This work aimed to evaluate the physical-mechaniccharacteristics of crossed sheep leathers from hairy tropical crioula ewes matedwith Texel wooly breed (TE) and Santa Inês (SI) hair tropical breed rams.Twenty two skin were evaluated from male sheep slaughtered at average of 240days of age and 21.9 ± 4.4 and 20.9 ± 3.4 body live weight, respectivelyfor TE and SI. After skinning, pelts were weighed, conserved in brine and saltedand classified by quality before the chromium-tanned. From the leather obtainedin this stage, called wet blue, samples were taken from palette, hind and ventralregions. From each region studied, three samples were taken in two directionsfor physical-mechanical analysis of tension and tear resistance. A split plotexperimental design was used, where the two genetic groups were representedby the plots and a 2 x 3 factorial (two positions and three regions) by thesplit plots. Results showed that the SI leathers group had better resistanceto tensile strength and distention assays than TE group and, in both geneticgroup, there were not significant differences among the different regions studiedon leather. It was concluded that leathers from the crossbreding of Texel sheepwooly ram and crioula hairy ewes showed smaller industry quality than hair tropicalSanta Inês breed.
