Blog | Leather Skin Shop

This blog discusses the most common fashion mistakes big and tall men make, and more importantly, how to fix them. These fixes will help you build a wardrobe that fits your frame and personality.

Full grain leather is the highest quality leather available. It comes from the outermost layer of the hide, keeping all its natural grain intact. Top grain leather, also known as corrected grain leather, is the second highest grade of leather, sanded and refined to remove surface imperfections. 

Deerskin leather is a unique and highly versatile material in the leather world. Known for its softness, durability, and flexibility, it stands out among other leather types.

Calfskin leather is a type of leather acquired from the hide of young calves, typically under one year old. This supple leather has a fine grain, smooth texture, and a lightweight feel, all of which add to its appeal.

Horsehide leather is a type of leather made from the hide of horses. Horsehide leather has a tight grain, natural strength, abrasion resistant, and water-resistant properties. It can be chrome tanned or vegetable tanned.

The term “aniline” comes from the dyeing process. Aniline leather is dyed using insoluble dyes that penetrate the leather completely, allowing the natural markings to show through. 

Nappa leather is a high-quality, soft, and supple leather. It’s made of full grain unsplit leather to ensure highest quality, and undergoes chrome tanning which gives it the distinguishing soft feel.

Leather debossing means pressing a design into the leather's surface. Think of it as creating an indentation. You achieve this by using a die, typically made of metal, and applying pressure. The result is a design that sits lower than the surrounding leather.

Bi-cast leather is a split leather (usually from the lower layers of the hide) that has been coated with a layer of polyurethane (PU) or vinyl to give it a more polished and uniform appearance. This process makes it look and feel like genuine leather but at a fraction of the cost.

Bonded leather is made by taking leftover leather scraps, grinding them into fibers, and then binding them together with adhesives and a polyurethane (PU) coating. The result is a material that looks and feels somewhat like real leather but is far less durable and long-lasting

Genuine leather is made from the lower layers of animal hide. When it is sanded down, treated, and embossed to mimic the look of higher-quality leather, it is also known as corrected grain leather.

Nubuck leather starts as full-grain leather, which is the highest quality leather you can get. The top grain portion is sanded or buffed to create a suede-like rough surface. Unlike suede, which is made from the inner layer of the hide, nubuck is made from the outer side.