The drying process of exotic skin is absolutely crucial to producing high quality, grade A skins. As with most aspects of tanneries, the drying areas of an exotic leather tannery require ample space.
That said, there are three processes to drying a tanned exotic skin to perfection – the crust, the color, and the finish.
The drying process can be laborious; it requires the stretching of the hides during the tanning process, forcing the hides to dry flat. Not stretching a hide during tanning leaves it wavy or cause it to roll, creating an inconsistent finish or a skin that will be difficult to use in production. Skins are dried at a low temperature with low humidity to produce the best quality; high temperature drying causes shrinking and a harder, more brittle leather.
A professional tanner takes great care to ensure that their drying process is well ventilated, at the proper temperature, and the skins are properly stretched during drying to prevent warping and rolling
Dryers can be used, but only at low temperatures. Typically, finishing is a relatively quick part of the exotic skin tanning process, but tanneries should always do this at low temperature, low humidity, and good exhaust.
