Different types of leather from different kinds of animal skins and their uses.
Though leather can be made out of any skin most found leathers come from cows. Leather comes from different places on animals, hence classified by grade. It is flexible, breathable, and supple and often conforms to the body shape of the wearer. Some of the well-tanned leather products may remarkably last up to four decades or even more. Leather doesn’t go bad over time, contrarily it develops a beautiful patina over the period If properly taken care of. In this article, we will be discussing the source of this amazing natural material called leather skin and its applications.
Cowhide or cow leather
Cowhide is the most widely used kind of leather. Very abundant, durable, robust, and one of the heaviest leathers with high strength. Cow leather is dirt and water-resistant, needs less maintenance, and is less prone to shrinking. This type is stiff but easy to break in, additionally, it has great tolerance for sunlight and heat. We will be using cowhide as standard and will compare every leather in this list with cowhide.
uses- belts, bags, wallets, shoes, work gloves, welding gloves, work aprons, riding jackets, and heavy-duty work gear
Buffalo leather
Buffalo hide is very strong and durable, it is also soft and flexible. Though similar, it is much stronger and more durable than cowhide. Buff leather has excellent thermal adaptation quality as buffalo hide is more breathable and that also helps in absorbing and releasing moisture easily. It is water and dust-resistant. Its stable fiber composition provides outstanding resistance against wear and tear.
Uses-Wallets, jackets, belts, slippers, bikers gear.
Camel leather
Camel leather is not commonly found and is considered superior to other leathers in the market. Camel hide has almost 10 times more fiber density than cowhide which helps it survive and adapt to the harshest climate. Camel skin is highly durable and sustainable. Full-grain Camel leather has a pebble-like texture with a unique patina,
Uses-very popular in the shoe industry due to thickness and toughness, bags, belts, wallets, sandals, and other heavy-duty protective items.
Sheep leather
Sheep leather is very lightweight and supple. Although not that durable as compared to other skins, sheep skin is soft, it has even grains with thin and soft surfaces. It is only suitable for lining of bags and other leather stuff. Sheepskin is warm and more suitable in winter due to its heat-conducting ability. Cheap leather jackets are mostly made out of sheep leather.
Uses- Lining, Leather garments that need to be soft and comfortable.
Goat leather
Goat leather is surely an underdog of the leather world. Goat skin is one of the best leathers due to its unique texture and durability. Goat leather is slightly softer and tougher than cowhide, also lightweight, and more resilient to water. It is very flexible and stretchable due to the high lanolin content in the skin. Goat skin has the best of both worlds, the softness of sheepskin and the durability of cowhide. Goat hide can adapt to harsh cold environments.
Uses- Heavy-duty utility gloves, belts, pouches, shoes, bags, leather apparel
Pig
Pig skin is an affordable and versatile leather option. Pig leather is as dense and durable as cowhide and has a supple feel to it. Pig leather is very similar to cowhide. Though slightly thinner than cowhide, people get confused between pig and cowhide.
Uses- coats, jackets, welding gloves, football, etc.
Deer leather
Deer hide is tough leather with high abrasion resistance due to Its elongated interwoven fibers. This leather is soft, supple, comfortable, and lightweight, yet highly durable. It is one of the few leathers that can get wet and still dry soft.
uses- welding gloves and other heavy-duty items.
Elk leather
Elk hide is thicker and more durable than deerskin. Elk leather is one of the heaviest leather available. It is heat, flame, and abrasion resistant. It also provides superior comfort, and stays soft and supple, even when hot and wet.
Uses- Best for making tough work gloves and work belts.
calf leather
Calfskin is the leather made out of the skin of the young cow. Calf leather is considered cheapest, soft, and also durable like cowhide.
Uses- Clothing and accessories.
Lamb Napa
Nappa leather is one of the most expensive and smooth leather that is used by top-class luxury brands. Lamb skin as the name suggests is the skin of young sheep. This buttery soft leather is very elastic and flexible, it doesn’t lose its original shape after stretching. Lambskin leather is very fragile and prone to scratches. One of the first choices of high-end luxury brands like Chanel and Hermes. This leather needs very good care and maintenance.
Uses- luxury handbags, garments, accessories, and other delicate leather products.
Crocodile, Alligator leather
These reptile leathers like crocodile and alligator are not ordinary kinds of leathers, they are extremely expensive and also banned in some nations like India. Crocodile skin is very strong and durable. Crocodile leather is a preferred choice among the elite groups due to its unique texture. They are used by high-end luxurious brands for instance, Alligator skin is used in the Hermes Kelly bag which has a unique pattern.
Uses- make luxury handbags, apparel, etc.
Snake leather
Snakeskin is another luxury leather in this list, which is highly expensive and uncommon. Various snakeskins like cobra, python, and anaconda skins are used to make this unique textured, colorful leather. Naturally thin it is used to make small leather goods.
Uses- shoes, sandals, belts, handbags, etc.
Stingray leather
This type of leather comes from a fish called stingray and has toughness and durability like no other leather, at least 25 times ahead of cow leather when it comes to durability and strength. Although it is very expensive it still has huge demand in the leather goods market.
Uses- boots, shoes, car seats, heavy-duty products, etc.
Ostrich leather
Ostrich skin is One of the most beautiful leathers when it comes to natural bumpy texture, ostrich leather is very flexible and very soft to the touch. Despite being soft, it is very strong which makes it the perfect choice for luxury brands like Gucci, LV, Prada, Fendi, Chanel, and Hermes to make their handbags.
Used in luxurious leather apparel and accessories.
Eel leather
This leather is made up of the skin of an electric fish called eel, and it is soft and supple with exceptional stretch. Eel leather has a one-of-a-kind shiny appearance. it is thin so it comes in panels, sewn together to make a bigger sheet of leather.
Uses- jackets, pants, skirts, dresses, and other garments, as well as an array of leather accessories.
Kangaroo leather
Kangaroo leather is one of the most durable and abrasion-resistant yet lightweight leather. The unique structure of kangaroo leather allows it to be cut down to be very thin, but still retain strength that’s the reason it is used in making whips and laces of leather.
Uses- whips, shoes, sporting goods, fashion accessories, etc.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our article on Different types of leather.
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