Product Info

Leather Link carries a wide variety of leathers and colours mainly suitable for UPHOLSTERY, HANDBAGS and LEATHERGOODS.
Some leathers are also used for footwear, ie,”softy shoes” like pumps, ballet shoes, kiddies shoes etc.
IMPORTANT: Please note that any leathers with aniline or semi aniline finishes are very sensitive to sunlight and even strong lighting. These types of finishes also vary in shades from batch to batch and even from hide to hide, showing that it is a genuine leather.
A brief description of the ex stock leathers follows:

FULL GRAIN – SEMI ANILINE/ANILINE
These are available in a variety of colours and is - 1.0/1.2mm thick. The Aniline colours are extremily sensitive to light, so please be aware of this fact.

GO NATURAL - FULL GRAIN ANILINE
This is what leather SHOULD BE LIKE! It is the most natural finish one gets. It has a natural grain and has been dyed to colour. It is beautiful and soft. However, Aniline dyed leathers are sensitive to light, so avoid direct sunlight or strong lighting.

CORRECTED GRAIN
A variety of colours are available in a 1.0/1.2mm thickness. Our corrected grains are superior to the ones imported from Brazil and India as we use higher grades of hides to produce them. As a result of the better quality hide, we correct them less and add less “paint” or pigment to them, as they say “less is more”. This results in a softer touch to the leather.

PULL UP EFFECTS
The pull up leather has a particularly beautiful two tone character. This gives it the “slightly aged” look one finds on classic leathers after a period of time. It is a full aniline finish, and colour variation from hide to hide will occur. The consumer should be aware of this as it suits particular tastes. If you like your goods to look like little soldiers all lined up neatly in a row, think carefully before you purchase this leather. As this is an aniline finish, it should be kept away from harsh light exposure.

RUSTICA
This leather requires great care and is extremely sensitive to light and absorbs spilled liquids very quickly. If you have children or pets in the house, it is not advisable to have a sofa in this leather anywhere near them. However, if you like the worn rustic look and you are prepared to close your eyes to little Johnny and his friends jumping all over the sofa with nice “gooey” hands, you will NEVER, I REPEAT, NEVER, find a more beautiful looking leather than this. IT SIMPLY IS EXQUISITE.

RAW
This leather has been made to replicate a well worn and distressed leather. It is an aniline finish with a nubuck grain, so a leather sealant is recommended. The touch of this leather is extremely soft and luxurious. This leather is suitable for couches although handbags have also been made from it.

OLD ENGLAND
This leather was created to give the “old world” feel where generations of families have passed the sofa down from great grandfather to father to son. It has a cracked worn in look and feel and is dry to the touch as if the leather has dried and cracked over many years. Colour variation from hide to hide may occur. This is synonymous of leather wearing down unevenly over time.

TIMBERLAND
This is an aniline wax and oil finish. The leather ages naturally over time creating its own patina. The scratches that appear from objects & finger nails can be "rubbed out", by rubbing your thumb on it and creating heat from friction. This leather is sensitive to light and prone to fading.

SHAMWARI
This is an aniline waxy finish. The wax in the leather gives a “crackled” effect and will lighten in those areas. The more the leather is creased, the more the “crackled effect” will appear. Scratch marks from fingernails or objects can be rubbed away by generating heat with ones thumb. This leather is sensitive to light.

SHIDULI
This is an aniline waxy finish. It is very similar to Shanwari but with less of a “crackled” effect. The other difference is that is “scratches” less than the Shamwari leather. As it is an aniline leather, it is sensitive to strong light and sunlight.

METALLICS
Our metallics are a pigmented finish , meaning that they have a better scuff resistance than the ones on the market finished with a thin metallic foil.

PIG SUEDE SPLIT
This is generally used for lining of handbags and upmarket leather footwear.

VEG LOOK
Leather was originally tanned with natural vegetable extracts from tree bark. As this was costly and had a lot of technical difficulties, a chromium product was developed and is now the preferred retannage . We have replicated this natural and firm look with a “veg retan”. It has an aniline finish and is 1.8/2.0mm thick making it suitable for handbags, satchels and leather goods.

DAKOTA
This leather is specifically made for the handbag, leather goods and footwear industry. It is a full grain aniline leather in 1.4 / 1.6mm thickness. It is a firm tannage so that bags and shoes can ‘stand’ and retain their shape.

MADISON
This leather is specifically developed for the handbag and small leather goods industry. It is a full aniline nubuck with a waxy touch to it for the distressed look in 1.1/1.3mm substance.

DIESEL
This is an aniline nubuck with oil added to it and then smooth plated. It has a distressed effect and will “scratch” but a firm rub with your pointing finger will repair it. Substance is 1.3 / 1.5mm and is very suitable for footwear, handbags and leather goods.

SHEEP WOOL
This wool is 100% wool from New Zealand sheep and commonly used as boot leg linings. Recently we have had decorators using it as an upholstery fabric on sofas and chairs as well.

HAIR ON HIDES
Our Hair On Hides are imported from South America. They are tanned with advanced methods thereby alleviating the danger of “hair slip” which is when the hair falls out. Our hides are suitable for use as rugs as well as on furniture and leather goods, e.g. ottomans, handbags, shoes, belts etc. We carry a variety of natural designs which have been separated into various “design categories”. PLEASE CHECK STOCK AVAILABILITY FOR YOUR CHOICE.