Raw animal hide/skin

A hide or skin is an animal skin treated for human use. The word "hide" is related to the German word "haut" which means skin. The industry defines hides as "skins" of large animals e.g. cow, buffalo; the skins refer to "skins" of smaller animals: goat, sheep, deer, pig, fish, alligator, snake, etc. Common commercial hides include leather from cattle and other livestock animals, buckskin, alligator skin and snake skin. All are used for shoes, clothes, leather bags, belts and other fashion accessories. Leather is also used in carriages, upholstery, interior decorating, horse tack and harnesses. Skins are sometimes still gathered from hunting and processed at a domestic or artisanal level but most leather making is now industrialized and large-scale. Various tannins are used for this purpose.
The term "skin" is sometimes expanded to include furs, which are harvested from various species, including cats, mustelids, and bears.

History & Usage

Everyday use

Turned into Leather of various sorts

Refinement

Refined by a Hide and skin Tanner

Value

Varies greatly depending on animal type and quality of harvested fur.

Odor

Smells like raw flesh slowly going bad