Leather Care Guide


Full Grain Bridle Leather

Not every designer states what leather was used to make their products, but we're proud to state that we use only full-grain naturally tanned bridle leathers to make our folio bags. Full-grain leather is the strongest and most durable; over the life of the product the leather will mature through interaction with its surroundings and will improve in appearance, acquiring a natural vintage patina (especially in our London Tan finish).

Care Guide

Leather has been around for as long as men have been hunters and is well known for its durability, versatility and strength. With a bit of care and attention it will last you a life-time.

As each bag inherits the unique character of the leather hide it came from, please expect variation in the texture and colour of your bag.

It's difficult to remove stains from leather, so take care with loose items such as pens or toiletries. Fresh stains such as food or drink should be gently cleaned as soon as possible with a slightly damp cloth or a leather cleaner. Oil, grease and ink are nearly impossible to remove. Be sure to test a small non-visible area before using any cleaning or polish products; always apply with a cloth and never directly onto the leather.

As durable as leather is, it's not waterproof, so if its pouring with rain it might be better to use a different bag. However if it does get wet, gently blot with paper towel and allow it to dry out naturally.

We advise that you 'feed' the leather with a wax or a leather conditioning cream at least once or twice a year to keep it supple and stop it from drying out.

When you're not using your bag make sure to store it in its dust bag; for longer storage stuff, it with paper or bubble wrap to help keep its shape.

Leather Guide

Full-grain leather

The highest quality, these hides are from just below the hair and have not been sanded, buffed, or snuffed (as opposed to top-grain or corrected leather) to remove imperfections or natural marks on the surface of the hide. The grain remains ensuring fibre strength and durability. The grain also has breathability, resulting in less moisture from prolonged contact. Rather than wearing out, it will develop a patina over time.

Top-grain leather

The most common type used in high-end leather products, is the second-highest quality. It has had the "split" layer separated away, making it thinner and more pliable than full-grain. Its surface has been sanded and a finish coat added to the surface which results in a colder, plastic feel with less breathability; resultantly it will not develop a natural patina. It is typically less expensive and has greater resistance to stains than full-grain leather, so long as the finish remains unbroken.

Corrected-grain leather

Any leather that has had an artificial grain applied to its surface. The hides used to create corrected leather do not meet the standards for use in creating vegetable-tanned or aniline leather. The imperfections are corrected or sanded off, and an artificial grain impressed into the surface and dressed with stain or dyes. Most corrected-grain leather is used to make pigmented leather as the solid pigment helps hide the corrections or imperfections. Corrected grain leathers can mainly be bought as two finish types: semi-aniline and pigmented.

Split leather

A leather created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the top-grain of the rawhide has been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation, the top-grain and drop split are separated. The drop split can be further split (thickness allowing) into a middle split and a flesh split. In very thick hides, the middle split can be separated into multiple layers until the thickness prevents further splitting. Split leather then has an artificial layer applied to the surface of the split and is embossed with a leather grain (bycast leather).

Splits are also used to create suede. The strongest suedes are usually made from grain splits (that have the grain completely removed) or from the flesh split that has been shaved to the correct thickness. Suede is "fuzzy" on both sides. Manufacturers use a variety of techniques to make suede from full-grain. A reversed suede is a grained leather that has been designed into the leather article with the grain facing away from the visible surface. It is not considered to be a true form of suede.