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A (Top)

Altered Leather

Leather with its original surface of the skin or hide removed to get rid of imperfections in the original grain surface. A new grain can be embossed into the leather.

Aniline Dyed

Leather that is drum-dyed all the way through with a transparent dye that is usually coated with protein, resin, lacquer or waxes. Because the finish is transparent and shows the natural markings of the leather, only the best quality hides can be used.

Armor Leather

Heavy veg-tan leather used for shoe soles and for protective armor by historical re-enactors.

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Belly Cut (snake)

Snakeskins that are cut on the underneath so the tanned skin shows the snake's normally visible pattern.

Brush Colored

The application of dyestuff to leather being laid on a table, with a brush. Some also call this 'hand tipping'.

Buffed

Leather that has been sueded and can also be referred to as snuffed, nubuck or grain-sueded leather.

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Calf Hide

Leather taken from an immature bovine. Calf hides are broken down further based on size of the hide: Kip: Calf hide that is less than 14.75 square feet Extreme: Calf hide that is between 14.75 sq ft and 18 sq ft

Chrome Tanned

This process uses soluble chromium salts, primarily chromium sulfate, to tan leather. Most commonly used for garments, footwear and upholstery.

Cordovan

Leather made from the tight, firm shell portion of horse butts that has fine pores and a characteristic finish.

Crock

The coloring matter that rubs off of poorly dyed leather. If it peels off the surface or you find it on your hands after handling, your leather is crocking.

Crust

Leather that has been tanned but not finished. Crust leathers are often colored/dyed, but no finishing oils or treatments have been added.

Culatta

The rear part of the hide with the shoulder cut off. This is a great choice for belt makers.

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Degrained Leather

Leather from which the grain has been removed after tanning, by splitting, abrading or other process. Very smooth.

Distressed

Leather that is aniline dyed with one color over another (usually darker over lighter) so as to create rich highlights and an artificial aged appearance. This finishing process is intended to emphasize the characteristics of the hide such as scars, scratches and wrinkles. Also called "antiqued leather".

Drawn Grain

Shrunken, shriveled or wrinkled grain surface of leather.

Drum Dyed

The process of coloring leather by tumbling it in a rotating drum immersed in dye to allow maximum dye penetration.

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Embossed Leather

Leather that has been "stamped" through a heat or pressure process with a design or artificial texture under very high pressure. Embossed leathers, commonly reptile or western patterns, include ostrich and gator. Some will use this term interchangeably with words like 'plated' or 'fake grain.'

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Fat Wrinkle

Wrinkles in the grain of leather caused by fat deposits in the animal. Yet another reason to get your cows into a gym.

Finish

A surface application on the leather to color, protect, or mask imperfections. Glossy clear coats, for example.

Flesh Side

The underside of the animal's hide. When looking at a piece of veg-tanned tooling leather, this will be the rough side.

Full Grain

Leather which has not been altered beyond hair removal. It is the most genuine of leathers, retaining all of the hide's original texture and markings. The hide's best, strongest and most durable layer.

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Glazed Finish

Surface is polished to a high luster by pressurized glass or steel rollers, to yield something like patent leathers.

Good Hand

A soft, supple leather that feels good to the hand.

Grain

The outside of the hide or skin consisting of the pores, wrinkles and other characteristics that constitutes the natural texture of the leather.

Grain, Embossed

An artificial grain pressed into the surface of top grain leather with original grain removed. Like plated leathers.

Grain Side

This is the hide's surface that had the hair of the animal. The grain side is used for leather carving and stamping by leather crafters.

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Hair Cell Gain

Noticeable appearance of where the hair pores were on the leather.

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Kidskin

Soft leather made from the skin of a young goat.

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Leather

A generic term used for all kinds of tanned animal hides or skins.

Latigo

Cowhide leather tanned for outdoor use. Utilized for cinches, ties, and other saddlery work and for army accoutrements.

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Matte Finish

A flat or dull finish.

Milled

During the tanning process, the leather is tumbled in a large drum shaped container to make it softer.

Mineral Tanned

Leather tanned by mineral substances like the salts of chromium/ aluminum/ zirconium.

N (Top)

Napa

Commonly refers to the surface or top grain of any soft leather hide.

Natural Grain

A leather that retains the full original grain.

Nubuck

Lightly buffed top grain to a very fine nap that appears smoother than suede.

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Oil Tanned

Leather that is tanned using fish oils to create a very soft, pliable finish, like chamois.

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Patent

Heavily finished to give a highly lustrous, shiny appearance.

Patina

The aura or luster that develops in leather as it ages with use.

Pearlized

Spray-on finish giving pearlized (shimmery) effect.

Pebble Grain

A cosmetic character resembling many small pebbles on the leather's top side.

Perforated

The process of punching, piercing, or die cutting small holes to form a pattern in the leather.

Pigskin

From pigs or hogs, commonly used for suede.

Plating, Plated Leather

Pressing leather with a heated metal plate under high pressure. Similar to embossing.

Printed Leather

Leather that has been "stamped" with a design or artificial texture under very high pressure.

Pull-Up Finish

Describes the behavior of leather that has been treated with oils, waxes and dyes in such a way that when pulled or stretched, the finish becomes lighter in those areas. Considered a mark of high quality.

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Rawhide

Hides that have only ben de-haired and cured but not tanned.

Reconstituted Leather

Material composed of collagen fibers obtained from ground up hide pieces that have been constructed into a fibrous mat.

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Saddle Leather

Vegetable-tanned cattlehide leather for harnesses and saddles, usually of a natural tan shade and rather flexible.

Semi-Aniline

Aniline leather that has a matching pigment layer added to even out the color and add protection.

Shearling

A sheepskin or lambskin that has gone through a limited shearing process to obtain a uniform depth of the wool fibers. They can be tanned with either a veg-tan method, normally used for saddles and outdoor gear, or with a chrome method, normally used for garments.

Side

Leather tanned from one half, or "side" of a full cowhide cut right up the backbone. In general, sides run about 18 to 22 square feet of total surface area.

Skirting

Sides from cattle that are left in their heaviest form of use with saddle making and re-enactment armor.

Snuffed

The grain surface abraded with brushes, emery wheel or sandpaper. It is done to remove defective grain or for sueding the surface of leather.

Split

When a thick hide is split, the term refers to the top surface which looks like suede but is not as soft. Splits are left overs, but can be made into excellent leathers.

Suede

Leather that has been buffed and brushed for a more attractive. velvet-like surface.

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Temper

Defines pliability/softness of leathers.

Tooling Calf

Normally, a very lightweight veg-tanned leather that has a very clean appearance.

Top Grain

Usually refers to a process of sanding away the natural grain from a leather's top surface. Imitation grain gets stamped into the leather for a more uniform look.

Trim or Trimmings

The removal of parts of a skin or hide not suitable for making leather, such as portions on the outer edges.

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Unfinished Leather

An aniline-dyed, naked leather with no additional application intended to finish, color or treat in a way that would alter the natural characteristics of the leather.

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Veg-Splits

Veg-tanned leather that has been split with both sides having a fleshy feel. Cannot be tooled.

Veg-Tanned

A method of hide tanning which utilizes materials from organic materials such as bark instead of the traditional chemicals. Veg-tan is the leather utilized in tooling leather.

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Waxy Hand

An upholstery or handbag leather that has a waxy feel and look to it.

Weight

A term which describes the thickness of leather in ounces. The weight of leather is measured in ounces per square foot. One ounce equals 1/64th (0.4 mm) of an inch in thickness.