Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the rotten skin into a durable, long-lasting and versatile natural material for various uses. Leather is an important material with many uses. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin.

There are a number of processes whereby the skin of a dead animal can be formed into a supple, strong material commonly called leather. There are various forms of leather such as vegetable-tanned leather, Chrome-tanned leather, Aldehyde-tanned leather, Synthetic-tanned leather, Alum-tanned leather, Rawhide.