Animal Skin

Many products can be made from animal skin, such as parchment, vellum, and leather. By treating the collagen matrix of skin with different chemical processes (i.e. lime, tanning, etc.), the properties of the skin can be modified.

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Parchment

Parchment is made from animal skin—usually calf, sheep, or goat—which has been processed to strip away blood and fat. Unlike leather, parchment is not tawed or tanned. The finished product is composed almost entirely of collagen, a long molecule that forms intertwined strands called fibrils. This collagen network makes the membrane strong and resistant to tearing.

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