What is sheep leather?

Sheepskin or shearling is the sheep hide with the fur left on. Sheep leather has the fur
removed before tanning.

How to identify sheep leather

Sheep leather is the lightest of all commercial leathers and it is soft and velvety to the touch.
The pores are distinct and evenly spaced.

Sheep leather smell

When tanned and cared for correctly sheep leather should have little or no smell. Poor
quality cheap leather which has not been tanned properly will often smell of the chemicals
or the oils used in its production.

Sheep leather thickness

Sheep leather is the thinnest of all the mass-produced commercial leathers, only exotic
leathers, such as fish leather, are thinner.

Is sheep leather soft?

The velvety softness of sheep leather is its most distinguishing feature.

Is sheep leather warm?

Sheep leather is thinner than cow leather and therefore it is not as warm, however it is wind
proof and if worn on top of layers of clothing it is a warm winter garment.

Is sheep leather durable?

Sheep leather is not as hard wearing as cow leather but if maintained properly it will give a
lifetime of use and will certainly outlast most fabrics.

Is sheep leather waterproof?

Leather is a natural, permeable material and therefore it is never 100% waterproof,

however, properly conditioned sheep leather is shower resistant.
Is sheep leather good quality?

Sheep leather is light and supple and consequently it is used for high end fashion
accessories and clothing such as leather jackets.

What is sheep aniline leather?

Aniline leather is leather which has been dyed all the way through, rather than the dye
applied as a topcoat. Applying just a top-coat dye removes natural markings and creates a
uniform surface; the aniline process preserves the natural markings. Only the best quality
leather is appropriate for the aniline treatment.

What is sheep nappa leather?

Nappa leather is full grain leather which has been tanned using a specialist chemical
process. The resulting leather retains the beauty of the original hide but is extremely soft
and flexible and does not crease. Sheep nappa leather is used for high end luxury goods.

What is hair sheep leather?

Hair sheep leather or Cabretta leather is a high-quality leather used for making dress
gloves. The leather is produced from the hides of sheep which grow hair rather than wool.
The leather is prized for its softness and durability.

Sheep leather vs goat leather

Sheep leather and goat leather are very similar. Both are lightweight leathers which are
durable, soft and have a fine grain. Sheep leather is the more highly regarded of the two.

Sheep leather vs cow leather

Cow leather is the most widely used of all leathers, it is thicker and more durable than
sheep leather, but it lacks its softness and suppleness. Cow leather is used for more
heavy-duty items such as shoes, large bags and jackets. Sheep leather is lightweight and
is used for small, high end fashion items and garments.

Faux leather vs sheep leather

Faux leather is a term used to describe an increasingly wide range of leather substitutes.
Whilst, in the past, these have predominantly been produced using petro-chemical by
products there are now organic, laboratory grown, leathers in production. Current faux
leather alternatives to sheep leather are not nearly as strong or as durable.

Camel leather vs sheep leather

The fibres of camel hide are extremely dense which make it a very strong, very durable
leather. Like cowhide it is suitable for heavy duty articles. It lacks the lightness and
softness of sheep leather.

Sheep leather vs lambskin

Lambskin is the leather produced from a sheep before it has grown to maturity. It has the
same characteristics as sheep leather but to a greater extent, that is it is light, soft and
requires careful treatment. It is used in the production of high-end luxury articles.

Sheep leather with wool

Sheepskin is often tanned with the fleece intact and is used in this way for the manufacture
of sheepskin jackets and slippers. The fleece is an excellent insulator, it is hypoallergenic,
and it acts to draw perspiration away from the body.

How is sheep leather made?

Like all animal hides, sheep hides are transformed into leather by the process of tanning.
This can be done in two principal ways: chemical tanning, which is fast and the most widely
used commercial process and vegetable tanning, which is much more environmentally
friendly, but which takes much longer and is consequently more expensive.