Artificial leather sheet material is made by hydroentanglement of waste leather fibers. A web of the fibers is advanced on a porous belt high pressure water jet heads in a number of successive hydroentanglement steps. Screens have apertures which allow deep penetration of the water jets into the web while thin screen portions between the apertures act to interrupt the jets allow deep penetration of the water jets into the web while thin screen portions between the apertures act to interrupt the jets and limit formation of furrows. Deflector plates are provided alongside water jet heads to remove re-bounding water.