A Guide to the Leather Types Available
Leather is a natural material derived from the hides of various animals. It is a popular choice for clothing, particularly jackets, as it offers warmth, wind protection and breathability. Thanks to modern day manufacturing processes leather is available in a variety of different colours, textures and weights. The most popular varieties of leather used for leather jackets are Nappa leather, Hide and Nubuck. These leather types are differentiated by the type of animal they come from as well as the processes they undergo during manufacture and vary in terms of weight and feel.
Nappa leather is a soft and supple leather that is made from the skins of lamb and sheep. It is known as a full grain leather which means that it is non-processed and has an intact surface. Nappa leather is considered a high quality product and is a popular choice for clothing as it is flexible and lightweight so you can enjoy the protective qualities that animal skins provide while still being able to move freely without feeling weighed down.
Hide leather comes from the skins of cow, buffalo and pigs. Since cows and buffalo are very large animals their hides are very thick, thus the leather that comes from these animals is a heavy weight leather. Pig hide is not as thick as the skin from cow or buffalo but is more substantial than lamb or sheep skin. Because pigs are furless animals, their skins experience more of the elements of nature as they do not have the protection of an external layer of fur.
Nubuck leather is a type of leather that comes from sheep and lamb skins that has been put through a milling process. This top grain hide leather is sanded and buffed on the outside during the manufacturing stage to give a slight nap and the result is a leather that is gorgeously soft and velvet like to touch. Due to the treatment that Nubuck leather undergoes it offers a dual tone effect giving it a vintage look.
There is a variety of leather types on the market today and a knowledge of these will help you when you are shopping around for your new leather jacket. Keeping these leather types in mind will help you choose a jacket that offers the qualities you are looking for.