The invention relates to a dry artificial leather manufacturing machine, which comprises a stand (1) and a heating wheel mechanism (2). The heating wheel mechanism (2) is arranged on the stand and comprises a scraper (3) mechanism, a rotationally moved heating wheel (5) and laminating wheels (6). The heating wheel (5) is provided with a heating device. The surface of the outer circumference of the heating wheel (5) is a flat work surface; the work surface of the scraper (3) mechanism corresponding to the heating wheel is arranged above the heating wheel (5). The work surfaces of the laminating wheels (6) corresponding to the heating wheel (5) are arranged at the side of the heating wheel (5), and the laminating wheels in the rotational direction of the heating wheel are positioned in front of the scraper mechanism.

In a method of making fish skin leather (2, 4), a fish skin with fish scales (21) thereon is washed, cleaned, and tanned. Then, the fish scales (21) are removed from the tanned fish skin to expose a plurality of ridges (23, 43) underlying the fish scales (21) and presenting fish skin grains (20). The resultant fish skin leather (2, 4) has a skin substrate (22, 42) having a surface with fish skin grains (20) that include a plurality of ridges (23, 43) which project from the surface of the skin substrate (22, 42).

A method wherein a floral motif with empty spaces between the elements (2) thereof is placed on a template (1), and separate leather components (3) are prepared such that their outlines match the elements (2) of the floral motif. Each of the various components (3) is joined to the adjacent components at the contact points therebetween via reinforcing members (4), and the empty spaces between said components (3) are filled with a tracery (5) of crossed threads with its end joined to the edges of adjacent components (3). The article consists of discrete components (3) joined together at the contact points between their edges via reinforcing members (4), whereas the empty spaces between adjacent components (3) are filled with a tracery (5) of crossed threads.

A powdered leather which is composed of at least 85 % by weight of cortex, at most 2 % by weight of oil and fat, and at most 0.5 % by weight of Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions elutable by water and which has an average particle size (D₅₀) of at most 7 µm, a standard deviation of the average particle size being at most 3 µm. With this powdered leather, it is possible to thin films, coatings, fibers, etc. which would hardly be deteriorated with time. The powdered leather is produced by providing a powdered leather raw material, grinding the raw material into coarse particles, drying the coarse particles, defatting the dried coarse particles using a solvent, removing the residual solvent from the defatted coarse particles, rinsing the resultant coarse particles, dewatering the rinsed coarse particles, swelling the dewatered coarse particles in steam, redrying the swelled coarse particles, pulverizing the redried coarse particles, classifying the pulverized particles into fine powder and coarse powder, and repulverizing the fine powder so as to have an average particle size (D₅₀) of at most 7 µm.

A reconstituted leather product is produced from fibrillated leather fibers. The highly preferred leather product is prepared by a process which includes dry chopping pieces of chrome tanned leather, wet fibrillating the resulting dry chopped leather so as to realize an aqueous slurry containing the fibrillated leather fibers, mixing the slurry with an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer binding agent, and optionally, a fat liquoring agent, felting the resulting slurry, removing the remaining water to realize a dried felt having 80-90% solids, and final pressing the felt at a temperature sufficient to fuse the binder.