What leather is and how it is made
Leather is animal hide or skin that has been tanned. Tanning makes the hide stable, so it resists rot and heat. Raw hide is a natural material; tanning changes it into a durable one.
A hide has layers. The outer layer is the grain, which has tightly packed fibres. Beneath it is the corium, which has looser fibres. Tanners often split the hide into layers. The top layer becomes full grain or top grain. The lower layer becomes split leather.
Three terms are often confused, and each answers a different question:
- Grade describes which layer of the hide is used and how much of the surface has been altered.
- Tannage describes the chemical process that stabilises the hide, such as vegetable or chrome tanning.
- Finish describes what is done to the surface after tanning, such as dye, a light top coat or a heavy pigment layer.
One piece of leather has all three. A wallet might be full grain, vegetable tanned and aniline dyed. Keeping the three apart makes product descriptions much easier to read.
Leather grades from best to worst
Grades describe how much of the original grain is left. There is no single official grading system, so the same word can mean different things from one maker to another. The categories below are the ones most often used.
Full grain
Full grain is the grain layer left intact, not sanded or buffed. It keeps the animal’s natural pores and wrinkles. It is usually the strongest and most breathable grade, and it develops a patina (a deepening colour and sheen) with use. Scars and insect marks are not removed, so no two pieces look exactly alike.
Top grain
Top grain is the upper layer after light sanding or buffing has removed flaws. It is thinner and more uniform than full grain, and it is usually finished with a surface coat. The label is used loosely. Some sellers call corrected leather “top grain”, so ask what was done to the surface.
Corrected grain
Corrected grain has had its grain sanded more heavily. It is then usually pigment-coated and often embossed with an artificial grain pattern. It is still real leather, and it is common in budget shoes, upholstery and belts. It resists stains well but does not develop a patina. What corrected grain leather is explains how to recognise it.
Split leather
Split leather comes from the lower layer of the hide. It is weaker than the grain layers, so it is usually coated or embossed to look like a finished grain. Suede is also made from a split.
Bonded leather
Bonded leather is made from shredded leather fibres held together with latex or polyurethane on a paper or fabric backing. It is not hide in the usual sense. The ISO 15115 standard requires at least 50% leather fibre by dry weight before a product can be called “bonded leather fibre”, but many consumer products contain much less. Bonded leather tends to peel and flake with use.
“Genuine leather” is a label, not a grade
“Genuine leather” means the product is made from real animal hide. It does not say which layer was used. In practice it often means split or corrected leather. Treat the word as a reason to ask questions, not as a sign of quality. Real vs faux leather covers the difference between genuine leather and synthetic materials.
Tannages: vegetable, chrome and combination
Vegetable tanning uses plant tannins from sources such as oak bark, chestnut, mimosa and quebracho. Traditional pit tanning can take weeks or months, while modern drum methods are much faster. Vegetable-tanned leather is firm, holds its shape, and takes stamping and carving well. It darkens with sun and handling and develops a patina. It is also more sensitive to water. Is vegetable tanned leather waterproof? covers this in detail.
Chrome tanning uses chromium(III) salts. It is much faster, usually about a day in drums. It produces leather that is softer, more even in colour and more stable under heat. Estimates vary, but chrome tanning is thought to account for most of the world’s leather production. It is common in clothing, upholstery and many shoe uppers. Chrome-tanned leather does not hold tooling well, and its edges need paint rather than burnishing. How to identify chrome tanned leather explains the signs to look for.
Combination tanning uses both methods, often chrome followed by a vegetable retan. It can give a soft feel with a firmer structure. It can also make simple home tests less reliable.
Some makers use other tannages, such as aldehyde (“wet white”). These are not chrome, but they are still tanned leather. Labels such as “chrome-free” usually refer to one of these.
Finishes: aniline, semi-aniline and pigmented
The finish describes what sits on the surface after tanning.
- Aniline is dyed with transparent dyes and has no pigment top coat. The natural grain and marks show. It is soft and absorbent, so it stains and fades more easily.
- Semi-aniline is dyed in the same way and then given a light pigment layer. It keeps most of the natural look and resists stains a little better.
- Pigmented, sometimes called protected, has an opaque coating that hides marks and gives an even colour. It resists stains and wear well, but it looks less natural and does not develop a patina in the same way.
Full-grain leather is often aniline or semi-aniline. Corrected-grain leather is usually pigmented.
Surface effects: nubuck, suede, patent and pull-up
- Nubuck is grain-side leather buffed to a fine, short nap. It is tougher than suede. Suede vs nubuck compares them in more detail.
- Suede is flesh-side leather napped to a softer, looser surface. It is usually made from a split.
- Patent is leather with a high-gloss coating. The coating makes the surface water-resistant but less breathable. Patent leather explained covers the coating, care and storage.
- Pull-up leather is oiled or waxed. When it is flexed or stretched, its colour lightens. Waxed vs oiled leather explains the difference between the two treatments.
- Nappa is a soft, full-grain leather, usually chrome-tanned. It describes a feel and finish, not a species.
Surface patterns such as pebble and embossed textures are covered in leather grain patterns.
Sauvage: a finish effect, not a separate leather
Sauvage describes a two-tone, mottled or marbled look. A darker colour is applied unevenly over a lighter base, so the surface looks layered and uneven. It is a finish effect, not an animal and not a tannage. The same effect can be applied to different leathers, and its look varies between makers.
When you see “sauvage” on a product, ask two questions: what is the base leather, and what grade and tannage is it? The sauvage effect says nothing on its own about durability.
Animal hides and exotic skins
Most leather comes from cattle, roughly two-thirds by most estimates, with sheep, goat and pig following. Exotic skins such as crocodile, ostrich and python are a small share of production and are usually priced higher. See what types of animal leather there are and luxury and exotic leathers.
Thickness: reading leather in ounces
Leather is often sold by the square foot, and its thickness is given in ounces. One ounce is 1/64 of an inch, which is about 0.4 mm. So 3 oz is about 1.2 mm, 4 oz about 1.6 mm, and 5 oz about 2.0 mm. The ounce figure is a measure of thickness, not weight.
Thickness suits different jobs. Thin leathers suit linings, gloves and garments. Medium leathers suit wallets and bags. Thick leathers suit belts, straps and holsters. Thicker is not always better: very thick leather makes bulky folds and hard seams.
How to choose and identify leather for a project gives typical weights for common projects.
Frequently asked questions
What are the different quality levels of leather?
Full grain is usually ranked highest, followed by top grain, corrected grain, split leather and bonded leather. Quality also depends on use. A corrected-grain bag may suit heavy daily use better than an aniline bag that shows every mark.
What is the lowest quality of leather?
Bonded leather is usually ranked lowest. It is made from shredded fibres held together with adhesive and tends to peel and flake.
What is the highest quality type of leather?
Full-grain leather is usually considered the highest grade for strength and natural character. Some specialty leathers cost more, but price is not the same as durability.
Which type of leather is expensive?
Full-grain aniline leather, rare exotic skins and specialist hides such as shell cordovan are among the most expensive. Price depends on hide quality, size, scarcity and the work involved.
What are the different types of leather sofas?
Sofas are often upholstered in top-grain or corrected-grain leather, semi-aniline or pigmented leather, or faux leather. Choose by how much wear, stain resistance and softness you need, and ask the seller for the grade and finish.