FAQs

 Pigmented Leather

These types of leather are the most durable and easiest to maintain. Pigmented leather is made with a top coating, usually of polyurethane or silicone, that “seals” the leather and helps to prevent absorption of dirt, liquids and oils.

Appearance: Smooth, grained finish. The grain pattern embossed into the surface of the leather will vary greatly depending upon the design of the leather. Grain pattern may be of a very small, lightly impressed pattern to a very distinct heavily embossed pattern. The finish will generally be a satin finish.

Identification: Place a small droplet of water onto the surface of the leather. The droplet of water should “bead up” and remain on the surface of the leather. 

Semi Aniline Leather

Semi-Aniline Leather:  Semi aniline leather is leather that has been dyed through, but has a very thin layer of pigment coating on the surface. Semi-Aniline leather is used primarily in the furniture industry, but may also be found in leather jackets and briefcases. These leathers are very attractive due to the rich look and feel of the leather itself, but are much more difficult to maintain and keep looking good. There is very little protective coating on Semi-Aniline leathers, making them very susceptible to liquid absorption and staining. Many retailers will apply a “Scotch Guard™” type repellent to the furniture prior to sale to protect the surface for a short time. Exposure to liquids, oils and dirt will cause staining of the leather. A protective “sealant” material such as ‘Norsol Aniline Leather Protection Cream’ should be applied to Semi-Aniline type leathers to reduce the effects of this exposure. Semi-Aniline should be avoided when the application requires heavy use. 

Appearance: Semi-Aniline: Smooth grained finish. The grain pattern embossed into the surface of the leather will look very much like “Pigmented” leather except that the grain pattern may be tighter and very small and lightly impressed into the finish. This type of leather can also be dry milled leaving a pebbling effect. The topcoat will generally be matt or satin.  Semi-Aniline will scratch much easier than pigmented leather.  

Identification: Place a small droplet of water and alcohol mixture onto the surface of the leather. The droplet of water should sit on the surface for a short time and then soak into the leather and cause a darkening where it has been absorbed. Plain water may or may not work due to the “Scotch Guard” type protective spray that may have been applied by the retailer.

 Aniline Leather

Aniline leather: Is a type of leather dyed exclusively with soluble dyes. The dye colours the leather without producing the uniform surface of a topcoat paint or insoluble pigmented sealant. The resulting product retains the hide’s natural surface.

Appearance: Any visible variations on the surface of the undyed leather such as visible pores, scars, or other blemishes will remain visible. For this reason, only high quality leather is suitable for aniline finishing.

 Bonded Leather

Genuine Leather/Bonded Leather.  These leathers are very similar, in most respects, to Protected leather. Bonded leather is the most inexpensive form of leather because it is not “truly” leather. Bonded leather is made from finely shredded leather and vinyl, mixed with an adhesive to form large sheets of a leather like material. It is then used in the upholstery of furniture, jackets and clothing, purses and handbags and many other leather items.

Appearance: Smooth, grained finish. The grain pattern embossed into the surface of the leather will vary greatly depending upon the design of the leather. Grain pattern may be of a very small, lightly impressed pattern to a very distinct heavily embossed pattern. The topcoat will generally be a satin or gloss finish. This leather is difficult to tell apart from ‘pigmented leather’ when new. 

Identifying: Place a small droplet of water onto the surface of the leather. The droplet of water should “bead up” and remain on the surface of the leather. Bonded leather will have a much stiffer, harder feel and will not bend or fold as easily as ‘pigmented leather’ leather.  Peeling and cracking of the finish of Bonded leather is extremely common. 

 Pull Up Leather

Pull-Up (Wax and Oil) Pull-Up leather is used in furniture upholstery, jackets, bags and belts. This type of leather is relatively easy to maintain, and fairly durable with the exception of becoming scratched very easily.

Appearance: It will appear to have a distinct “finished” look and somewhat heavier in feel than an unprotected or unfinished leather and will also have a ‘draggy’ feel due to the wax.

Identifying: When a droplet of water is placed on the surface of this leather, the droplet will initially “bead up” on the surface.  If left alone for several minutes, the droplet may begin to be absorbed into the leather and cause a darkening of the spot but this may not always happen due to differences in manufacturing techniques.