Creations in black cowhide rugs are taking on artistic proportions. A large amount of black cowhide rugs are designed and manufactured in Brazil using animal skins that have been processed for meat in the many local industrial packaging plants. Cow hides is an all natural by product of the cattle industry. It is recycled to ensure that no part of the animal used for meat is wasted. The role of professional tanners comes into play as the methods used to treat and soften the skin can add to the beauty and longevity of the rugs. They use proven methods to soften the hide and make it ready for use in rug applications, along with other products. This treatment also ensures that the hide is resistant to shedding and producing any odours. It is widely held that a tanning process using chromium will make the hide softer and longer. Brazil have earned a reputation for perfecting this technique. By “curing” the hide, as it were, it becomes more flexible and pliable, increasing the potential for its use. (more…)