Leather Terms and Glossary

Alum Tanned: (Alum Tawed) A method of tanning involving aluminium salts and other ingredients. It is not stable in water and can revert back to rawhide. Used in bookbinding , laces, ornamental clothing and other applications. Generally a light yellow or white appearance.

American Bison: Bison leather can be stronger than traditional steer leather. Since Bison are generally range animals the leather can have more character while remaining supple and durable.

Aniline Dyed: Leather than has been colored using transparent dyes versus a pigment or opaque colorant. Aniline dyed finishes preserve the natural character and produce a deep, vibrant color.

Anvil: A heavy metal surface used for hammering, shaping, and setting hardware like rivets or snaps.

Awl: A pointed tool used to pierce holes in leather for stitching or lacing.

Beveler: A tool used to trim and round the edges of leather for a smooth, finished look.

Bicast Leather: Split leather coated with polyurethane to resemble full-grain. Less breathable than natural leather.

Bonded Leather: A material made from leather fibers or scraps that are bonded together with adhesives to form a sheet, often with a synthetic surface layer.

Buffed Leather: Leather that has had its surface sanded or abraded to remove imperfections or to create a uniform texture, often as a preparation for embossing or to create suede/nubuck.

Burnisher: Tool (manual or powered) used to polish leather edges, creating a glossy, sealed finish.

Burnishing: The process of polishing and smoothing the edges of leather, often using a slicker or burnishing tool, to create a glossy, sealed edge.

Chrome Tanned: Leather that is tanned using chromium salts. It produces a pliable, soft, supple leather that is semi-waterproof. Used in many applications from shoes to purses. Generally has a grey core unless dyed through. Since the edges will not burnish, a different edge finish, paint or roll over is recommended.

Cordovan: (Horse butt, What!) Cordovan leather has a durable characteristic finish with very fine pores. It is made from the firm, tight shell portion of the horse butt. Generally a very highly finished, more expensive, beautiful leather.

Corrected Grain: Leather that has had its natural grain sanded away to remove imperfections, then embossed with an artificial grain pattern.

Cow Hide: The hide from the mature female bovine that has produced a calf.

Creasing: A technique that creates decorative lines or grooves in leather by pressing a creaser tool into the surface.

Creaser: Tool that scores decorative lines or fold guides into leather for precise shaping.

Cutting Mat: A protective surface used when cutting leather to prevent damage to blades and work surfaces.

Debossing: Impressing a design or pattern into leather so it sits below the surface, creating a sunken effect.

Deglazer: Chemical or abrasive tool for removing finishes/waxes to prepare leather for dyeing or gluing.

Distressed Leather: Artificially aged through chemical treatments or mechanical abrasion for a vintage appearance.

Drum Dying: The hides are immersed into a large drum, along with the dyes and other ingredients. This allows the dye to fully penetrate the fibers, producing a color that is all the way throughout the leather.

Dyeing: The process of coloring leather using dyes, which can be applied by hand, airbrush, or immersion.

Edging: Smoothing and finishing the edges of leather for a polished appearance.

Edge Paint: A pigmented coating applied to the edges of leather for protection and a polished appearance.

Edge Slicker: Tool for compressing and smoothing raw leather edges before burnishing.

Embossed Leather: Leather that has been stamped or pressed with a pattern or texture, often to imitate exotic skins or to create decorative effects.

Embossing: Raising a design or pattern on the leather surface by pressing or stamping with heat and pressure.

Exotic Leathers: Includes hides like ostrich, crocodile, and stingray. Prized for unique textures but often ethically controversial.

Fat Liquor: Oils or fats added during tanning to make leather soft and flexible.

Fat Wrinkles: Natural markings formed by fat deposits in the animal, visible in authentic leather but absent in synthetic alternatives.

Finish/Top Coat: A protective coating applied to the leather surface to provide sheen, color, and resistance to wear or stains.

Flesh-Side: The inner or “ugly” side of the leather.

Full Grain: Leather made from the top layer of the hide with the grain intact, showing natural markings and offering maximum durability and breathability. The original grain of the hide after the hair has been removed. No correcting, buffing, etc.

Genuine Leather: Leather made from the lower layers of the hide; generally lower in quality than full-grain.

Gouge: A tool used to carve grooves or channels in leather, often to aid folding or decorative work.

Grading: The ranking of the leather by either the producer or seller, highly subjective. They may use letters, numbers or some other form or ranking. In theory, it was similar to the grading we received in school, with an “A” grade having less than 10 percent of defects. However, many producers have switched to a simpler grading system of low, medium and high with their own names for the different levels.

Grain: The organic texture of the outside of the hide or skin. This includes the pores, wrinkles, and other characteristics.

Grain-Side: The outside or “pretty” side of the leather.

Grommet: A metal or plastic ring inserted into a hole in leather to reinforce it, commonly used for laces or straps.

Hand: A term describing the feel or texture of leather, such as its softness, fullness, or suppleness.

Hand-Press: Lever-operated device for setting snaps, rivets, or embossing with consistent pressure.

Hand Stitching: Sewing leather pieces together by hand, often using two needles and waxed thread for strength and durability.

Harness Needle: A needle with a rounded tip used for hand stitching pre-punched holes in leather.

Heifer: A female bovine, under three years of age, that hasn’t birthed a calf.

Hide: The outer skin or covering from a mature or fully grown mammal such as horse, cattle, camel, elephant or other animal.

Lace Stripper: Tool with adjustable blades for cutting uniform leather strips for lacing or fringe.

Lacing: Joining pieces of leather using strips of leather or lace, often in decorative patterns.

Latigo: A type of leather that is both chrome and vegetable tanned, known for its strength and flexibility, commonly used in saddlery and tack.

Leather: An animal skinned that has been tanned or preserved and dressed for use.

Leather Splitter: Machine or manual tool for reducing leather thickness by slicing layers.

Liming: The removal of the hair from the hide to prepare it for the tanning process.

Mallet/Maul: A hammer-like tool used to strike stamps or chisels without damaging them or the leather.

Metallic Leather: Coated with metallic finishes for decorative purposes. Common in fashion accessories and statement furniture.

Milled Leather: Leather that has been tumbled in drums to increase its softness and pliability.

Modeling Tool: A hand tool used to shape, smooth, or add detail to leather, especially in carving and tooling.

Molding: Shaping wet leather into three-dimensional forms, which harden as the leather dries.

Nappa Leather: Soft, full-grain leather treated with special oils for exceptional suppleness. Commonly used in luxury goods and automotive upholstery.

Nubuck: Top grain leather that has been lightly sanded or buffed on the grain side to create a soft, velvety texture.

Oil-Tanned Leather: Treated with fish oils or waxes for extreme water resistance and a waxy feel. Common in work boots and outdoor gear.

Overstitch Wheel: Toothed wheel for marking evenly spaced stitch lines before punching.

Patent Leather: Leather coated with a high-gloss lacquer or acrylic finish. Known for its shiny appearance and water resistance.

Patina: The unique sheen and character that leather develops over time with use and exposure to elements.

Pattern: A template or guide used to trace and cut leather pieces to the desired shape and size.

Perforated Leather: Punched with decorative holes for breathability, often seen in automotive seats and summer footwear.

Pigmented Leather: Leather coated with a layer of pigment for color consistency and increased durability, often used in upholstery.

Pricking Iron / Stitching Chisel: Tools with evenly spaced prongs used to punch holes for stitching, ensuring uniform stitches.

Pull-up Leather: Leather treated with oils and waxes so that when stretched or pulled, the finish lightens in those areas, a mark of high quality.

Punch: A tool used to create holes in leather for stitching, hardware, or decoration.

Rawhide: Untanned or partially tanned animal hide, typically stiff and used for lacing or drum heads.

Retannage: A secondary tanning process applied after the initial tannage to further enhance the leather’s qualities.

Saddle Stitch: A hand-stitching method using two needles and one length of thread, creating a strong and durable seam.

Semi-Aniline Leather: Aniline-dyed with a light protective coating. Offers enhanced stain resistance while preserving natural characteristics.

Side Leather: Leather made from one half of a full hide, typically with the top grain intact.

Skive: To reduce the thickness of leather by slicing or splitting into a thinner layer.

Skiving: The process of thinning leather edges or areas using a knife or skiving tool for easier folding or joining.

Split: A single layer that has been separated from the whole skin or hide. Usually resulting in two pieces, the top grain (outer) split and the flesh (inner) split.

Stamping/Tooling: Decorating leather by striking shaped metal stamps into the surface to create patterns and textures.

Steer Hide: A hide from a castrated bull. The hide has a tight grain structure and is usually used for upholstery.

Stitch Length: The distance between each stitch in hand or machine stitching.

Stitching Chisel: A tool with evenly spaced prongs used to punch holes for stitching, ensuring even and straight stitches.

Stitching Groover: Tool that cuts channels to recess stitches below the leather surface.

Stitching Horse or Pony: Clamping device that holds leather pieces steady during hand sewing.

Strap Cutter: Adjustable tool for cutting consistent-width straps from large hides.

Suede: Leather made from the underside of the hide, buffed to create a soft, napped finish.

Swivel Knife: A specialized knife with a rotating blade used for carving intricate designs into leather before tooling.

Tannery/Table Run (TR): Leathers that have not been graded and are cheaper to purchase and produce in bulk.

Tannin: A natural or synthetic substance used in the tanning process to convert raw hide into leather.

Tanning: The process of treating animal hides to produce leather, making it durable and resistant to decomposition.

Tempering: Describes the firmness or softness of leather, often referred to as "temper".

Thickness Gauge: Measuring tool for determining leather weight/ounce and ensuring uniform skiving.

Thimble: A protective cap worn on the finger to push needles through tough leather when hand sewing.

Top Grain Leather: Leather from the outer layer of the hide that has been sanded or buffed to remove imperfections, then finished with a protective coating.

Trim: The removal of unusable or unsuitable parts of a hide, such as the outer edges, before processing.

Upholstery Leather: Leather processed and finished specifically for use in furniture, automotive, and other seating applications.

Vegetable Tanning (Veg-Tan): A tanning process where leather is made by soaking the animal hides in natural tannins found in organic material. The process takes longer and is more expensive, but produces robust high-quality leather that edge burnishes well.

Waxed Thread: Thread coated in wax for durability and ease of use in hand stitching leather.

Wet Blue Leather: Leather that has been chrome tanned but not yet dried or further processed, retaining a blueish tint from the chromium salts.

Wing Divider: Adjustable compass for marking parallel lines, circles, or arcs.