Leather Types

Leather, Suede & Nubuck

Leather, suede and nubuck are natural materials which provide good wind shielding, warmth and fibre breathability as well as being very comfortable and easy to wear.

The quality is determined by the softness and the origin of skin / hide (e.g. lamb, kid, sheep, goat, pig, cow/buffalo). Lamb, kid, sheep and goat leathers are very soft and supple to the touch, as well as beautifully lightweight making them very comfortable and a joy to wear. Pig, cow/buffalo hide leathers are thicker and heavier and therefore cheaper in cost.

Leather, nubuck, suede are flexible and natural fabrics which will mould and adjust with regular wear to the body at the contact and contour points. This is the case whether the fit on the person is loose, fitted or comfort fit. Leather garments will also stretch with regular wear at snug contact points. A new leather jacket, coat or waitcoat will have been having on a hanger in the warehouse before you receive. It is therefore not uncommon for the leather to stick out from the body where there is a bit of space.  The leather with wear will fall into the body with a little wear anbd also as it warms up from body heat.  Generally leather garments all improve with wear and will give the wearer a lot of pleasure and wear.  In our opinon you can't beat a premium quality leather jacket or coat, and yes we are biast as otherwise we wodul not be in the leather jacket business.

Nappa Leather

Nappa leather is the highest quality and most expensive
leather type. Nappa leather is defined
by its beautifully lightweight structure, suppleness and softness. Nappa
leather is derived from lamb, kid, sheep, goat, skins.

Our nappa leather is beautifully soft and supple to the
touch, and also beautifully lightweight.

Types of Finish:

Standard - very subtle natural sheen.
Matt - grained finish.
Crushed / Crease - subtle crushed or creased effect.
Glazed - shiny glaze finish. Slightly stiffens leather.
Semi-Glazed - as a above but lighter glazed effect. Slightly stiffens leather.
Washed - subtle distressed finish.
Distressed - fashion worn look.

Nubuck

Nubuck is made from finely sanding and milling full grain leather, the process is expensive and produces a luxuriously soft finish. Nubuck can be described as having very short hairs which catch the light to give a very subtle dual tone effect in a matt finish.

Nubuck is generally more expensive than standard nappa leather.

Our nubuck has gorgeous soft touch finish and is beautifully lightweight, it is definitely gorgeous to touch and wear.

Suede

Suede is derived from an interior split of a leather skin. Suede has short hair like structure on both sides. Suede is generally cheaper than premium nappa leather or nubuck.

Finish - short hair / fuzzy finish. Lightweight to wear.

Hide Leathers

Pig and cow skins are used for hide leathers. Pig and cow skins are thicker and
heavier than nappa leather, with cow hide being the heaviest and thickest. Cow hide is also commonly refered to as 'bufflo hide' - it is the exacty same leather type.

Pig and cow / buffalo hide leathers are lower in cost and less sought after due to their weight and thickness. It is generally worthwhile being aware that the leather jackets and coats generally sold within high street fast moving fashion chains are typically made of thinned cow leather or pig leather.  The pig or cow hide original leather skin is sliced by a laser to reduce weight and thickness to a similar level of lamb and sheep leather. 

Finish - full grain thick leather.

Brushed Hide Leather

This is milled cow hide leather to give a nubuck type finish. This has a soft touch finish and is thicker than nubuck, nappa leather or suede.

Finish - short hair effect finish with soft finish.

Imitation Leather

There are very good leather, nubuck and suede imitation garments available and these are referred to and labelled as "faux". It is worthwhile noting that imitations generally mimic the higher quality end of genuine leather, suede and nubuck skins (i.e. these do not imitate the lower quality end). All the same, the imitations do not offer the wind shielding, warmth and fibre breathability of real leather, nubuck or suede. Most people that have an imitation leather, suede or nubuck jacket or coat will either find that it does not keep them warm in the depths of winter or will find themselves hot or sweating in the garment when in the very warm indoors or in a warm environment.