About Italian Leather

Italian leather can cost up to six times more than lower quality leather due to the tanning process & quality of hides used. The methods Italian craftsmen use have been passed down over generations and produce handcrafted pieces of leather from the best hides available that clearly stand above other types.

The challenge for them is to maintain the beauty of the hide throughout the tanning process. This means the Italian hides are usually not heavily coated or pigmented. As a result, the leather will have a beautiful hand feel but you might see a small blemish or scar. Unless it's an exotic print, the surface is not uniform, which helps maintain the integrity of the hide. This allows it to have a very natural look. These types of leathers will grow more beautiful over time and develop a nice, rich patina providing years of enjoyment.

Examples of leathers that exude this quality include our favorite Terra Collection, available in Saddle Brown (shown below), Rustic Red & Midnight Black, and our Vero Collection, available in Ebony & Brownstone.

If you're looking for something with a stylish flair in vivid colors, we've got that too. All of our fashion & exotic leather types are made with Italian leather. While the natural look of the leather is sometimes lost, the benefits of it remain. You'll find these leather types to be a great addition to any wardrobe and they'll age gracefully over time.

Leatherology offers up to 3 price points for our styles. While the lowest price point reflects good quality Grade A & B leather hides, you'll find that the price point is dependent on the quality and cost of the leather. Please note that all of our products are constructed with equally superior standards of craftsmanship - only differences in material cause the price to chance. We do not sell products constructed with low quality or bonded leather.

What is poor quality leather? Heavily scarred & blemished hides that are used for mass production. After the surface is worn down to remove scars and scratches, the surface is heavily painted with pigment and coated with chemicals. The more problems with a hide, the more pigment & coating used - which also means a lower cost. The result is an unnatural product with a tendency to crack that won't develop a nice patina over time.