COW HIDES NEAR ME SKIN

Many synthetic leathers are made of petrochemicals, which raises an environmental dilemma for some consumers. And for those who still favor the look of leather, imitations have gotten more sophisticated and can breathe like the real thing, said John Hochstein, vice president of hide and leather sales for National Beef Packing Co., one of the four major U.S.

So-called fast-fashion and athleisure - clothing which contains no leather at all - now dominate American retail.

COW HIDES NEAR ME SKIN

Hide, Skin and Leather Assn., an industry lobbying group.īut thanks in part to synthetic fabrics, that’s no longer the case. A finishing treatment, like a print, a coat of polyurethane, or buffing the hide into suede, could smooth over rough spots, said Stephen Sothmann, president of the Washington-based U.S. “Some people used to say, ‘We haven’t buried any hides yet.’ Now they can’t say that.”īefore the bottom fell out, imperfect hides could be turned into small leather goods, such as cheap handbags. Vera Dordick, chief executive officer and publisher of Hidenet, added that it’s not just the U.S. “There’s no one bidding, no one trying to buy them,” said Brannan, who has worked in the hide business since 1976.Īccording to Hidenet, a leather markets research firm, a hide from a branded cow went for as little as $4 the week of July 15, down from as much as $81 just five years ago. In the first five months of this year, the company saw a 27% drop in production, with 20% of its current inventory sitting in warehouses - worthless. Twin City Hide has had to stop taking lower-quality hides from smaller beef companies, since the cost of processing them is more than it can recoup. Older animals that have weathered the elements on pastures for years have skin marred by imperfections. Most animals don’t have perfect hides, and many are branded. But that’s just one part of the industry. There’s still plenty of demand for high-quality leather - the type used in pricey handbags or high-end sofas. “We’re throwing a natural product in the garbage.”

“There are hides with no value,” said Joe Brannan, manager of export sales at Twin City Hide, a processor based in South St.

It’s not even 1% of the value of a live cow. Hides from cows, which are lower quality than those of steers, have fallen to only about 5% of the value of all byproducts - worth less than tongues and cheek meat. Hides have often accounted for 50% of the value of the animal’s byproducts, and byproducts can be 10% of a steer’s value or more. With piles of 100-pound cowhides accumulating all over the country, unused and unsold, leather makers are warning of a looming commercial disaster.

Cow hides near me