Alligator Grained Leather

This term is used to distinguish the alligator grain effect, which is embossed on various types of leather, such as calf, sheep, or cattlehide from the genuine reptilian leather.

Altered leather

Leather that has had the original surface of the skin removed (usually due to imperfections in the original surface) and a new grain embossed into the leather. This is also called corrected grain. Most top grain leathers have altered or corrected grain surfaces.

Aniline

A colorless oily liquid made from coal tar used in making dyes and resins in organic synthesis.; The transparent dye used to color leather all the way through. It conceals none of the natural characteristics or markings.

Aniline dye

Any dye produced synthetically from coal tar products.

Aniline dyed

Process of coloring leathers all the way through using non-toxic, semi-transparent dyes. The dye allows the natural markings on the hide to remain visible.

Aniline dyed or aniline leather

Leather that has been dyed in a dye bath with some level of dye penetration.

Aniline Finish

Full grain leather which has been coated with dyestuffs rather than pigments. Usually topped with a protein, resin, or lacquer protective coating; can also be waxed.

Antiqed / Distressed

Common descriptive terms for leather that shows signs of natural aging and wear that have been artificially created.

Antiquing

The method used of aging the appearance of a hide. Can be accomplished by either hand or machine.

Axilla Skin Areas

Thin stretchy areas between the legs - usually has a coarser grain pattern

Back

Formed by cutting hide longitudinally along the backbone, then trimming off head and belly, leaving a "bend" and a shoulder.

Bark tanned

Leather which has been vegetable tanned mainly by means of tannins contained in the bark of trees.

Base dyes

Common (usually lower grade) dye colors used in custom colored leathers which are quickly made. Hides are dyed in advance awaiting the spray application of custom colors.

Baseball Leather

Usually made from fronts of horsehides and used for covering baseballs. Sheepskin is used for inexpensive baseballs.

Bating

Removal of residual unhairing chemicals and non-leather making substances.; Enzyme treatment to clean inside of skin and help give soft leather

Belly

Hide from the under side of the animal, usually less valuable than other portions.

Belly Skin Areas

Thinner, softer, more stretchy area from the belly of the animal

Belt Leather

Leather from which waist belts are made. Sub-class of fancy leather, usually cowhide for men's belts. Often specially treated on the flesh side to eliminate need of a lining. Not to be confused with Belting Leather.

Belting Leather

Vegetable tanned leather (has greater body and firmness than chromium tanned leather) used in the construction of furniture and other strength related applications - not used for upholstery.

Bend

A sole leather "back" with shoulder trimmed off.

Blue; in the Blues

The state of hides which have been tanned once using chromium salts. These hides are light blue in color.

Boarded (also called Box or Willow finish).

A grain effect produced by folding a skin grain-against-grain and mechanically rolling the two surfaces back and forth against each other. the name comes from the curved, cork-covered board which was used. Creases generally run at right angles to each other, giving a pleasing appearance and forming little squares sometimes called "boxes". Variations of this type of design include Scotch Grain and Box Calf. Leather was originally boarded to hide imperfections. The boarding effect is often imitated by embossing.

Bookbinding Leather

Made of cattlehides, buffings and splits.

Bovine

A cow, ox or closely related animal.

Breathability

An important characteristic of a full grain leather. Due to its intact grain and pore structure, full grain leather adjusts to temperature and wicks away moisture and body heat, making it very comfortable to sit on.

Brush colouring

The process of applying dyestuff to the leather by means of a brush. In this cosmetic process dyes are not saturated into the hide.

Buckskin

Deer and elk skins, having the outer grain removed. Used for shoes, gloves and clothing. Only the outer cut of the skin, from which the surface grain has been removed, may be correctly defined as genuine buckskin. Leather finished from the split or under cut of deerskin must be described as "split buckskin".

Buffed, Buffed leather

Leather from which the grain is removed by an abrasive or bladed cylinder. This process is used in altered or corrected grain leather. also referred to as snuffed, nubuck, or grain sueded leathers.

Buffing

A sanding process, which removes scares and scratches from, hides. It is also used to give leather a nap or suede effect.

Bullhide

Hide from a male bovine capable of reproduction.

Butt

The part of the hide or skin covering the rump or hind-part of an animal, as a steer butt.

Butt bend

what remains of a butt after trimming off a double shoulder.

Belting butt

whole cattlehide tanned for leather belting after head, belly and tail have been trimmed off.

Butt Skin Areas

The part from the back of the animal which produces the best leather

Cabretta

A hair-type sheepskin, specifically, those from Brazil.

Calfskin

A fine grain leather with a very supple hand from young a young bovine, male or female.

Candle Touch

Term used to describe leathers with an "oily" touch.

Capeskin

From a sheep raised in South Africa.

Case Leather

Refers especially to leather used in making travelling bags, suitcases, etc. It is generally bark-tanned split cowhide which undergoes a process for stiffening, is dried and then glazed.

Cattlehide

General term for hides before tanning from a bovine of any breed or sex, usually mature. Includes bullhide, steerhide, cowhide, and sometimes kipskin.

Chamois

The product of oil-tanning the underneath layer (called a "flesher") that has been split from a sheepskin.

Chestnut Extract

A tanning material made from the wood of the chestnut tree and used in tanning heavy leathers, such as sole, belting and harness.

Chrome tannage

Leather tanned with chromium salts, primarily basic chromium sulfate, resulting in soft, mellow hides receptive to excellent color variety. Used for tanning shoe upper leather

Chromium Salts

Mineral salts used in tanning which make the leather very supple and durable.

Collar Leather

Subdivision of harness leather. Made of very light cattlehides in full thickness, or of cattlehide splits. Used for covering horse collars.

Combination tannage

Leathers tanned with more than one tanning agent. For example, initially chrome tanned followed by a second tannage (called a Retan) with vegetable materials.

Cordovan

Leather made from the tight, firm shell portion of horse butts - has very small pores and is very durable.

Corrected grain

A leather that is buffed to remove undesirable blemishes and embossed to simulate an attractive grain or to add decorative texture. (also referred to as top grain Altered Grain)

Cow hide

The entire hide of a bovine, varying from 30 to 70 square feet depending on the country of origin.; Most common type of leather.; Term specifically applied to leather made from hides of cows, although the term is sometimes loosely used to designate any leather tanned from hides of animals of the bovine species.

Crock

The transfer of color from the leather surface; more commonly found in naked leathers.

Crocking

The rubbing off of coloring or finishing materials from leather on to other materials.

Crop

A "side" of leather with belly trimmed off, retaining both head and shoulder.

Croupon

Untanned whole cattlehide with belly and shoulder cut off; comparable to a butt bend in tanned leather.

Crushed Leather

Leather in which the natural or artificial grain is accentuated by plating or other processes in such a way that the outline of the grain or design is retained.

Crust

Leather that has been tanned but not finished. Such leathers referred to as being "in the crust".

Curing

Tanning process of cleaning the leather - consists of soaking, liming, and fleshing.

Currying

Process of incorporating oils and greases into leather after tanning and otherwise preparing it for the specific purpose for which it may be intended, such as the manufacture of transmission belts, shoe welting, etc. ; Process of converting leather to a finished product - consists of drying, splitting, dying, and finishing.