Finishing touch
There are three different categories of finishing for the leather: aniline leather, semi-aniline leather and pigmented leather. The finishing is aimed at making the leather more beautiful and creating an even colour or a specific degree of lustre. In addition, the finish helps protect the leather against dirt, water, scratches and sunlight. But when should we use the terms aniline, semi-aniline or pigmented leather?
Aniline leather
Only the most beautiful hides can ultimately become aniline leather. After the vat dyeing process, aniline leather is given a thin protective layer of just several mu (1/1000 millimetres). This preserves that real, pure ‘leather feeling’.
Aniline leather is wonderfully supple, soft and warm and its structure reflects the animal’s life. A unique character, exactly what the real leather lover wants. Due to this thin protective layer, aniline leather is more sensitive to external influences.
Semi-aniline leather
When you opt for semi-aniline leather, you get the best of both worlds. That’s because this leather, just like aniline leather, has the natural leather grain and the imperfections of a hide.
But semi-aniline leather is easier to look after because it has an extra finishing layer. That makes it suitable for more rigorous use, because you just need to wipe it with a damp cloth to clean it.
Pigmented leather
With pigmented leather, the hide is given a finish with an extra covering, and often also an additional finish. That gives the leather an even, uniform colour, but it does mean that the natural grain is less visible.
This finish helps give a uniform character to the desired ‘leather structure’. Thanks to its covering finish, pigmented leather is extremely user-friendly and easy to clean.