Types of leather

[bashaik]

How many types of leather there are?

Edited April 24, 2023 by bashaik

[PastorBob]

bunches.  bovine, horse, goat, pig, and more.  And lots of variations of those. Then you also have the faux leather.

[chuck123wapati]

Really?

[PastorBob]

3 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

Really?

ya gotta start somewhere

[chuck123wapati]

13 minutes ago, PastorBob said:

ya gotta start somewhere

God bless you pastor.  you are right. 

 

[fredk]

the question is ambiguous.

is it 'how many types. . .' of tanning?

or 'how many types . . .' of animal leather?

or is it both?

[BlackDragon]

There a LOT of types of leather. It's like asking how many types of cars are there. 

Best thing to do is start with finding out what you would like to make out of leather and we can go from there.

[nstarleather]

14 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

There a LOT of types of leather. It's like asking how many types of cars are there. 

Best thing to do is start with finding out what you would like to make out of leather and we can go from there.

It really depends on how broad you want to define types.  The larges number would be tannages x colors in which you can buy each color.  Horween's tannage list has 53 but I know of at least a dozen that aren't in the list.  My CXL Swatchbook has 18 colors but they also do custom colors and tannages so conservatively 18 x 60 is over 1000, plus that's not counting the equine leathers.  Of course there are tanneries who do more tannages SB Foot does more...  So multiply that times all the tanneries in the world and you're looking at over one million. 

One the low end you can say there are just top grain and suede but even then you multiply by all the different animals you get leather from (though of course you don't get suede from every type).

Or you can say veg and chrome...but there are other less common methods. 

So our answer is 2 to 1,000,000+ types.

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by nstarleather

[SUP]

If you want to learn about leather and know nothing about it, a good way to start is to first learn about different classifications  of leather - on google -  broadest classification is real and faux. I presume you want to work with natural leather, in which case one way to classify is by tannage, in its broadest form - veg-tanned, chrome-tanned. Get an idea of how they look and feel - again google - then walk into a leather store if you have one close by and look around. Ask questions. There are too many types and classifications to just explain in answer to a very general question. 

[bashaik]

woow very many types that is great to see many different types

[lorenejackson]

There are several types of leather, each with its unique characteristics and properties. Here are some of the most common types:

1. Full-grain leather: This is the highest quality type of leather that retains all the natural markings and texture patterns on its surface.

2. Top-grain leather: Similar to full-grain, this type has been sanded or buffed to remove any blemishes or imperfections.

3. Split leather: Made from the lower layer of hide after top grain has been removed, split leather is less durable than full or top-grain but still commonly used in furniture and accessories.

4. Patent Leather: A glossy finish applied to high-quality leathers such as calf or kid-skin for a shiny look typically used in dress shoes

5. Nubuck Leather- Slightly more delicate than suede due to it being made from the outer part of cattlehide; popular for jackets

6. Suede - Comprised entirely out of inner layer hides making them softer than other leathers; often found in apparel articles like bags&shoes

These different types can vary based on their source animal (cattle, sheep, goat), tanning process(vegetable vs chrome) , finishing techniques and even specific fashion trends at any given time leading manufacturers tweaking traditional techniques for an ever-changing market demand!