Suede General
Suede is the generic term for leather with a velvety surface. This means that the surface is sanded or roughened. A distinction is made between fine nubuck leather and coarser suede.
Often, hides with a lower quality surface are processed into suede, because the flaws in the hides disappear during the manufacturing process.
Suede vs. nubuck leather
With suede, the flesh side (the side facing the animal's body) is sanded with sandpaper after intermediate drying to create a suede-like texture. With nubuck leather, the hides are sanded from the grain side (hair side), not ground away. The pores in the hide must not be completely removed; the natural pores/grain must remain visible. This creates a velvety surface.
Advantages and disadvantages of suede
Sanding allows leather grease to adhere particularly well, and the products remain water-repellent for a long time. The advantage is that the suede is very breathable. The disadvantages are its increased susceptibility to stains and its lower UV resistance.
This video also informs you about the different types of leather:
Additional sources (accessed 15.01.2019):
- bergfreunde.de/basislager/materialinfo-nubuk-leder/
- lederpedia(dot)de/leather types/rauleder_rauhleder
- collonil(dot)com/blog/leder-material/arbeitsschutz-express(dot)de/de/lexikon/
