Leather Guide 

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 and sheep skins. The main benefit of a garment crafted in nappa leather is that it can be worn all day with out it weighing down like a lead coat (unlike cow hide and buffalo hide which are fairly heavy weight). Of course if you want a jacket or coat that you can abuse then hide leather will definitely be more durable. So it is all down to what you want as an individual

The classic finish for nappa delivers a uniform and consistent colour shade throughout as the leather has a soft seal finish that helps to cover naturual variations and blemishes in the top skin.

Aniline nappa is typically produced using vegetable or other soluble based dyes which colour the leather without altering the natural variations and individual characteristics within each skin. In effect, anline nappa leathers will display a subtle and lighter colour tone variation which adds greater definition to create a very soft vintage toned colour finish. In addition aniline leathers also have a softer sheen finish which is less shinny than a classic sealed nappa which has a slighter higher sheen finish. In contrast, the dye process for classic nappa leather produces a uniform surface and solid block colour with a top coat seal finish which conceals variations and blemishes in the skin. Hand dyed and waxed leathers offer a layering of  colour shades and tones which makes each garment individual from the next.

Types of Finish:

• Classic - this is the typical finish for soft leather and offers a very subtle natural sheen.

• Brushed - matt finish with no sheen.

• Crushed - subtle crushed and creased finished that has been set in through a variety of techniques.

• Glazed - shiny glaze finish. Slightly stiffens leather.

• Semi-Glazed - as a above but lighter glazed effect. Slightly stiffens leather.

• Washed - subtle antiqued finish giving an added shade definition and subtle variation within the tone.

• Burnished - the colour depth is layered by hand to deliver darkened areas to create an effect of aged character and patina without the effects of wear and tear 

• Twisted - the leather is washed and rung in a twist to embed fashionably long vertical creases.

• Rub off - colour has been lightly rubbed off during the dye stage.

• Distressed - fashion worn look.