What are disclosed are improved methods for the preparation of leather wherein, in one or more steps for preparing leather from limed animal skins or hides, including beamhouse operations such as deliming, bating, pickling, and degreasing to prepare unhaired tannable hides from animal skins or hides, and including subsequent tanning, retanning, and dyeing steps performed on said unhaired tannable hides, small amounts of a high polymeric water soluble cellulose ether or of an acrylic polymer are added to at least one of the treating baths involved in such method steps as a lubricant for said skins or hides.