color, inspired by the quiet beauty of nature our and our connection to it through the practice of yoga and to encourage a sense of calm and balance through interior designs.
Namaste Collection Raja Cowhide (RJA)
Raja is a Sanskrit term meaning “king.” Just as raja is the highest rank of the state, Raja Yoga ranks highest among the four paths of yoga and is also called the royal path. The chief practice of Raja Yoga is meditation, offering a comprehensive method for controlling the waves of thought by turning our mental and physical energy into transcendental energy. This means that it is considered the state of peace and contentment that comes with sustained yoga practice and meditation.
Much like in Yoga, Raja Cowhide offers the imprint of a fluid and continuous wave pattern, Geowave, highlighted by a soft and subtle pearlescent effect, resembling the mental and physical thought achieved through the practice of meditation. Raja has a super softness, exceptional durability and cutting yield, and a pearlized sheen which lends beauty to the 8 relaxing and calming colors offered in Raja.
Raja Cowhide is part of our Namaste Collection created to be soft in touch and color, inspired by the quiet beauty of nature our and our connection to it through the practice of yoga and to encourage a sense of calm and balance through interior designs.
Namaste Collection Karma Cowhide (KRM)
Karma is a Sanskrit word which means “action” or “work.” It derives from the root verb kri, which means “to act.” As a concept, therefore, karma can refer to all the actions a person makes, both with their body and in their mind. All activity creates karma. As one of the main paths of yoga that a practitioner can follow, Karma Yoga is the Yoga of Action; it is the path of action, or selfless service towards others. It is the path chosen primarily by those of an outgoing nature. It purifies the heart by teaching you to act selflessly, without thought of gain or reward.
Karma Cowhide resembles the selfless path of action with the gaufraged pattern Mini Cobble, highlighted by a soft and subtle pearlescent effect. Karma has a super softness, exceptional durability and cutting yield, and a pearlized sheen which lends beauty to the 8 relaxing and calming colors offered in Karma.
Karma Cowhide is part of our Namaste Collection created to be soft in touch and color, inspired by the quiet beauty of nature our and our connection to it through the practice of yoga and to encourage a sense of calm and balance through interior designs.
Townsend Leather has once again been recognized as one of the best places to work in the entire Capital District Region, and in fact has been recognized as THE Top Place to Work of all mid-size companies!
For years now Townsend Leather has continually been awarded recognition as a Top Work Place from the Albany Times Union and a Best Place To Work from the Albany Business Review.
Our team was surprised and elated, to not only win once again, but to take the top position! The award ceremony was filled with laughs, photos, and good times, but it was especially exciting at the moment that Townsend Leather was called out as the #1 Mid-Size Company Top Work Place winner.
You can see the moment of excitement, at the award ceremony, from our Facebook Live video: https://www.facebook.com/TownsendLeatherCompany/videos/1638841506152069/
The Albany Times Union, wrote an article highlighting some of the awesome aspects of Townsend Leather: https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/1st-Place-Midsize-Employer-Townsend-Leather-12825966.php
Townsend Leather was also recognized with a special honor, an award for “DIRECTION”. Which symbolizes the foresight, leadership, and positive direction that Townsend is headed in. Our Partners feel safe and comfortable and are excited about our future.
We believe in our company, in our people, and in our culture. We believe in making it better every day. Awards like these are not necessary, they aren’t something we specifically strive for, but to be recognized for the things that we hold near and dear to our hearts, feels good.
Shortly after the award ceremony, we had a burst of good weather. We seized the opportunity to get everyone outside and celebrate a lot of awesomeness. We celebrated a couple of stellar Partner stories (a couple of our “Standing Ovation” awards) and even handed out huge checks to winners. We celebrated a month of incredible feats and performance by everyone to get through one of Townsend’s busiest times in our history, and do awesomely through it. We celebrated once again, earning our AS9100 Recertification and passing our intense audit, with flying colors. And of course, we celebrated our #1 Top Work Place honor with confetti cannons, high fives, and fruit all around!
We are so proud of the work we do, the people we are, and the greatness we create together. These things really matter. We are able to produce even better leather at even faster speeds because we love doing it. We love where we work, we love who we work with, we love how we work, we love what we do – and because of that love we are able to create the finest upholstery leather in the world and proudly stand behind it.
If you are interested in joining our Top Workplace Team read more and apply here: www.townsendleather.com/job
https://townsendleather.com/job
Townsend is proud of our environmental impact and are continually striving to make it even more positive. This past Earth Day we, once again, held an annual Townsend-Team celebration of the Earth and green-goodness. Our focus this year was to get outside and really connect to the beauty of nature.
We encouraged all Townsend Partners to wander the Townsend campus, picking up trash, breathing the fresh air, taking in the wonder of the natural welcoming green spots that Townsend has to offer.
“Earth Day is a chance to do something that will make a positive environmental impact, and the first step to making positive change is – to get outside and enjoy nature’s beauty, appreciate the areas we have, and get in touch with our outdoorsy selfs.”
The Townsend campus has so much greenery to offer, we turned it into a bit of a game/scavenger hunt. Partners went out for walks in groups and searched out 6 different marked “Green Spots” where they could deposit any trash they found on their way, could read some interesting Green Facts, and pose for a green-centric selfie or group photo.
Everyone got involved, even our favorite Earth-friend superhero, Captain Planet!
Green searchers even had a chance to win big ca$h prizes, just for getting out/getting green.
From Townsend’s Facebook page:
“The Townsend Leather campus is loaded with beautiful, green, nature-filled areas. In honor of Earth Day, we have been getting outside and wandering the grounds for a “scavenger hunt” of ‘Green Spots and Photo Ops’. Captain Planet even stopped by! We at Townsend Leather take our responsibility to the Earth seriously and aim to make a positive environmental impact in the ways we do business and the grounds we maintain. We also take our responsibility to FUN seriously and make a game out of everything we can, especially if it means getting outside to see the Townsend Community Gardens, the outdoor break areas, the upper-lands meditative scenic outlook area, the pond, the pavilion, the flower gardens, and all the areas in between! Here are just a handful of the fun photos from today’s Get Out / Get Green event…
Townsend Partners, tag yourself and share your “Green Spot” Townsend photos! The power is yours! Happy Earth Day to you! And an even happier good-weather day!
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At Townsend we love Earth Day and we love any reason to get outside and enjoy Earth’s beauty.”
We have so much greenery to love at Townsend, our pond, our pavilion, our upper meditation flat lands, our outdoor break area, our community garden, our deep woods walking path (complete with a beaver), the geese, the wandering deer… so much nature to love.
At Townsend we love Earth Day and we love any reason to get outside and enjoy Earth’s beauty.
Our endless pursuit of leather exploration and R&D allows us to craft some truly stunning creations.
We take inspiration from anywhere and everywhere to push the boundaries of leather and design. Whether it is a new Pantone Color of the Year, artwork from an up and coming designer, a wood panel, or a walk in nature, our “aRt&D” craftspeople are constantly being inspired and creating.
If you ever wanted to take a peak behind the curtain of color creation, take a moment to see the very short video below. Speed through the process – of color reading a Pantone color chip with the technology and advanced techniques of getting the perfect color formula built, then hand measuring, mixing, testing, and refining by eye. Our color matching experts are a perfect blend of technological advancement and legacy craftsmanship.
Pantone’s Color of the Year, Ultra Violet, has clearly been an inspiration to our team and many designers across the globe. Shades of violet are easy to spot, once your eye is tuned to them. Like this image, you may find your desk is actually a Ultra Violet amalgamation. Click the Ultra-Violet-inspired image to see a selection of Ultra-Violet-inspired leathers in our Sample Store.
The Pantone Color of the Year has inspired even the youngest of designers. A future-designer, artful-eyed, master-digital-crafter, and daughter of Townsend’s own Sr. VP. of Sales and Marketing, Olivia, compiled two UV inspired art-boards, which in-turn inspired our aRt&D team to create a cosmically UV inspired “Abstract Art” leather.
See more of our R and D leathers and efforts, get inspired for your designs, or reach out and let us know your craziest leather dreams and inspire our craftspeople.
As you browse the most recent edition of Boutique Design Magazine, keep your eyes out for yet another Ultra Violet inspired leather of ours. Featured in Boutique Design Magazine, you can see our UV inspired Taj Cowhide nestled between some classic Taj colors. These leathers have moxie! And not only that, but the can stand up to the hardest conditions, because they have Superior Rated Durability. Visit www.townsendleather.com/superiordurability to find out more.
Find Your Sense of Zen…With Our Namaste Collection
The Namaste Collection was inspired by our venture into finding more zen in our everyday lives. In this fast-paced world and industry, ensuring our employees find balance in life is important to us. One way we’ve done this is through incorporating the practice of yoga into our workplace culture.
Townsend Leather prides itself on our focus to craftsmanship and quality, our production process is so efficient and balanced that the leather manufacturing becomes a zen experience itself. Watch the short video below to experience a brief glance of these supple, calming, luxurious leathers being hand-crafted here in the Townsend Leather facility.
This collection has taken all aspects of Yoga and the divine world that Yogis practice and turned it into a beautiful, calming, and luxurious leather collection that is offered in eight tranquil colors with coordinating patterns and sheen. Produced with proprietary techniques and materials, the products in this collection, Prana, Shanti, Raja & Karma Cowhide, were created to be soft in touch and color and were inspired by the quiet beauty of nature our and our connection to it through the practice of yoga.
The story featured in The String this month is about the production of our first order for this new collection! Townsend was so proud to produce more than 8,300 SF of two of these new products within the Namaste Collection. Shanti Cowhide Innocence and the coordinating Raja Cowhide Innocence which were both specified for the casino on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. Take a look at our behind the scenes story of how this beautiful and luxurious feeling product was produced for this project!
The Namaste Collection encourages a sense of calm and balance through interior designs and we hope it brings peace and beauty to each project where it is used. Read more about our story of this collection and our Townsend Leather partner bringing Yoga to our company after becoming a certified instructor.
And if you need just one more moment of zen… go ahead and zen-out to this short video of our gaufrage roll embossing…
