Everything You Need To Know About Aniline Leather

Leather is one of the most commonly used materials. You’ll find clothing, shirts, and even boots made of leather. Of course, it is also one of the most popular options for couches. But, when you have a leather couch it is almost inevitable that it will need to be reupholstered at some point in the future. That’s why it’s essential that you get the professionals in leather upholstery cleaning to clean your leather couch at least once a year.

However, once you start looking at the different leather furniture and even clothing that is available, you’ll see that there are several different types of leather.

One of the most popular for high-quality products is aniline leather.

What Is Aniline Leather?

All leather is effectively the hide from an animal, in most cases a cow. The hide is tanned to make it durable and soft. The exact processes used in tanning go a long way toward defining the quality of the leather.

Aniline leather is recognized as one of the highest quality leathers. But, it earns its name not from the tanning process but from the dyes that are used when creating the finished article. These dyes are used with the finest Napa hides, that’s a naturally soft hide.

The hides are dyed in a drum with aniline dyes. These are water-soluble dyes without pigments. They allow the leather to maintain its natural grains while ensuring a more consistent color spread. It creates the softest, most natural-looking leather possible.

It should be noted that pull-up aniline leather is when the treated leather is then coated with oil or wax. This helps to create the distressed look that is currently so popular.

Uniformity Of Color

The dying process helps to improve the uniformity of color in the leather. But, it is not possible to get a completely uniform finish. This is because the hide has different rates of absorption in different sections. This helps to ensure it looks genuine and ensures it is one of the highest quality leathers currently available.

Anything that offers complete uniformity of color is heavily dyed and doesn’t offer the same quality or authenticity.

Tough

Because it is leather, tanned, and special treated, aniline leather will mark if you scratch it with a fingernail or something similar. It’s a sign of its quality and illustrates why you need to take additional care of it.

Unique

Aniline leather is one of the most in-demand leather finishes available. Part of this is the fact it absorbs oil from your skin. This natural process ensures that the leather you wear or sit on creates its own unique pattern, making your leather distinctive and unique.

Of course, aniline leather is one of the most expensive types of leather on the market and you’ll need to take more care of it than a conventional leather finish. This includes keeping it out of sunlight and conditioning it regularly to prevent it from drying out. But, it does look and feel better than any other type of leather.