If you’re new to buying full leather hides, one of the first things you may notice is that some hides have a large opening or “hole” near the top section of the hide. Customers often ask if something is wrong with the leather.
Actually, it’s completely normal.
That area is called the neck opening or sometimes the head cutout. It’s the section where the tannery removed the head and neck area of the animal during processing.
But here’s the part many people don’t realize: Not all tanneries cut hides the same way.
Two Different Ways Tanneries Trim Hides
Some tanneries make a straight cut across the shoulders of the hide and completely remove the neck area. This creates a smaller, cleaner-looking hide.
Other tanneries cut around the neck opening instead. That leaves a larger hide overall, even though there’s an opening in the middle near the top.
At first glance, some people assume the second hide is “missing” leather because they see the hole.
In reality, the opposite is usually true.
The tannery that cuts around the neck is often leaving you with more usable leather overall.
Why This Matters
Imagine two hides from the same cow:
- One hide is trimmed straight across the shoulders
- The other hide keeps the shoulder and upper side areas around the neck opening
The second hide will usually give you:
- More total square footage
- Larger usable sections
- More flexibility for bigger projects
- Better yield for wallets, bags, upholstery panels, straps, and crafts
The neck opening itself usually isn’t the important part anyway. Most leatherworkers are using the surrounding areas of the hide.
So while the hole may look bigger, the hide itself is often a better value.
Why It’s Usually a Better Deal at Leather Lady NC
Our hides are sold by the hide rather than strictly by the square foot.
If you buy leather from a supplier charging strictly by square footage, then extra leather around the neck opening may not matter much because you’re paying for every square foot anyway.
But when buying by the hide, a larger hide with a cut-around neck opening often means:
- More leather for the same price
- More usable cutting area
- Better overall value
In simple terms:
You’re usually getting more hide in your box for the same money.
That can make a real difference when you’re making:
- Bags
- Upholstery panels
- Belts
- Holsters
- Wallets
- Laser engraving projects
- Craft bundles
Don’t Judge a Hide by the Hole
Experienced leatherworkers know that the overall usable area matters far more than whether the tannery made a straight shoulder cut.
A larger hide with a neck opening is often the smarter buy especially when priced per hide instead of per square foot.
At Leather Lady NC we try to be transparent about what customers are getting. Every hide is unique, and we’d rather customers receive more leather than less.
Sometimes that means the hide may not look perfectly symmetrical.
But it often means you’re getting a better deal.