Our Leather


Choosing the right leather is one of the most important things we do. We use the best leather we can get our hands on, and the majority of our leather is sourced and tanned here in the United States. The leather we use is carefully tanned with the best oils, dyes and finishes to ensure that each piece ages beautifully over time. We choose our leather, knowing that when you put your life-mark on it, it will transcend the craftsmanship and quality and become so much more. 



There are four main types of leather. Here's a quick overview...

Full Grain Leather - Full Grain Leather is the top layer of the hide. It is the highest grade of all types of leather. Imperfections, such as scars from branding by ranchers, bug bites and barbed wire tears, are still present. These natural markings add to the beauty and character of full grain leather. This leather also looks nicer and nicer with use and develops a natural patina over time. Since no sanding processes have been applied to full grain leather, it is the thickest and toughest leather to work with, and all of the grain still remains. This results in durability, fiber strength, breathability and uniqueness. We choose to only use full grain leather, but in case you're interested in learning about the other types of leather, keep reading.

Top Grain Leather - Top Grain Leather is the second-highest grade of leather. It comes from splitting the top layer of the hide, which removes all the blemishes and natural characteristics of the hide. This layer of the hide is then sanded down, buffed and refinished to create a uniformed look. Because top grain leather is thinner than full grain leather, it is easier to work with, but it is not as durable due to the strong, vertical fibers being removed during the splitting. Refinishing this layer also causes it to lose some breathability, so it does not develop a natural patina over time. 

Genuine Leather/Corrected Grain Leather - Genuine Leather, or Corrected Grain Leather, is what remains of the hide after it has been split from the higher grades. The top layer of this leather is covered with an artificial grain then sprayed with a dye to look like higher grade leather. While this layer of the hide is soft and good for lining, it doesn't boast as high a durability as the higher grades.  Suede is considered to be genuine leather.

Bonded Leather - Bonded leather is the lowest of the four grades of leather. It is basically the leftover scraps of leather grounded together and bonded with glue. It's kinda' like the shepherd's pie of leather. It is much cheaper than the other types of leather and is often resurfaced to look like higher grades, but it is very weak and degrades quickly. Beware! 

 

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