Leather

#### Leather. The term "leather"-notes or "leather" perfume types occur quite frequently in the perfumer's language. There are even a number of different perfume types which fall under the category of "leather". Originally and truly, the odor should only derive from leather, more exactly from untanned leather. But the use of the term "leather" for an odor has slowly changed to become a description of the tanning and processing materials in respect to odor type. The curing and tanning of leather involves the use of a number of chemicals, and the process is well known for the obnoxious odor emitted by the wet leather in the tanning brine. Various phenols are used as preservatives, but natural tars have also been used as "masking" odors during the process. The leather will acquire an odor of such tars and retain that odor for a very long time. This odor has become synonymous with "leather" odor. As a final step away from the original meaning of the term, also the various chemicals used in the curing are known as having a "leather" odor. A true **Leather**** ****Tincture**** **was produced in Germany years ago. Waste pieces of **"Juchtenleder"**** **or other cuttings of leather were chopped and extracted with alcohol by maceration. Such tinctures are not commercially available. In France, the "leather" notes are generally known as "cuir" or "cuir de russie" (Russian leather), but none of the commercial products are based upon natural leather. **Birch Tar Oil**** **fractions, **Castoreum**** ****Tincture**, various phenols, cresols, creosol, isobutylquinoline, cananga oil, zingerone, anhydrol ethyl labdanate, maté, styrax, crude amber oil, cade oil, origanum oil, etc. are used in the artificial reproduction of the odor-type which is today generally known in perfumery circles as a **Leather **type.