'Leather' One Of The Oldest And Most Natural Raw Materials
Yes, Leather is one of the oldest first degree natural materials known to mankind. The leather industry is over 7,000 years old. Evidence of hide-working and tanning can be traced back 400,000 years, but the
earliest confirmed leather-working tools date back to the Stone Age. Though the industry has evolved over thousands of years and new advancements and technologies has made it much more modern, yet the basic fundamentals behind 'leather' as a material remain unchanged.
We believe brilliant craftsmanship starts by knowing your materials. No matter where you are in your leather journey—from hobbiest to established company, we want you to understand all aspects of the leather product you buy. We’ve complied common questions, misconceptions, and useful pieces of information about leather.
We are passionate about sharing our leather knowledge with our community, so always feel free to reach out to us with any leather questions you may have.
Aniline
Dyes and finishes that contain no pigment. When used on leather they provide a rich, clear stain that allows the natural character of the article to be seen.
Aniline Finish
Leather finished with a clear top in order to show the natural grain of the leather.
Buffed
Leather that has been sueded; it can also be referred to as snuffed, nubuck or grain-sueded leather.
Cementable
Refers to leather(s) that can be glued as a means of final attachment during the construction of leather goods.
Combination Tanned
Leathers that are tanned using both chrome and blends of vegetable extracts along with emulsified or unrefined oils and waxes.
Corrected Grain
Leather that has been sanded to make its surface more uniform.
Crock
Color that rubs off finished leather.
Crust
Leather that has been tanned but not finished. Crust leathers are often colored/dyed, but no finishing oils or treatments have been added.
Draw
Shrunken, shriveled or wrinkled grain surface of leather.
Emboss
To give a flat piece of leather a pattern or texture that stands out in relief through pressing with tremendous pressure.
Fat Liquored
Leather that has been nourished and conditioned with emulsified oils.
Finish
Surface applications on the leather to color, protect, or mask imperfections.
Full Grain
Leather that has its surface left completely intact, showing all natural characteristics of the hide.
Hand Glazed
Leather that has been polished with a glass rod.
Hot Stuffing
Hot stuffing is secondary to the re-tanning process (for leather that is not fat liquored or wet stuffed) involving unrefined fats and oils, that are solid at room temperature, with a goal to give moisture back to the fibers. The fats and oils are pounded into the skins while they tumble in heated barrels, without the use of water and emulsifiers, and gives the leather a much richer feel. Hot stuffed leathers typically exhibit pull-up, good water resistance and superior durability over time.
Mill-Dyed
Leather that has had dyes introduced during retannage. Also referred to as drum-dyed.
Pasted
Leather that has been dried by fixing it to large glass or ceramic plates. Pasted leathers have very little stretch and smooth grain character.
Pull-up
The temporary lightening of certain leathers when folded. This is caused by displacing oil and waxes.
Retan
To impregnate and condition preserved hides with tanning liquors and extracts.
Shell
A dense fiber structure found only in the hindquarters of equine animals.
Toggled
Leather that has been air-dried after being stretched on a metal screen and clamped into place.
Vegetable Tanned
A tanning method that employs vegetable liquors derived from tree barks. This method of tanning is very traditional and takes longer to achieve than chrome tanning.
Weight
Also referred to as thickness or substance. Leather is generally sold in ounces or millimeters, and in increments of 1/2 oz or 0.2 mm, respectively. For example, 5 – 5 1/2 oz (or 2.0 – 2.2 mm) is a typical footwear weight produced.
Wet Stuffed
Similar to fat liquored, wet stuffed leathers are nourished and conditioned with heavier emulsified oils and waxes.
Top Grain, Full Grain, Corrected Grain
After the initial tanning, leather is split into an upper layer and a lower layer. The upper layer is considered top grain, and can be corrected or uncorrected. The lower layer can be split further/refinished/used for suede.
Top grain is leather that comes from the upper area of the hide. Top grain leather can be full grain or corrected grain.
Full grain is leather from the upper part of the hide, and the outer surface has NOT been polished or corrected. If you look very closely at the leather, you can actually see the hair follicles. Full grain leather is also top grain leather.
Corrected grain is leather from the upper part of the hide where there the surface HAS been polished or buffed. Corrected grain is also top grain leather. Nubuck is an example of corrected grain.
Splits come from the lower layer of the skin. They can be corrected and refinished to mimic grain.
Genuine leather simply means it’s real leather, but does not indicate what part of the hide the leather is from. The term often implies the leather is from the lower portion of the skin.