Learn how to tell real leather from fake. Discover the difference between full-grain, top-grain, and bonded leather with simple tests for texture, smell, and quality. Perfect for crafters, makers, and leather buyers who want the real deal.
Leather is one of the oldest and most versatile materials in the world, but not all leather is created the same. How a hide is tanned plays a major role in its feel, durability, and appearance. The two most common tanning methods are chrome tanning and vegetable tanning—each with its own advantages and drawbacks.
When you’re working with leather whether for bags, belts, wallets, or upholstery, knowing the right thickness makes all the difference. The challenge is that leather is measured in different ways: some tanneries use ounces, others use millimeters. If you’re new to leathercraft (or even experienced), converting between the two can feel confusing.
This guide breaks it down into simple terms so you know exactly what you’re working with.
When you’re exploring different types of leather for projects, you may come across the term hair-on-hide leather. Unlike smooth, finished hides, this leather still has the animal’s natural hair attached, giving it a one-of-a-kind look and texture. If you’re searching for a bold, rustic, and luxurious material, hair-on-hide leather might be exactly what you need. Let’s dive into what it is, how it’s made, and the many ways you can use it. Read more
Leather is one of the oldest and most durable materials used by humans, but few people understand the process behind it. If you’ve ever wondered how leather is made or what goes into the leather manufacturing process, here’s a clear breakdown from start to finish.
Learn the key differences between full-grain, top-grain, and bonded leather so you can shop smarter. Discover how to identify each type by look, feel, and durability—plus which leather lasts longest and develops a rich patina over time.
When ordering leather scraps or remnants, you can now request color shades that suit your project — think light brown, dark brown, black, cream, white, or gray tones. While we don’t offer exact color matching, this gives you the flexibility to select the general palette you’re after.
If you make things with leather, we would like to include a link to your page from our website. Post in the comments or email us.
This is a quick post about the embossed leather that we just got in. We have about 300 lbs that arrived in a variety of colors. Here are some of...
We created a blog post explaining the difference between full grain, top grain and genuine leather but wanted to create a video also for those people who are more visual.
This is one of the top questions we receive so I decided to create a blog post on the various kinds of leather and how to identify them. This post...
If you have joined our newsletter you will already know this but we just purchased 70 beautiful hides at a great price and we are passing the savin...
