FIELD NOTES — ENTRY NO. 03
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Pick up a well-made cigar case and your thumb knows before your eyes do. The leather gives a little, then holds. It warms up almost at once. And if it’s the good stuff, it’ll look better in ten years than it does today.
Leather is all over the evening if you look: the armchair, the watch strap, the case that carries the cigars. It’s also one of the most confusing things to shop for, because the words on the label don’t always mean what they sound like. “Genuine leather,” for one, isn’t the compliment most people think it is.
So here’s how to read it.
Where good leather comes from
Leather is one of the oldest things people have ever made, but the leather of the club chair by the fire belongs mostly to the 1700s and 1800s, when European tanneries perfected the slow work of turning hides into something supple and nearly indestructible.
One favorite story: in 1786 a Danish ship sank off the coast of England carrying Russian reindeer leather. Divers found it in 1973, and after nearly two hundred years underwater, a good part of that leather was still sound enough to be made into shoes and wallets. That’s the standard old leather was built to.
A hide has layers. The outer one, the side that faced the weather, is the grain. It’s the strongest part, and it carries the pores and small marks that make each piece different.
Almost every leather term comes down to two questions: how much of that grain was kept, and how the hide was tanned.
The grades, side by side
| Trait | Full-grain | Top-grain | Genuine | Bonded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The grain | Whole, untouched | Lightly sanded | Lower layers, pressed with a fake grain | Scraps glued to a backing |
| With age | Develops true patina | Ages, with less character | Cracks more than it ages | Peels and flakes |
| Lasts | Decades | Years | Not long | Least of all |
| Price | Higher | Middle | Budget | Cheapest |
If a label just says “genuine leather” and nothing more specific, that’s usually your answer.
The specimens
Full-Grain
No. 01- Look for
- Visible pores and the odd natural mark
- With age
- Strongest and longest-lasting; the only kind with true patina
- Notes
- Cigar cases, wallets, belts, watch straps, anything meant to be handed down.
Top-Grain
No. 02- Look for
- A smoother, more even surface
- With age
- Softer and a bit stain-resistant, but won’t age with the same character
- Notes
- Armchairs, sofas, briefcases. Still genuinely good leather.
Genuine Leather
No. 03- Look for
- A printed-looking, too-perfect grain
- With age
- Stiffer; wears faster and cracks
- Notes
- Real leather, but usually a lower grade. Budget belts and short-lived accessories.
Bonded Leather
No. 04- Look for
- A surface that looks like a hide over a backing
- With age
- Peels and flakes where it’s handled most; can’t be repaired
- Notes
- Bargain furniture and desk accessories. Skip it for anything used every day.
Vegetable-Tanned
No. 05- Look for
- A warm natural color and an earthy smell
- With age
- Starts firm, then softens and darkens to honey or chestnut
- Notes
- Tanned slowly with bark tannins. Takes stamping and monograms beautifully. Keep it dry.
Shell Cordovan
No. 06- Look for
- A deep, glassy shine that rolls instead of creasing
- With age
- Tough enough to outlast its owner
- Notes
- Not cowhide: a dense layer from a horse’s hindquarters, prepared in only a handful of tanneries. A serious gift.
A word on care
Good leather asks for very little. Keep it out of long, direct sun and away from the fireplace. Wipe spills quickly, and if it gets wet, let it dry slowly at room temperature, never with heat. A thin coat of conditioner every three to six months keeps it supple. Test any product on a hidden spot first.
The rest is just use. Leather that gets handled is leather that lasts.
Common Questions
What's the difference between full-grain and top-grain leather?
Full-grain is the whole outer layer of the hide, left as it is: the strongest, longest-lasting leather, and the one that develops a patina. Top-grain has been lightly sanded to smooth out marks. It's still good leather, but it's thinner and has less character as it ages.
Is "genuine leather" good quality?
It's real leather, but the name sounds better than it is. "Genuine" usually means lower layers of the hide with a grain pattern pressed on top. It won't age or last like full-grain or top-grain.
What is vegetable-tanned leather?
Leather tanned slowly using natural tannins from tree bark and plants instead of chromium salts. It starts out firmer and darkens into a rich patina with use. Most chrome-tanned leather is softer and more water-resistant, but it doesn't age the same way.
What is shell cordovan?
A rare leather made from a dense layer beneath the hide on a horse's hindquarters. It's glossy, extremely durable, and rolls instead of creasing. It's also expensive and slow to produce, which is why it shows up in heirloom shoes, wallets, and watch straps.
How do I take care of leather goods?
Wipe them down with a dry cloth, condition them every three to six months with a good leather conditioner, and keep them out of direct sun and away from heaters. If leather gets wet, let it dry naturally at room temperature and never near a heat source.
THE SOCIETY’S GIFTING NOTES
For the one who’s earned it.
TIER 1
Under $50
A bottle of good leather conditioner and a leather travel cigar case. Small, useful, and both will age with him.
Our pick: Bick 4 conditioner and a cedar-lined travel case
TIER 2
$50 to $150
A full-grain or vegetable-tanned cigar case, cedar-lined if you can find it, or a slim leather wallet he’ll carry every day.
Our pick: the Double Oak Mod Wallet, the Kodiak bifold wallet, or a cedar-lined leather travel humidor
TIER 3
$150 and up
A full-grain leather weekender bag. It goes on every trip for thirty years and gets mentioned in the will.
Our pick: the Double Oak waxed canvas and leather weekender, or the Kodiak 30L buffalo leather weekender
How to give it: tell him it’s meant to get beat up. Good leather looks best after it’s been carried a while.
