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Boiled leather


Boiled leather, sometimes called cuir bouilli, was a historical construction material for armour. It consists of thick leather, boiled in water. According to some sources boiled oil and wax were used as well, while others posit the use of ammonia from fermented animal urine. The boiling causes the leather to become harder but also more brittle. The leather remains flexible for a short time after boiling, allowing it to be molded into larger plates.

Cuir bouilli has also been employed to bind books.



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