Understanding leather quality

Not all leather is the same, and the difference isn't always visible at arm's length. It shows up in year two, when a good hide has darkened beautifully and a cheap one has cracked and peeled.

Full-grain

The top layer of the hide, left intact with its natural grain. It keeps its pores, absorbs oils, and develops patina. It's the strongest and most characterful — and the least uniform, because real hide is never perfectly even.

Top-grain

The top layer with the very surface sanded away to remove marks, then finished with a coating. More uniform, slightly less durable, and it doesn't patina the same way.

Genuine leather

A catch-all term for lower layers of the hide, bonded and pressed. It's real leather, technically — but it's not the leather you want in something you'll carry for a decade.

We use full-grain, vegetable-tanned cowhide. We say so plainly, because the material is the product.