Types of leather – what makes leather high-quality?

Not all leather is the same. Depending on the type of leather, its feel, surface, durability, care requirements, and appearance can differ significantly. It is not just the origin of the animal hide that plays a crucial role here, but also the tanning and processing methods.

Since we use various types of leather and processing methods for our products, we at Harbour 2nd, as leather enthusiasts, study these differences intensively. The leather expertise behind our brand spans over 50 years. In this overview, you will learn which types of leather exist, how they differ, and which material is suitable for which purpose.

What exactly is leather?

Genuine leather is made from animal hide that is made permanently durable through tanning. Without this treatment, the skin would dry out or rot. It is only through tanning that it becomes supple, resilient, and suitable for long-term use. During the tanning process, the fiber structure of the skin is altered so that, depending on the base material and production method, tanned leather can be firm, elastic, and supple all at the same time.

Leather sourcing and production have a long history. While a great deal of manual labor was required in the past, today controlled processes and various tanning agents are used. The animal species, hide layer, tanning, surface treatment, and further processing collectively determine the final characteristics.

Due to its many advantageous properties, leather is used for numerous products – from clothing and shoes to bags and leather accessories.

Characteristics of high-quality leather types

Quality cannot be determined by a single feature - not even by price. Particularly thick leather is not automatically of higher quality than a thin, soft material. Rather, what is decisive is whether the type of leather is suitable for its respective purpose and has been carefully processed. Depending on the leather variety, a natural grain structure, visible skin pores, a pleasant feel, and individual differences in grain or color can be typical characteristics.

Aging also varies. Open-pored leather often develops clearly visible signs of wear on the surface. Open-pored leather can develop an individual patina over time. The appropriate care depends on the leather type. Even high-quality genuine leather may develop little or no visible patina depending on the surface treatment.

As it is a natural product, the leather itself should feel alive. No rigid materials or perfect spots. You can find more about this in our article where we explain patina on leather.

Overview of leather types: How can they be distinguished?

Terms like cowhide, nubuck, smooth leather, or split leather describe different characteristics. For example, a piece of leather can simultaneously come from a cow, be full-grain leather, and be vegetable-tanned.

This overview will help you better understand the classification:

Artificial leather, on the other hand, is not among the leather types made from animal hide. If you would like to compare both types, we explain the difference between faux leather and genuine leather. We also answer the question Is PU leather genuine leather? in detail on our blog. Additionally, you can acquire knowledge there on how to properly clean a leather bag.

Smooth leather: from open-pored to protected

With smooth leather, the grain side of the hide is preserved as the top side. Depending on the processing, the leather surface is largely left natural, lightly treated, or provided with a protective layer.

Aniline leather

Aniline leather is a particularly natural type of smooth leather. The surface is not covered with an opaque pigment layer, so the skin structure and grain remain clearly visible. As a result, the material has a natural look and soft feel, but it also reacts more sensitively to water, grease, and stains.

Semi-aniline leather, by contrast, receives a light surface protection without completely obscuring the natural structure. Pigmented smooth leather has a stronger protective layer and is therefore usually more resistant to soiling.

Patent leather

With patent leather, the surface receives a glossy coating. This creates the typical smooth, mirror-like appearance. At the same time, cleaning and leather care requirements are different from those for open-pored leather types.

Oiled and waxed leather

Oiled leather is treated intensively with fats, oils, or waxes during production. This often results in a robust, supple material with a distinctive look. Light scratches and signs of wear can contribute to the desired appearance for many oiled leathers and can develop an individual patina over time.

Napped leather: Nubuck and Suede

Napped leather is characterized by its velvety to fibrous surface. Nubuck and suede are among the most well-known varieties.

Nubuck leather

With nubuck, the grain side is finely buffed. This creates a particularly soft, velvety surface. The natural skin structure can nevertheless remain visible.

Since the pile is sensitive to grease and unsuitable care products, nubuck should be treated with products specifically intended for it. A greasy cream can mat the structure or significantly darken the material.

Suede

With suede, a fibrous side of the hide is used as the visible surface or is appropriately roughened. This is what gives suede its typical soft structure.

In German, suede is often colloquially called “Wildleder”. Technically, however, this is not the same: The German term “Wildleder” refers to leather from wild animals, such as deer, while suede describes a particular surface structure.

Full-grain leather and split leather

The hide layer used also influences the texture. With full-grain leather, the natural grain side remains completely intact. Skin pores, grain structure, and minor irregularities may remain visible and give the natural product individuality.

With corrected-grain leather, the surface is buffed and subsequently further processed to achieve a more uniform appearance.

Split leather is created when a thicker hide is split horizontally. The lower split has a different fiber structure than the grain layer and can subsequently be coated or otherwise refined. The term therefore describes the skin layer and says nothing about the quality of the finished leather product on its own.

What role does tanning play?

Tanning makes animal hide durable. At the same time, the process influences properties such as firmness, elasticity, and suppleness of the finished material. There are different possibilities here:

Vegetable-tanned leather

Natural tanning agents, known as tannins, are used for vegetable-tanned leather. They can be extracted from various barks or woods, for example.

The result is often a somewhat firmer leather that can develop a distinct patina over time. Its specific properties, however, also depend on the animal species and further processing.

Chrome tanning and chrome-free leather

Chrome salts are used in chrome tanning. The process allows for relatively fast production and can produce soft, durable leather. In addition, there is chrome-free tanned leather. Important: Chrome-free does not automatically mean vegetable-tanned, as other tanning agents can also be used.

By the way: The washing process, which plays a special role for many of our bags, is not a type of tanning. Many of our models are first completely sewn, lined, and fitted with hardware, and then washed as a whole. This changes the material and gives each piece its own character.

Leather by animal species: cow, calf, lamb, and more

The origin of the skin also influences the properties of the leather. Here we show you a few animals that play a major role in leather production:

Cowhide

Cowhide comes from adult cattle and can be used in a variety of ways. Depending on the tanning and processing, it can have high firmness and robustness, which is why it is well suited for frequently used bags and other leather goods.

At Harbour 2nd, we also use cowhide for many of our products. This includes both washed and other processed variants. You can find out which type of leather was used in the product information for each item.

Leather from other animals

Calfskin often has a particularly fine grain structure and can be both firm and supple. This is why it is popular for high-quality shoes, bags, and other leather products.

Lambskin, on the other hand, is usually characterized by its softness and suppleness and is comparatively thin and light. We use lamb nappa for selected products, for example. This clearly shows why leather thickness alone is not a quality indicator!

In addition, there is leather from goats, pigs, horses, deer, and other animal species such as reptile leather.

Which type of leather is suitable for which purpose?

Which type of leather is suitable for you depends on which properties you prefer. If you are unsure when choosing, do not just look at the name of the leather type. Also consider how you want to use the product in everyday life and which look you prefer.

By the way: The design also influences the appearance. For our braided leather bags, for example, the braided structure creates a special feel and look.

Which type of leather do you like best?

Whether smooth or velvety, soft or firm, uniform or with a visible grain structure: different types of leather bring their own unique properties. Instead of just focusing on terms like cowhide, nubuck, or full-grain leather, it is important to look at the interplay of origin, tanning, surface, and processing.

These very differences are what make leather so exciting for use in our products. If you want to experience them yourself, you can compare different models and materials – and thus find the leather bag whose feel, look, and character suit you best.