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SMOOTH LEATHER, SUEDE, Rough LEATHER, NUBUCK LEATHER: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE OF LEATHER TYPES!
The number of different types of leather is as varied as the areas in which leather is used. Many types of leather, such as suede and suede, are mistakenly used synonymously in everyday life. But what is the difference between the different types of leather, what types of leather are there and where and what are they used for? We'll shed some light on the matter.
The origin of genuine leather
Different factors play a role in the classification of leather types. For example, which animal the processed skin comes from, but also how it was processed, tanned and refined. Pig, lamb and cow hides are most commonly used for leather production . These hides are obtained as a by-product of the meat industry.
Differentiation by the origin of the leather type
The number of different types of leather and terms is huge. We want to give an overview of the most common types of leather here.
COWHIDE
Since cowhide is very stable, strong and durable, it is used a lot for the manufacture of shoes, bags, furniture and car upholstery. The leather is used in large quantities in the food industry and is therefore cheaper than exotic types of leather. Cowhide is the most common type of leather in the world.
LAMBSKIN
Due to its pleasantly soft feel, lambskin is particularly popular in the clothing industry. Usually processed into smooth leather, it is used to make leather jackets, skirts, trousers and dresses. This type of leather is also often used for accessories such as gloves, belts, wallets and bags.
BUFFALO LEATHER
Buffalo leather is an open-pored aniline leather. Compared to conventional cowhide, it has significantly larger pores. It is considered robust and durable, but is sensitive to moisture due to its unsealed surface. It is used for upholstered furniture, but also for wallets, briefcases and handbags.
CALFSKIN
Calf leather comes from young cattle and is extremely firm and even. It has a very fine, dense grain and is considered to be of particularly high quality.
GOATSKIN
Goat leather is considered to be water-repellent, flexible and durable. At the same time, this type of leather is fine, supple and light, and also inexpensive.
PECCARY
Peccary is a special type of pigskin from the South American peccary, a wild boar species that lives in the wild. It is exceptionally supple and is used in particular for particularly high-quality gloves.
HORSE LEATHER
Horse leather, also known as Cordovan, is used primarily in the production of high-quality leather shoes on the American market. It is less commonly used to make leather jackets. It is heavy and stiff and very complex to produce.
REPTILE LEATHER
The term reptile leather covers all types of leather that come from reptiles. This includes leather types such as snake leather, crocodile leather and alligator leather. The use of reptile leather is controversial due to the rarity and endangered status of many reptiles. Reptile leather is often imitated by embossing other types of leather, such as cowhide.
SUEDE
This type of leather is often confused with suede or nubuck leather. However, suede describes a type of full-grain leather that comes from game, such as deer, roe deer or elk. It is a very high-quality leather. It is often chrome-tanned, which gives the leather its beautiful, soft feel.
Differentiation by the processing of the leather type
SMOOTH LEATHER
Smooth leather is the name given to leather types whose grain side is processed outwards. A distinction is made between covered and fine smooth leather. Covered smooth leather is a finished, surface-pigmented leather. This type of leather is very durable and water-repellent due to its layer of color on the surface.
ANILINE LEATHER
In contrast to covered smooth leather, open-pored smooth leather, also known as aniline leather, is very sensitive to moisture and dirt because the surface is not sealed. It is dyed exclusively with soluble dyes.
NAPPA LEATHER
Chrome-tanned, full-grain nappa leather is a type of leather that is usually made from lamb or calf leather or even buffalo leather. It is characterized by a smooth surface and a particularly natural grain structure
PATENT LEATHER
Patent leather is a type of smooth leather whose grain side is completely sealed with a layer of varnish. This type of leather is airtight and water-repellent, but it is very sensitive to scratches and abrasions. Patent leather is mainly used for shoes, but also for making wallets and handbags.
SUEDE
The term suede covers types of leather that are characterized by a roughened surface. These include suede and nubuck leather. Warning: Suede is often incorrectly used colloquially as a synonym for suede and nubuck leather. The key difference between smooth leather and suede is that with suede the surface of the leather is sanded or split. Suede, on the other hand, is full-grain leather that comes from various wild animals.
EMBOSSED LEATHER
Embossing changes the natural grain pattern of the animal skin. By pressing or rolling on a new grain pattern, the grain of other, rarer types of leather, such as crocodile leather or ostrich leather, can be imitated.
The type of leather is crucial when it comes to proper care of the leather . Therefore, when cleaning and preparing your leather products , first of all pay attention to the type of leather and, if in doubt, seek advice from a specialist shop.
SUEDE
By splitting the leather, i.e. by removing the top layer of skin, a leather with a suede surface on both sides is created. The fiber structure of the skin is a little looser on the back than on the front. It is a cheaper type of leather, as it is only the lower split of the leather. It is used for inexpensive leather goods, shoes and bags.
NUBUCK LEATHER
The rough full-grain leather is created by sanding the grain side. This creates a very fine, velvety feel. Nubuck leather is usually made from cow or calf hides and is used for fashionable leather goods.
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