cluster · Knowledge Center
Leather Types Explained: Every Grade, Tannage and Finish
A single map of every leather type we work with — full grain, top grain, genuine, bonded, crazy horse, suede, nubuck and the tannages behind them.
Leather types are usually described in three overlapping vocabularies at once: grade (how much grain survives), tannage (what chemistry was used) and finish (what sits on the surface). This cluster page holds them in one place and links to a dedicated page for each.
By grade
Full grain, top grain, genuine and bonded, in descending order of how much original hide surface remains and therefore of expected lifespan.
By tannage
Vegetable, chrome and oil tannage change temper, water behaviour, colour stability and how the leather patinas.
By surface
Suede and nubuck are napped surfaces; crazy horse is a waxed pull-up; aniline and pigmented describe the coating above the grain.
Definitions
- Split
- The lower corium layer separated from the grain during production.
- Pull-up
- A wax or oil-loaded leather that lightens where it is stretched or creased.
Supporting attributes
- Grades covered
- 4
- Tannages covered
- 3
- Surface types covered
- 4
Entity relationships
- Full Grain Leather
- Top Grain Leather
- Suede
- Nubuck
- Crazy Horse Leather
Frequently asked questions
Buying advice
Match type to use: full grain vegetable-tanned for belts, chrome or combination tannage for soft bags, crazy horse where scuffs should read as character.
Summary
Every product page on this site names its grade, tannage and finish. This page is the key that decodes them.
Visual references
- Comparison grid of eight leather swatches under identical lighting
