Guide - Which leather to buy for your creation?

WHICH LEATHER TO CHOOSE?

The choice of leather must be made according to the creation to be made. Each animal has its particularities in terms of flexibility, thickness or surface of the skin . It is important to note that each hide is unique and that the mechanical properties of the leather are therefore not identical across the entire surface (especially for bovine leather). Leather is a durable material used in many sectors: leather goods, clothing, saddlery, gloves, shoemaking... It is an inimitable and timeless material. Discover in this guide the different tanning, leather finishes and the particularities specific to each animal.

WHERE TO BUY LEATHER?

Find the ideal leather for your next creation among our wide range of leather skins in varied colors and various finishes. Our goal is to offer quality leathers accessible to everyone.

WELCOME TO THE LEATHER PLANET

50% OF OUR LEATHER COMES FROM CLEARANCE
We find for you end-of-series leathers or old collections from major leather goods manufacturers , shoe brands or luxury brands to offer them for sale. This is why most of our leathers are offered in limited series and this is also what allows us to offer you affordable prices. Without knowing it, you give a "responsible" side to your creations by helping us to recycle this beautiful material - UPCYCLING .

50% OF OUR LEATHER IS MADE FOR YOU
In order to offer you permanent ranges and allow you to perpetuate some of your creations, we have our own ranges of leather manufactured: Satinlys, Sweet 2, Automobile... OUR LEATHER COMES MAINLY FROM EUROPEAN TANNERIES.

THE DIFFERENT TANNINGS

Tanning consists of transforming the skin into leather using tannins, substances of different natures which make it possible to go from putrescible skin to a rot-proof material: leather (source: CNC).
Leather is a durable material used in many sectors: leather goods, gloves, shoemaking, textiles, saddlery... It is an inimitable and timeless material. The term "leather" can only be used when the skin of an animal has been transformed.

COMBINED TANNING
Tanning which combines 2 tanning families to obtain leather which combines the qualities of the tannins used. For example: Vegetable Chrome.

SYNTHETIC TANNING
Use of synthetically produced tannins. The composition is close to that of vegetable tannins.

TANNER OR TANNER?

The material is worked in tanning for bovine leather and in tannery for goat and sheep leather.

• The tanner works with large raw hides (calf, young cattle, cows, young calves, bulls, buffalo).
• The meat maker prepares the small, thinner skins (lamb, sheep, goat, ostrich).

The different parts of bovine leather

Discover our guide which presents the different parts of bovine leather as well as their respective qualities.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY LEATHER HAS VEGETABLE OR MINERAL (CHROMIUM) TANNING?

We invite you to watch the video (below) from the Radermercker tannery which explains the flame technique.
This technique consists of burning a piece of your leather: if the ashes are greenish it is mineral tanning. VIDEO SOURCE LINK >

WHAT IS LEATHER AND HOW IS IT MADE?

Several manufacturing steps are necessary to transform a hide into leather: river work (preparation for tanning) , tanning, dyeing and grinding/finishing . To find out more about each step, we invite you to consult the complete guide from the National Leather Council.

LEARN MORE >

To find out more, we invite you to watch the video of “Les tanneurs français”.

LAYERS OF SKIN

THE MAIN LEATHER FINISHES

PATENT LEATHER Leather coated with a layer of varnish or a film (waterproof).	CORRECTED GRAIN LEATHER Leather whose grain has received light sanding to eliminate defects. It will receive various finishes: pigmented, grained...	NATURAL LEATHER Leather having no surface finish.	FANCY LEATHER Leather with an original finish: metallic, imitation crocodile, snake...

GRAINED LEATHER** Leather having undergone a graining operation by a tanner (not natural).	NAPPA LEATHER Soft, smooth, fine and resistant full-grain leather from lambskins, calfskins, etc.	VELVET LEATHER* Velvety-looking leather obtained by sanding the flesh side (crust - opposite of nubuck).	NUBUCK LEATHER Velvety-looking leather obtained by sanding the grain. Nubuck leather is a high-end leather: “peach skin”.

A LITTLE VOCABULARY...

FLOWER This is the place of a leather: the side of the leather which supports the hair. It is smooth, grained, velvet...	FLESH SIDE It's the back of the leather, it's quite fluffy.	SLICE This is the leather side. The edges can be worked with an eraser or edge finisher.

WHAT IS TILLED LEATHER?

Tumbled leather is leather that has gone through fullers to be softened (a kind of large washing machine that works dry and sometimes with hot air) . This operation can last several hours depending on the suppleness of the leather that you want to obtain.

*WHEN DO WE TALK ABOUT VELVET?

Unlike Nubuck, suede is sanded on the flesh side. This leather has a more fibrous structure than nubuck. It is sometimes called suede or suede*. It is generally made from skins that have a grain with defects in order to transform the reverse side of the skin into suede leather to enhance it. In this case the flower side remains as is, with its defects, because only the suede leather side must be visible in the item created. Suede leather can also be made from split leather. In this case, one side will be velvet, the other can be either raw or velvet. Generally suede leather is quite supple. This leather is often used to make linings, bellows, soft items such as purses, work shoes or gloves. This leather is more economical than full grain leathers.

*It is important to remember that suede leather does not exist - suede is a protected species.

©Noémie Daval - National Leather Council

**WHAT IS GRAINED LEATHER?

We must first differentiate between naturally grained leather which will have variations in grain depending on the location of the skin from that which has received pressure treatment and whose grain is very homogeneous at the grain level. The leather is artificially grained to beautify it and give it a personalized style.
The major leather goods brands have created their “own grain” in order to give a signature to their items. These grain patterns are trademarked and must not be counterfeited by leather manufacturers.
Artificially grained leather is strong in nature as these created grains strengthen the grain of the leather. With use, scratches and small scrapes will be less visible than on smooth leather. This leather is therefore generally used for the manufacture of bags, sofas, car seats or shoes.

©Noémie Daval - National Leather Council

SURFACE FINISHES

After the dyeing work, the leather receives a surface finish (more or less thick film) which aims to protect and beautify the material. This finish is chosen based on the quality of the skin.

WHAT IS ANILINE/DIPPED LEATHER?

This type of finish is reserved for full-grain leather without imperfections : it involves immersing the leather in a bath to tint it in the mass (by dipping). This type of leather retains a silky/waxy feel and will develop a patina over time. The leather retains its natural appearance. Aniline leather is leather without additional finishing, it is more sensitive to stains and friction. It can sometimes receive a thin transparent layer (low thickness) which does not alter the properties of the skin and allows it to be preserved (minimal protection). These components can be based on casein, plasticized shellac, or albumin for example.

WHAT IS SEMI-ANILINE LEATHER?

The semi-aniline leather has received a lightly pigmented protective layer (allows it to resist the sun and bad weather) . This leather is dyed by dipping it in a bath and is covered with a light pigmented layer (also called semi-pigmented leather) and a protective layer (aniline). Imperfections in the leather will be slightly hidden.

Nappa leather is a smooth, full-grain, semi-aniline leather: it has received a surface treatment and is pigmented. It is a supple and robust skin.

WHAT IS PIGMENTED LEATHER?

Pigmented leather is leather that has received several layers of opaque dyes which hide imperfections and therefore make it more resistant. This type of leather often has a glossy appearance. The finish hides flower defects while enhancing the color of the flower.

WHAT IS FIRST AND SECOND CHOICE LEATHER?

Leather is a natural material that includes imperfections such as scars, wrinkle marks, holes, etc. These defects can be positioned anywhere on the skin (each skin is unique). The leather skins sold as first choice may therefore contain some defects but they are usable at a minimum of 75% of their surface area . There is no major defect preventing the manufacture of a part using at least 50% of the surface of the skin.

Second choice leathers are skins/pieces where there may be: marked folds, small imperfections, wrinkles, scars, scratches, small holes or stains. These leathers have more defects than first choice leathers and these defects can be distributed over the entire skin. The skins can be used at a minimum of 50% of their surface area. These skins are intended for the manufacture of small parts which can be positioned around defects in order to make the best use of their surface.

VIEW 2ND CHOICE LEATHER >

DIFFERENT ANIMALS

The most commonly used leathers:

• Cattle : calf, cow, calf, bull, bison, etc.
  Most used, large size, flexible or firm for leather goods, furniture, shoe industry.

• Sheep: lamb, ewes, mutton
  Soft leather, very small and smooth grain, small skin, mainly for clothing, jewelry, luxury items, shoes. Sheep can be worked while retaining its wool.

• Goats: goat, kid, billy goat, chamois, deer, caribou...
  Slightly firm leather (unless it is tumbled), specific grain (naturally quite marked), small hide, mainly for sheathing, leather goods and shoes.

• Pigs: pork, pig, peccary...
  Entry-level leather. Specific grain: leather goods and glove industry lining.

Exotic leathers:

• Reptilians: iguana, crocodile, alligator, caiman, lizard, chameleon...
  Small skin and very regular scale. The cost is very high, which limits its use to luxury items.

• Snakes and water snakes: python, boa...
  Fragile skin requiring reinforcement or lining, leather goods and footwear use.

• Fish: Nile perch, salmon, shark, dogfish…
  Relatively small and thin skins. A sector that has been seeking to develop for several years. Shagreen is fish leather. The leather of shagreen skin is unique and very hard. It is made up of small mineral balls which give it a very particular grain. This leather is also characterized by its central pearl, often white in color, which is very coveted.

• Various exotic animals: ostrich, kangaroo…
  Ostrich skin is the most elaborate of this family, especially appreciated for its appearance with its pimples, which are the marks of the feathers. The ostrich leg is also appreciated for its scaled appearance. It is widely used for small leather goods or watch straps.

This guide is given for information purposes only; the specificities of each skin must of course be taken into consideration (notably flexibility and thickness). Leather is a noble material made up of small defects (scars, marks, differences in color, etc.) which only serve as a reminder that the material is also alive.

HOW DO WE MEASURE THE SURFACE OF OUR LEATHER SKINS?

The surface area of ​​a skin can be measured in m2 or foot2 (footage). The oldest unit of measurement is the foot: which approximately corresponds to the size of a human foot (1 foot = 0.3048 m - 1 foot2 = 0.0929 m2). For simplicity, we have chosen to give you measurements in m2, the price of our leathers is therefore based on this measurement.

SKIN SIZE TABLE

	From 0.10 to 0.20 m²	From 0.20 to 0.30 m²	From 0.30 to 0.40 m²	From 0.40 to 0.50 m²	From 0.50 to 0.60 m²
SIZE IN CM For information	30 x 40 cm	30 x 45 cm	35 x 50cm	40x50cm	45 x 60 cm
	From 0.60 to 0.70 m²	From 0.70 to 0.80 m²	From 0.80 to 0.90 m²	From 0.90 to 1 m²	From 1 to 1.10 m²
SIZE IN CM For information	50x60cm	45 x 70 cm	60x75cm	60x80cm	65 x 85 cm
	From 1.10 to 1.20 m²	From 1.20 to 1.30 m²	From 1.30 to 1.40 m²	From 1.40 to 1.50 m²
SIZE IN CM For information	65 x 90 cm	75x100cm	75 x 110cm	75 x 120cm

HOW DO WE MEASURE THE THICKNESS OF OUR LEATHER?

The thickness of leather is measured with a measuring stick . We offer leather thicknesses ranging from 0.5 to over 3 mm. The thicknesses of the pieces of leather can vary by plus or minus 0.3 mm.

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THE CHOICE OF THE THICKNESS OF A LEATHER

Depending on the animal (and its age) the leather can have a maximum thickness of around 2 mm for goat and lamb leathers and 6 mm for cattle. Then, each tanner can refine the leather with machines to reduce its thickness and thus meet the demand of its customers. Generally, the minimum thickness is around 0.5 mm. You should know that the finer the leather, the more it will be affected by deformation. The choice of leather thickness for your creations depends on many factors (technical and aesthetic).

HOW TO MAINTAIN LEATHER?

Leather is a living material that weathers and embellishes. To respect this noble material and maintain its beauty, it is necessary to maintain it regularly. It is important to protect the leather from water, dirt, sunlight (to avoid color changes), and heat (risk of cracking). To do this, you must have a colorless waterproofer (solvent-free – water-based), a glycerin soap to clean the leather and a nourishing milk or grease to nourish and protect the material. Please note that not all leathers are maintained in the same way. For example, suede and nubuck are very fragile and their maintenance is limited to the use of a soft brush or a crepe brush (leather eraser) to scrub imperfections. It is also essential to waterproof them, just like vegetable tanned leather and dipped lambskin. Mineral tanned leather requires little maintenance given the substances used during its transformation. Widely used and known to everyone, shoe polish should only be applied to shoes because it blocks the pores of the leather and prevents it from breathing (risk of cracking) .

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SAMPLE REQUEST

DO YOU HAVE A DOUBT ABOUT THE COLOR OF A LEATHER, LACE OR STRAP?
To get an idea of ​​the color rendering, thickness and suppleness of the leather that we sell in whole skins , we offer the sending of samples. We also offer samples for our leather straps and laces.

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