What’s Aniline?

Have you heard about aniline leather? Are you curious about whether it’s good or bad leather? Don’t worry, in today’s video, Tanner Leatherstein will be discussing this topic. He’ll also compare its difference from the full-grain leather which is the most durable type of leather. We will be answering the following questions:

• What’s aniline leather?
• Should you consider buying the leather goods when you see aniline on the product description?
• Is aniline better than the leather you see on the market?

Let us know about your thoughts and questions. You can comment them down below or directly on the YouTube video. We’ll see you again next time. A quick reminder to be authentic, be leather-savvy!

TRANSCRIPTION / WRITTEN ARTICLE

Hi, everyone! This is Tanner with another practical tip to help you become leather-savvy. Today, I want to talk about aniline leather. Some of you may have heard the term but may not understand it completely.

Aniline is used to refer to a type of dye that we use in finishing the leather. It has no coverage properties; it is only used to balance the tone and accentuate the imperfections of the grain. So whenever you see “aniline” when reading the description or label of a product, it means that you’re getting a good leather to start with. Probably five to ten percent of all leathers can be finished with aniline dyes because they are already clean to start with. The 90% needs to go through some form of corrections. If you don’t see “aniline” or “semi-aniline” in the description of your leather or leather goods, then you’re probably going to see a “top grain” or a “pigmented finish” label which means that your leather was not as clean as an aniline full-grain can be. The tannery buffed off the imperfections, started with a cleaner slate, and used a coverage property dye which pigments to achieve a very uniform and sleek color and look that covers all the imperfections. Most of the leather in the market is done this way and there’s nothing wrong with it since it’s still good leather. But aniline is definitely rare and more expensive stuff and they’re going to age into a more beautiful craft as you use it.

I hope this helps you to navigate the space better next time you’re shopping for leather goods.