Nappa leather general
Nappa leather refers to chrome-tanned, full-grain smooth leather from various animal species, processed with the hair side facing out. The term "nappa" originally comes from the American Nappa Valley, where particularly soft leather was produced. This exceptional softness could only be achieved through chrome tanning. However, chrome-free nappa leathers are now available, which are treated with other synthetic tanning agents and are just as soft. Due to the leather's exceptional softness, it is most widely used in the clothing and furniture industries.
Pigmentation in nappa leather
When it comes to pigmentation, a distinction is made between aniline leather, semi-aniline leather, and pigmented leather. Aniline leather is also referred to as "natural nappa leather," and semi-aniline leather as "lightly pigmented nappa leather." The more pigmented the leather, the less visible the pore pattern becomes. For this reason, some pigmented nappa leathers are embossed to restore the grain. However, in this case, it is generally no longer referred to as nappa leather, as the natural porosity and full grain are a hallmark of quality.
In this video you will learn more about the different types of leather:
Additional sources (accessed 07.01.2019):
- collonil(dot)com/blog/leather-material/what-you-should-know-about-nappa-leather-and-aniline-leather
- leder-info(punkt)de/index.php/Nappaleder
- lederzentrum(punkt)de/wiki/index.php/Nappaleder
- lederpedia(dot)de/leather types/nappa leather
- materialarchiv(dot)ch/app-tablet/#detail/836
