Barrel pigmentation - Drum pigmentation
Occasionally the term "Barrel pigmentation" and "Drum pigmentation" appears in leather descriptions. Often in connection with BMW leather, but also with furniture as Lavalina leather.
Normally leather is dyed in barrels in a bath of dyestuffs and then coated with a pigment-containing colour on the surface for protection.
The barrel pigmentation is carried out in the process of retanning. By the addition of very fine pigments without binders, these are absorbed by the leather, thus achieving an equalization of the colouring of the leather surface without the pores being closed.
The barrel pigmented BMW leather is described as an open-pore smooth leather without pigment layer on the grain side. The leather samples of the leather BMW Merino are all provided with a pigmentation. It’s no aniline leather. It’s a semi-anline leather.
Previously known samples of leather with barrel pigmentation had color coatings on the surface when tested with a solvent. It was therefore no aniline leather, but semi aniline leather. Whether these leathers are softer or more beautiful than semi-anilin leather without barrel pigmentation could not be determined.
Lavalina leather barrel pigmented also has a top pigmentation, which probably does not come from the barrel. On the right picture the finish was removed with solvents.
Due to the unclear information, let always confirm the type of leather used in the application of the barrel pigmentation. If a real aniline leather is desired, examine more closely, if aniline leather is really offered.
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