Talk:Morocco leather

As brought up by IP 50.32.42.236 with this edit at Talk:Goatskin_(material)#Merger proposal, the title may be incorrect grammar. I also believe "Moroccan leather" is correct and it should be changed. Jason Quinn (talk) 21:02, 4 October 2013 (UTC)

Nonsense. See a dictionary or the google search. Johnbod (talk) 02:32, 5 October 2013 (UTC)

Saying my comment is "nonsense" and to "see a dictionary" is rather rude, Johnbod, especially when I am helping relay message from another user. If you are going to cite a Google search as evidence that my comment is nonsense, please at least try to understand this perspective. A Google search for "Moroccan leather" turns up more search results (223,000 vs 191,000) than "Morocco leather". Further a comparison of the search terms on Google Trends shows that "Moroccan leather" is searched four times as frequently as "Morocco leather". So, clearly, saying my comment is "nonsense" is flat out wrong. And let's not forget that there's the whole issue about "Moroccan leather" being correct grammar. If you are going to snidely remark "see a dictionary", at least tell me which one you are using since no dictionary is perfect and the first ones I looked at either no entry or entries that also mention "Moroccan leather". Jason Quinn (talk) 21:06, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

Moroccan leather (any leather from Morocco) is a different thing from Morocco leather (which need not come from Morocco). Johnbod (talk) 00:19, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Morocco leather is not from Morocco, it is from Nigeria where Morocco leather was developed by the Moors in the 800s. Hides went by camel caravan across the desert to Morocco where they went north into Spain for distribution. The Moroccans were the ones that controlled what went into Spain and hence people in Spain knew only the leather was from Morocco - but it originated in Nigeria.

The origin is Sokoto Region of Nigeria and Maradi Region of Niger Republic where the Sokoto Red Goat is indigenous to these regions. Skins are prepared using the Sumac Red Dye process to enhance the grain. Note that the Sokoto Red Goat has diminutive wax and oil glands which some believe to be the reason it works well for book binding. Durable and tough it doesn't tear as easily as other skins and is thin enough for the bindery to bind it quickly.

During the late 1800s the UK leather market nearly collapsed as unethical dealers claimed that all goatskin is Morocco leather and all Morocco leather is goatskin. Unethical leather salesman outside Britain today may make the claim today in order to sell an inferior goat skin at a higher price. Let the buyer beware.

The encyclopedia Britanica has more information on the subject under various headings but for starters, see the entry for "S^[1]okoto" which discusses the capital city of Sokoto state and contains this affirmation, " By the 1820s Sokoto had become known for... Its leather products were famous (especially those made from skins of the Sokoto red goat, the source of so-called morocco leather)..."

Tidebearer (talk) 05:00, 9 November 2013 (UTC)

I don't think any reputable source can ever be used to prove something is the best over something else. That is highly subjective. What isn't subjective is that the Cambridge University Press "source" is really just marketing for its own book bindings, and not an actual article per Cambridge University. I do not think mention of Nigerian leather within the framework of it being superior is appropriate. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.115.165.61 (talk) 09:36, 27 May 2020 (UTC) <ref>Please refer to an article that I wrote for Guild of Bookworkers, Aug 2019, that is well researched and referenced. A pdf of the original can be found at: https://files.constantcontact.com/9c277d5f001/ec879f47-4feb-4dfa-a68f-ad0d8c78d92a.pdf<ref>StevenSiegelLeather (talk) 00:34, 14 January 2021 (UTC)