Leather is a soft and natural material; if not properly cared for, its lifespan is significantly reduced. The softness of the leather is maintained with various oils, which evaporate and/or dry out over time, causing the leather to harden and eventually crack. These problems often arise due to age, exposure to temperature fluctuations, sun bleaching, everyday wear and tear, and insufficient care with the right products.
Leather comes from animals; generally, skin comes from small animals and hides from larger animals. For furniture, hides from larger animals are almost exclusively used, most often by-products and/or residues from slaughter and meat production. In the Nordic countries, the quality of hides is considered very good, as there is good control over the livestock's conditions, which means that scars and marks from barbed wire, thorny bushes, and skin diseases are not common on the hides. Good hides result in fine leather.
Hides are tanned and treated in tanneries. Different methods yield different types of leather:
Aniline is an exclusive, untreated, and very natural leather that is dyed through and through with aniline dyes – a type of transparent dye that does not cover the surface. Since the leather does not have a pigmented surface layer or protective coating, all natural marks, pores, and texture of the hide are visible.
The result is a beautiful natural leather surface with great depth and natural, vibrant color variations that develop a lovely patina over time. The leather is incredibly soft and comfortable and has fantastic breathability but is also very susceptible to all kinds of stains and dirt. Aniline requires maintenance, preferably treated 3-4 times a year to retain its properties. It is good to apply a protective cream to prevent grease from skin and hair, stains, and dirt from penetrating the leather.
Click here to access our Aniline Cleaning and Re-dyeing Kit
Pull-Up Leather This is the same type of leather as aniline, with the difference that the leather has been treated and processed with various oils and fats, giving the leather a special character. The name "pull-up" comes from the fact that when you stretch it, or "pull," or tightly tension the leather over, for example, a furniture frame, the leather shifts in color and character, giving it a lot of life and luster. Some Pull-up leathers also have their surface treated with a special wax mixed with paraffin, which gives the leather even more character. It requires regular treatment with oils and balms to maintain its character. If the leather is properly maintained, it will have a long lifespan and a beautiful patina.
Semi-Aniline Semi-aniline has undergone the same tanning process as aniline leather, but then a thin, covering surface layer of color and finish has been applied to make the leather more durable and resistant to stains and dirt, without significantly altering the natural softness and comfort of aniline.
Pigmented, or Top-Coated Leather After tanning and dyeing, a surface of color and finish is applied over the leather, which hides scars and marks in the leather, thus allowing the use of leather of lower quality. The top-coated surface makes the leather very resistant to dirt and wear, and the leather is also very easy to wipe clean if it gets dirty or stained. The disadvantage is that the leather no longer feels as soft and comfortable; moreover, its natural pattern and color have disappeared and been replaced by a "flat" color without depth and variations. The leather no longer breathes as well, and it is more difficult for balms and other softeners to penetrate the leather. Often, a new pattern is embossed into the surface layer of the leather, which is especially common in car interiors.
Buffalo leather usually comes from water buffalo or Asian buffalo cattle and is known for being thick, strong, and very durable. It is often used in furniture and bags where a rustic, robust feel is desired. Buffalo leather has larger pores and a more pronounced grain structure than bovine leather. This gives it a somewhat rougher and more natural look. The leather is typically thicker than cowhide, making it resistant to wear and tear – perfect for sofas, armchairs, and other furniture used daily.
Buffalo leather often has natural marks and color variations that are preserved to give a more "authentic" expression. Many buffalo leather products are vegetable-tanned or lightly treated, allowing the leather to age beautifully and develop a patina.
Suede A leather hide has two sides: grain and suede. Grain is the outer side normally covered by the animal's fur. Suede is the inner side of the hide, the flesh side. This is sanded to achieve a smooth and soft surface. Often, the leather used for suede has a grain side that is too poor to be used for high-quality leather, so it is instead used as suede. Hides from different animals yield different qualities of suede; for example, sheepskin suede, pigskin suede, and cowhide suede.
The English name for mocka, ”suede”, originally comes from the French term ”gants de suede”, which literally means gloves from Sweden, referring to a special type of soft gloves that used to be imported to France from Sweden during the first half of the 19th century. The term soon came to be used for all types of suede leather, regardless of origin.
Suede does not have the same protective surface as the grain side of leather, and is therefore more difficult to maintain. Because it easily gets dirty, suede is rarely used in furniture, but its soft and comfortable surface makes the material very popular among clothing and shoe manufacturers.
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Nubuck Nubuck is sanded aniline, which gives it a velvety surface but also makes the leather difficult to clean and maintain, as the surface no longer has a protective coating. Its lightfastness is poor, and the leather tends to discolor.
Bycast A hide is split, layered, into two different layers. The upper part, the skin side, is called grain leather and is used for leather of slightly higher quality, e.g., aniline, etc. The lower part of the hide is called split leather and is a bit cheaper than grain leather and does not have the same breathability and flexibility.
Bycast is made from split leather, which means the leather is laminated with a polyurethane plastic surface and embossed with a "leather pattern." This often results in a shiny and somewhat plastic-like surface. Because the surface is covered with a plastic coating, you do not need to maintain the leather with balm, conditioner, or other softening agents, as they simply cannot penetrate the surface and are therefore unnecessary. What you can do is maintain and clean the surface of bycast leather, for example, by applying a protective cream that prevents dirt and stains from adhering and makes it easier to keep clean.
Bycast leather has a shorter lifespan than real leather because its surface is made of plastic and cannot be maintained, and the laminated plastic surface tends to crack and peel off after a few years of wear. Unfortunately, not much can be done about these damages.
