The art of Leathercrafting has been around through many generations and exists in many cultures. Check out our ever evolving "Leather Glossary Guide - Learning the Lingo" to master some of the common (and uncommon!) jargon used. Be sure to bookmark this page as we'll be making updates, and drop a comment if there is something missing!

Aniline leather: the term "aniline" actually refers to the dyes that are used in making the final product; it is a colorless, oily dye synthetically produced from coal tar products

Antique: a family of colorants used as a surface treatment on leathers to enhance color, promote an aged look and bring depth to carving and stamping

Bonded leather: this type of leather is actually a leather composite, comprised of leather scraps that are shredded, mixed with an adhesive and pressed into sheets; this can still carry the "leather" title, but be as little as 20% actual leather product and thusly is considered one of the lowest qualities possible

Casing: the process of adding water to to vegetable-tanned leather, a precursor to stamping and tooling of any kind

Chrome-tan: leather tanned using chromium salts and/or other tanning agents to make the leather supple, soft, and varied in color

Dyes and stains: chemical colorant treatment meant to penetrate, accentuate and permanently alter the color of tanned leather

Embossed leather: leather that has been artificially altered with patterns to mimic full grain leathers like alligator or lizard

Fat wrinkles: a characteristic unique to leather that are formed by fat deposits from the animal; these markings are not found in faux leathers and can be a clear indicator of authenticity

Full grain leather: one of the most highly valued leathers, it is the outermost layer that has not be altered or corrected, with only the hair removed; it is durable and well sought out

Glazed leather: a high gloss, smooth finish made by polishing leather with glass or steel under high pressure 

Grain: outer part of hide with wrinkles, pores, marks and other natural characteristics 

Hide: the pelt of an animal that has been treated for human use

Latigo: a combination tannage leather that is both chrome-tan and veg-tan that is frequently used in tack

Milled: leather that has been tumbled in large machines in order to soften and relax the fibers

Nubuck: top grain leather that has been brushed to produce a soft, fuzzy texture that remains durable and long lasting

Oil-tanned leather: despite the term, this is leather that has had oil added to the hide after tanning; tends to be more supple even than chrome tans, is well hydrated and tends to be more water and dirt resistant 

Patina: the way leather naturally ages, changing colors and adopting a sheen that adds character and beauty over time

Pull-up leather: finished leather treated with oils, waxes and dyes that lightens in color when pulled or stretched

Rawhide: a type of leather that has not been tanned, but rather preserved

Shearling: a type of hair-on hide from freshly shorn sheep or or lamb

Skive: the act of using tools to thin leather in certain areas to desired thickness

Split-grain leather: the interior cuts of leather after the top grain has been removed; considered a low quality cut

Suede: a type of split leather, with a similar texture to nubuck

Tanning: the process by which rawhides are are processed and converted to finished hides

Temper or hand: refers to the pliability of finished leathers; can be stiff or supple and everything in between

Top-grain leather: type of leather that has been sanded and buffed to remove imperfections, making it smoother and more uniform in texture

Veg-tan/vegetable tan: conversion of rawhide into leather through vegetable-based tanning agents or extracts to enhance or modify the hide; the only leather that can be stamped, tooled and wet formed by hand