Glossary of Terms
Whether you're a designer, manufacturer, or simply want to learn more, this guide offers clear definitions and terminology to help you understand the industry's nuances.
A
American Style Leather: A generic description for leathers that have a natural and rugged look and feel.
Aniline Leather: A type of leather dyed exclusively with soluble dyes, without covering the surface with a topcoat. This process preserves the natural surface, including visible pores and markings.
Artificial Leather: A synthetic alternative to real leather, often made from plastics such as polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
B
Belt Loop: A small loop attached to a belt to keep the end of the belt in place after it has been fastened.
Biodegradable leather: Leather that is made to last, but has the ability to degrade biologically in 10-50 years.
Bonded Leather: A material that has been made from leather clippings and leather offcuts, bonded together. Often known as leather board.
Buckle: The clasp used to fasten a belt. Buckles can come in various styles an finishes, including prong, clamp, reversible, auto, and plate.
Burnishing: The process of polishing the edges of a leather belt to create a smooth, shiny finish along with sealing the edge.
C
Chrome Tanning: A tanning process that uses chromium salts to tan the leather quickly.
Crazy Horse Leather: A type of leather that has been treated to look and feel aged, with a distinctive, rustic appearance.
Cut Edge: A belt edge that has been cut cleanly and left unfinished, showcasing the natural thickness and layers of the leather.
E
Embossing: A technique used to create a raised or recessed design on the leather surface.
Edge Stitching: A decorative and functional stitching technique along the edge of a belt to reinforce the structure and add detail.
F
Full-Grain Leather: The highest quality leather, made from the top layer of the hide and retaining all of its natural grain.
G
Genuine Leather: A term is used for a leather ora leather product that is made from natural, real leather, not a synthetic alternative.
Grain: The natural texture on the surface of leather.
H
Harness Leather: A type of thick, durable leather traditionally used for horse tack but also popular for belts due to its strength.
Hide: Skins from animals- mainly cattle or buffalo, they are a by-product of the food industry.
L
Leather: Made from the hides of animals, treated and finished to create a durable product suitable for a huge range of uses.
Leather Conditioner: A product used to maintain leather's suppleness and prevent it from drying out and cracking.
N
Natural Grain: Leather that has retained the natural texture found on the surface of leather.
Nickel-Free Buckle: Buckles that do not contain nickel, which can cause allergens and skin irritation in some people.
Nubuck: A leather that has had the top surface buffed to produce a soft velvet-like touch.
O
Oiling: The process of applying oil to leather to maintain its flexibility and prevent drying.
P
Patent Leather: Leather with a high-gloss finish achieved by applying a lacquer coating.
Pull-Up Leather: Leather that has been treated with oils and waxes, resulting in a unique, distressed look when the leather is stretched or pulled.
Prong: The metal pin on a belt buckle that fits into the belt holes to secure it.
R
Raw Hide: A hide that has only been treated to preserve it, prior to the tanning process.
Real Leather: As with the term ‘genuine leather’ this is used to emphasise that a product is made from natural, real leather, not a synthetic alternative.
Repreve: A sustainable material that is made by taking plastic waste, melting the contents down, and spinning into yarn used for manufacturing.
Reversible Buckle: Reversible belts are belts that have a twistable buckle so that both sides of the belt can be used.
Roller Buckle: A type of buckle with a roller to ease the process of tightening and loosening the belt.
S
Skive: A term used to describe the slicing or splitting of leather into a thin layer to reduce it to the desired thickness.
Split Leather: Leather made from the lower layers of the hide after the top grain has been separated.
Suede: Leather with a napped finish, created from the underside of the hide for a soft, textured surface.
T
Tanning: The process of treating animal hides to produce leather, involving either vegetable or chrome tanning methods.
V
Vegetable Tanning: A traditional tanning process using natural tannins from plant materials, resulting in durable and eco-friendly leather.
W
Width: The measurement of how wide a belt is, typically ranging from 25mm to 40mm for most belts.
Wrinkle Grain: The natural texture that appears on leather when it is flexed or bent.
Please note that our glossary of terms is constantly being updated to provide you with the latest terminology used in the leather industry. Check back regularly for new additions and refinements to enhance your understanding of leather and leather products.