The leather scene created an independent culture within the queer subculture, in which leather lovers can act undisturbed and according to own rules without granting insight to others. Leather – this word evokes especially in gay context more associations than for other people.
Leather fetish means a high sexual-erotic affinity for the material leather; it is wide spread and very popular. Leather creates a certain fascination even for many outsiders. Leather stands for lads with muscles and beards, for dimmed bars with even darker back areas. Leather is associated with fetish, lust, sweat and smoke and makes this amazing sound when man is moving in it. Many get aroused by the unique smell, the taste and the sensual feeling of leather; they like to wear it on their own skin and fancy seeing it on others. For a leather fetishist, items made from this material become sexual objects, be it in form of apparel, boots, straps, belts, caps or comfortable loungers dangling from the ceiling. In numerous role plays, leather clothing and accessories are an integral part to give those involved the real kick.
Apparently, the leather scene has much in common with motor bikers, who also personify butch and wear leather because of its protective properties. Another group, which fulfils the leather ideal of a harsh but attractive hunk, are cowboys. Those associations are stereotyped thinking and thanks to our varied community, leather fetishism can be very divers. I remember very well the terrifically stimulating feeling wearing leather jeans for the first time – a moment to remember for every leather fetishist. This feeling intensifies with growing experience and extended fetish equipment.
The tanned hide is certainly one of the oldest materials used by the human for protection against rigors of the weather and has ever since been the second or third skin. In that sense, leather has something strong, which is obviously particularly important to us leather men. In our daily life, the use of leather in living as well as automotive interior and apparel stands for quality and comfort. The distinctive feature of the material leather is its stylish-elegant appearance, its subtle-erotic touch and the unique feeling on the skin.
Leather fetish can be quite expensive because the manufacture and processing of leather is very complex. I am lucky enough to combine my fetish with my profession as I have been working in the development department of one of the largest internationally operating tanneries for automotive leather for more than ten years. The production flow of an animal skin freshly delivered from the slaughterhouse, full with blood and dung, is fascinating. Step by step a waste product becomes an exclusive material. Keep in mind that no animal is slaughtered for its skin, but because only in Europe we consume annually approximately 65 kg of meat per capita. The current vegan trend does not spare the leather industry and some Designers are looking for a vegan alternative to leather. However, I do not really see one of us leather fetishists hitting the clubs or showing up for a date in pants made of Pineapple fiber or enjoy licking boots based on cork as a leather substitute.
About 15 steps are necessary to process an animal skin into leather. The purpose of tanning is the irreversible stabilization of the skin substance, which is susceptible to rot, by permanently altering of the protein structure. Depending on the final product, the characteristics of the leather can be defined during the re-tanning process in order to produce e.g. a very supple or solid material. But all leathers are not the same. The most natural is aniline leather without any finish on the surface. As this kind of leather is the most sensitive, color pigments and topcoats are applied in order to protect it from environmental influences as well as wear and tear. The more of this topcoat is applied, the less natural the leather’s appearance. Natural leather is basically smooth or shows a fine grain similar to our human skin. If leather has a rough and regular structure, it has been artificially embossed in order to conceal natural marks of the skin such as scars, insect bites or veins. Such marks highlight the uniqueness of each leather hide and I admire the small scar next to the fly on my favorite leather pants. Embossed leather is considerably cheaper than smooth leather. This explains the different prices of leather garments, which vary from brand to brand. Not to be neglected is the fact that leather clothing, if properly cared for, has a long life, is hardly subject to the uniform dictates of fashion and can therefore be worn for a lifetime.
Thanks to those price differences, fetish newbies can afford their first leathers and experience the earlier mentioned stimulating feeling. Just recently I received a message: “Today I bought my first leather jeans. Now I understand what you meant when saying wearing leather feels so horny.” I appreciate the initiative of many clubs and events to organize leather flea markets or sell second hand gear online. On one hand, you can usefully get rid of used leather gear and, on the other hand, younger fetishists have the possibility to extend their outfit. And we all should take every opportunity to introduce interested persons to our “leather world”. Because, after all, it is about our new blood.