Leather Terminology

Get to know our language.

Browse some of our most frequently used terms to describe characteristics and processes.

Aniline:

Dyes and finishes that contain no pigment. When used on leather they provide a rich, clear stain that allows the natural character of the article to be seen.

Aniline Finish:

Leather finished with a clear top in order to show the natural grain of the leather.

Buffed:

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

Cementable:

Refers to leather(s) that can be glued as a means of final attachment during the construction of leather goods.

Combination Tanned:

Leathers that are tanned using both chrome and blends of vegetable extracts along with emulsified or unrefined oils and waxes.

Corrected Grain:

Leather that has been sanded to make its surface more uniform.

Crock: 

Color that rubs off finished leather.

Crust:

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

Draw:

Shrunken, shriveled or wrinkled grain surface of leather.

Emboss: 

To give a flat piece of leather a pattern or texture that stands out in relief through pressing with tremendous pressure.

Fat Liquored: 

Leather that has been nourished and conditioned with emulsified oils.

Finish:

 Surface applications on the leather to color, protect, or mask imperfections.

Full Grain:

Leather that has its surface left completely intact, showing all natural characteristics of the hide.

Hand Glazed:

Leather that has been polished with a glass rod.

Hot Stuffing: 

Hot stuffing is secondary to the re-tanning process (for leather that is not fat liquored or wet stuffed) involving unrefined fats and oils, that are solid at room temperature, with a goal to give moisture back to the fibers. The fats and oils are pounded into the skins while they tumble in heated barrels, without the use of water and emulsifiers, and gives the leather a much richer feel. Hot stuffed leathers typically exhibit pull-up, good water resistance and superior durability over time.

Mill-Dyed: 

Leather that has had dyes introduced during retannage. Also referred to as drum-dyed.

Pasted: 

Leather that has been dried by fixing it to large glass or ceramic plates. Pasted leathers have very little stretch and smooth grain character.

Pull-up: 

The temporary lightening of certain leathers when folded. This is caused by displacing oil and waxes.

Retan: 

To impregnate and condition preserved hides with tanning liquors and extracts. 

Shell:

A dense fiber structure found only in the hindquarters of equine animals.

Toggled: 

Leather that has been air-dried after being stretched on a metal screen and clamped into place.

Vegetable Tanned:

A tanning method that employs vegetable liquors derived from tree barks. This method of tanning is very traditional and takes longer to achieve than chrome tanning.

Weight:

Also referred to as thickness or substance. Leather is generally sold in ounces or millimeters, and in increments of 1/2 oz or 0.2 mm, respectively.  For example, 5 – 5 1/2 oz (or 2.0 – 2.2 mm) is a typical footwear weight produced.

Wet Stuffed:

Similar to fat liquored, wet stuffed leathers are nourished and conditioned with heavier emulsified oils and waxes.