Leather grain refers to the composition and appearance of the hide. It is similar to wood grain, which refers to the texture and appearance of wood fibers.  Unfortunately with leather grain, there is a lot of misinformation. In addition to inaccurate definitions, there are false claims regarding durability. We are here to help you learn the proper definitions and gain a full understanding of leather grain.

Top grain = the uppermost layer of the hide. Period.

Top grain refers to the composition of the hide. Some people equate top grain leather with corrected grain leather. This is not correct. Top grain simply refers to the uppermost, top layer of the hide. It is the most desirable layer for leather. Why? Because the fibers of the uppermost layer of the hide are the most dense, providing the strongest durability. As you move down to lower layers of the hide, the fibers are less compact, thereby providing a less durable fiber

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