Common Leather Textures and How They Differ

The common leather textures are smooth, flat grain, grainy, pebbled, embossed, napped (nubuck and suede) and hair-on. Surface effects such as pull-up and crackle are often added to the list. The textures differ mainly in where they come from: the animal's own grain, a tumbling drum, a press, sanding, or the hair left on. That origin tells you more than the texture name about how the leather will feel and wear.

This guide is part of our hub on leather types, grades and finishes. Texture is what your hand feels. For what is coated on the surface, see types of leather finishes explained.

Leather textures at a glance

Where texture comes from

The animal's own grain

Full-grain leather keeps the whole grain surface, with nothing removed by buffing or splitting. Its texture is the animal's own skin. Each species has its own grain:

• Calf and lamb: fine and smooth. Calfskin is valued for its fine grain, and lambskin grain is very fine and silky.
• Goat: goatskin is the finest grade of morocco leather. Tanners either smooth it or raise its grain into straight, pebble or bird's-eye patterns.
• Bison: one supplier says you can clearly feel its grainy texture. See our buffalo hides guide.
• Pig: the hair cell texture shows where the hair grew, and pig follicles sit in groups of three.
• Ostrich: ostrich leather has raised quill bumps on the "crown," starting at the base of the neck.
• Reptiles: alligator, crocodile and snake skins have their own distinct patterns.

The drum: milled and tumbled leather

Milled leather has been tumbled in a rotating drum. Glossaries from Weaver Leather Supply and Popov Leather say this softens the leather. Popov adds that it raises a pebbled texture. The leather group HCP says tumbling lets the grain rise naturally, unlike a plate, which presses in a regular pattern.

Shrinking the grain

Shrunken-grain leather is tanned in a way that deliberately shrinks the grain layer and tightens it into a pebbled pattern. HCP notes that shrinking gives a more irregular, natural-looking grain than pressing does.

The press: embossed and printed leather

Embossing presses a pattern into the surface with heat and pressure. The pattern can be basket weave, the Saffiano crosshatch, or croc or ostrich pressed onto cowhide. A plate gives a regular pattern, which makes automated cutting easier. Corrected-grain leather is sanded and then embossed for a uniform look.

The same patterns appear on faux leather, which is made on embossed release paper. The FTC Leather Guides say leather embossed to look like another kind should name the real kind, for example "Top Grain Cowhide With Simulated Pigskin Grain". For crosshatch leather, see is Saffiano leather real leather.

Sanding: napped leather

Nubuck is the grain side sanded to a short, velvety nap. Suede is napped from the underside of the skin. A glove maker warns against confusing the two, because suede comes from split leather. HCP notes that napped leather looks a slightly different color depending on the viewing angle.

Turn a hide grain-side in and you get roughout, which we cover in what rough leather is and how it is made. For care and buying, see our suede, nubuck and roughout hub.

The hair left on

Hair-on leather is tanned without removing the hair. Sheepskin tanned with its fleece is one example. Historic buffalo robes were bison pelts cured with the hair left on.

Surface effects that change the feel

Some textures come from what the tannery puts on top, not from the grain:

• Pull-up: extra oil or wax gives a distressed look. When you bend it, the oils shift and the color lightens until you rub it back.
• Waxed: wax can be used to give a cracked or vintage look.
• Crackle: a pigment coat dried into a mosaic of fine cracks.
• Distressed: a worn-in look on new leather.
• Patent: a glossy coating, usually plastic today.

These effects overlap with finishes, which are explained in more depth in our finishes guide, linked at the top of this page.

Pebbled leather four ways, and how to tell them apart

"Pebbled" covers four different methods. The pattern can occur naturally in some hides, but most often it is embossed. It can also come from milling, from shrinking the grain, or from a press.

1. Look at the repeat. A pressed plate gives a regular pattern, while shrinking and tumbling give an irregular one.
2. Don't treat uniformity as proof. Sources disagree here. Leather Collection's French blog says a perfectly even grain proves nothing either way. A retailer, Moonshaft, says an overly uniform pattern may point to a synthetic.
3. Check a cut edge. Real leather shows a fibrous backing and layers at the edge.

For the real-versus-fake question, see is pebbled leather real leather.

Which texture suits which buyer

• You want scuffs to disappear. A bag maker, Dooney & Bourke, says pebble grain hides scuffs and marks. A footwear magazine and a boot maker both say roughout shows wear less than smooth leather. They disagree on whether it resists water better.
• You want soft drape. Lambskin has a very fine, silky grain. Nappa is a general name for soft leather.
• You want something formal. Patent is considered more formal than matte finishes for black-tie shoes.
• You get caught in the rain. Napped textures absorb liquids quickly. Neither suede nor nubuck is waterproof unless treated.
• You want a natural surface that changes with use. Full-grain develops a patina rather than wearing out.

For a full match by item, see the best types of leather for different uses.

Textured leather vs "genuine leather"

Texture tells you nothing about grade. A pressed crosshatch, for example, does not establish the species or quality underneath. "Genuine leather" is not a specific grade and often means heavily processed split leather. A split can be coated and embossed to look like grain, which is called bicast. Faux leather can copy any of these textures. So read the label for the layer and the material, not just the pattern.

Shopping textured leather jackets

If you want to see the hide named before you buy, Leather Collection men's leather jackets lists it on each product page. The store says cowhide feels firmer and suits biker and cafe racer cuts, while sheepskin and lambskin feel softer and drape more. The textures on offer include a brown nubuck cowhide cafe racer, a goatskin suede jacket, and distressed and quilted styles.

FAQ

What are the names for different types of leather textures?

Smooth, flat grain, grainy, pebble and embossed are the five that one supplier lists as most common. Add nubuck, suede and hair-on for the napped and furred textures.

What are the key differences between oily pull-up leather and full side leather?

They describe different things. Pull-up is a finish: extra oil or wax that lightens where the leather bends. A side is a cut: half a hide, cut down the backbone. None of the sources we checked define "full side" as a standard term, so ask the seller whether it means an unsplit side.

What is milled leather?

Leather tumbled in a drum to soften it. One maker's glossary says milling also raises a pebbled texture.

Is full grain leather good?

Full-grain is usually considered the highest quality. It keeps the whole grain and develops a patina rather than wearing out.

What is the lowest quality leather?

Bonded leather: shredded scraps bonded onto a backing. Sources disagree on how much leather it contains. Wikipedia gives 10% to 90% leather fiber, while Rub n Restore, a care company, says 10-20%. In the US, the FTC says the percentages should be disclosed.

What are the four or five types of leather?

That question is about grades, not textures. The grades run from full-grain and top-grain through corrected-grain and split down to bonded. Our leather types hub, linked at the top, explains each one.