Overview of Types of Leather Grains and Leather Quality (2024)

Types of Leather in the Dover Saddlery Product Line
As you shop for tack and apparel, you'll come across a variety of terms used to describe the leather selected by manufacturers for their particular applications. Here are a few terms you'll see in the Dover Saddlery product line.

Buffalo leather is long-wearing and offers extra grip due to its pronounced grain patterning.

Cabretta leather is created from sheepskin that had hair instead of wool.

Calfskin leather is very high quality, soft to the touch and provides a broken-in feeling even when new. The pattern on the young hide is so dense that it can appear to have almost no discernible grain. It is usually vegetable-tanned. You'll find calfskin used in items such as show boots and gloves and in parts of many saddles.

Deerskin leather is soft to the touch, supple, breathable and lightweight, yet it is highly durable. Some people believe that deerskin gets its durability from the evolution of deer hides to protect the animal while living in its natural habitat. Because of its unique properties and its ability to resist tears, deerskin is often used in full seat breeches or gloves.

Jupa leather refers to a durable cowhide with non-slip properties. It is used in the line of Passier dressage saddles.

Lambskin leather provides a luxurious feel. It is the softest and thinnest leather available, and its suppleness and smoothness is appreciated in the creation of gloves for competition. Its delicate nature does not lend well for heavy, daily use. Because there is almost no discernible pattern, lambskin leather can appear to have a subtle shine.

Nubuck is top grain cowhide that has been finely sanded on the outside surface. Sanding breaks the surface fibers, giving it a very slight nap that feels soft and velvety. You'll see nubuck used in clogs, boots and half chaps.

Patent leather has been given a high gloss finish and is coated with a very thin layer of lacquer.

Pigskin leather comes from pig or hog hide. Because it is both supple and quite durable, it is one of the most popular leathers for many applications. The hide is dense and tough, and with proper care it is long-wearing. Many crops, boots, saddles and gloves are crafted of pigskin.

Rolled leather, typically seen in high-end bridles, results from the process of sewing thin leather strips into a cylinder. The leather used to make rolled leather must be the softest available to allow for the tight rolling; lambskin or calfskin may be used. Many people feel the resulting cord of leather is longer-lasting and stronger when compared to strips of leather, and some also feel that the rolled design is more comfortable for horses to wear. Commonly, the throatlatches on leather halters are made with rolled leather. For comfort and strength, leather grab straps incorporate it as well.

Sheepskin leather is porous and soft. It can be made from hides of sheep that have either wool or hair.

Suede is similar to bridle leather in that it is the result of a finishing processes rather than a type of leather. Suede gets its soft nap through abrasion, such as sanding, that essentially roughens the surface fibers to create a soft, velvety nap. Top grain leather is made into suede. For its comfort and grip, you'll see suede in products such as chaps, half chaps and knee rolls on saddles.