Full-grain leather is the hide in its original state going into the tanning process after the hair removal process. The grain (exterior) has not been corrected or sanded at any point in the process. As such, it may show various character marks from the life of the animal. As it is thicker than corrected or top-grain leathers, it tends to be stronger and can be split to thinner weights for use in a variety of products.
Also known as hand stitching or two-needle stitching, this traditional method involves the passing of both ends of thread through each hole; essentially doubling the stitch count per line. This stops a given stitch from unraveling on its own if either side is cut. Machine lock-stitching will unravel if only one side is severed. Although saddle-stitching takes much longer than with a machine, it is stronger and – when properly done – will look much cleaner. This is exactly what we want in a handcrafted product.
The main concerns are keeping your leather dry and clean. Certain leathers don’t handle moisture or grime too well and should be handled more carefully (leathers not treated with oils or waxes or those light in color/natural/naked). We tend to use these types of leather for items that don’t get too exposed to the elements, such as small accessories or interiors. Other tannages use hot-stuffing or wax and oil treatments that give them a much higher resistance to moisture damage and marking. These leathers tend to take care of themselves and may only require the occasional buffing/brushing. We use this type of leather throughout our range.
We recommend gently wiping your leather item with a clean dry cloth to quickly remove accidental water or dirt. If your item becomes soaked, DO NOT use an artificial heat source to dry it out or leave it in the sun. This not only can damage the leather, but it can cause it to shrink – adding further stress to stitched and glued areas. Instead, allow the leather time to dry on it’s own in a safe place away from moisture. Some recommend wrapping soaked leather in a clean dry towel to soak up excess moisture as it dries, but this must be monitored in order to avoid keeping the leather in a damp environment as the towel soaks up water.