Frequently Asked Questions

Please note that the accuracy of leather colours can be affected by the source of light, and  by viewing online, and whilst every effort has been made to provide images that are accurate and indicative of true colour, this cannot be guaranteed.  We recommend viewing actual leather samples before ordering. Visit our showroom or click here to order swatches online.

VEGETABLE TANNED

• Because of the way it is tanned, the colours of vegetable tanned leather are usually rich and deep in natural earthy tones.
• Being an entirely organic material, vegetable tanned leather will change over time.
• It will grow softer, darker and will acquire a patina depending on its uses.
• It has great durability and strength and can “if well cared for” potentially lasts several lifetimes.
• Scratches fairly easily but shallow scratches can be buffed out.
• Has a distinctive fragrance – the sweet, earthy fragrance you probably associate with leather is the smell of vegetable tanned leather.
• Prolonged exposure to heat can cause the leather to dry out and crack.
• It is not water resistant. Water can cause splotches or marks -eventually becoming part of the patina.

CHROME TANNED

•  Is available in a huge variety of colours.
• The colour will remain uniform and the leather will not develop a patina as fast or to the same degree as veg.
• Is softer and more supple than veg tanned leather.
• Is fairly resistant to water stains and heat.
• The fibres of chrome tanned leather are not able to show through the same way they do on veg tanned leather.

Leather is a beautiful natural product, variations will occur, as will holes, scars, marks and fold lines- all hides will have some marking natural characteristics. These are standard with leathers internationally and are natural characteristics not flaws.

Please expect some colour variations from samples, especially in Aniline leathers, as leather is dyed in batches, some variation is normal and to be expected.

Be aware of that you should expect waste in leather, yield will vary depending on the product and the project it is being used for. You can expect a 67% yield of usable product, but this can climb to as high as 85%.

The unit of measure on a hide of leather will be in square feet or square meters. The MOQ on the hides of leather is the average hide size of that product. When you place your order, you are provided the average hide size to give a fair representation of what you can expect the price of a hide of leather to be.  When we select your hide, we will update your order to reflect the exact hide size you are shipped. This means there will typically be a variation to the final amount charged.

Leather comes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses depending on the hide, and the application. Leather is ordered by a whole hide, a side (half hide), double or single butt (frequently used in saddlery and belt making).

The leather is typically measured in square feet, with the exception of leather sourced from Europe which will be measured in square meters.  To convert square feet into square meters, simply divide by 10.764.

The MOQ on the website denotes the average hide size of the leather you are viewing.  Every hide varies in shape in size as leather is a natural product. At the larger end of the scale, the full hides of upholstery leather vary between 35 to 60 square feet (3.2-5.5 m²) depending on the product.  At the smaller end of the scale a typical lambskin will average between 8-9 square feet.

Minimum order quantities apply across several categories of products on the website. These items can be ordered in multiples of the minimum order quantity (MOQ).  For example if the MOQ is 10, you can purchase, 10, 20, 30, 40 etc. When ordering leather, the MOQ is the estimated hide size.