Whether you're looking for technical details or simply want to familiarize yourself with the language of the industry, this guide will provide you with a solid foundation to better understand the materials and craftsmanship behind leather.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THIS TERMS?
A Practical Guide
BE A LEATHER EXPERT
The purpose of this glossary is to provide users with a brief definition or short explanation of the main concepts and terms used in the Medina Torres store.
What does it mean?
Flexibility
It is the softness of a leather. We understand that it’s difficult to measure this characteristic online, however, we’ve added charts and categories on the product pages to make it easier to envision.
Leather cuts
Finishing
After tanning, all hides must undergo a finish. This determines the appearance of the leather’s surface. It includes coloring, waterproofing, wax layers, but also mechanical processing stages, such as ironing or engraving the leather.
ANILINE FINISH
01
An aniline finish allows the leather to maintain its natural marks. This finish is achieved using translucent, water-based dyes. These dyes penetrate completely through the leather.
NATURAL WAX
04
It is a finish that uses the leather's wax to make it either waterproof or give it shine. It has significant protective and aesthetic effects on the leather.
SEMI-ANILINE FINISH
02
This leather treatment provides a light protective surface that contains a small amount of pigment. This coating protects the leather from scratches.
NATURAL GRAIN
05
Natural Grain means that the leather has not been engraved with a plate or stamped to create a pattern, resulting in a uniform grain structure
PULL UP
03
Pull-up is a finishing technique that uses oils and waxes on the leather, slightly changing its color as the oils and waxes move when the leather is pulled, folded, or scratched.
PLATE EMBOSSED
06
This is when the leather has been engraved with a plate using heat and high tension to create a pattern or design on the leather.
THICKNESS
a) 1.2 mm
b) 1.6 mm
C) 1.6 - 2.0 mm
d) 2.0 - 2.4 mm
e) 2.4 - 2.8 mm
f) 2.8 - 3.2 mm
g) 3.2 - 3.6 mm
h) 3.6 - 4.0 mm
WEIGHT
a) 3 Oz
b) 4 Oz
C) 4 - 5 Oz
d) 5 - 6 Oz
e) 6 - 7 Oz
f) 7 - 8 Oz
g) 8 - 9 Oz
h) 9 - 10 Oz
CHROME TANNING
This tanning process is based on Chrome, as its name suggests, which creates very stable bonds with the collagen in the leather, blocking natural decomposition processes. All of our tanning processes have been developed to use 50% less water waste, and since 2021, all our facilities operate exclusively on solar energy. These are just some of the efforts we make to help reduce our carbon footprint.
VEGETABLE TANNING
Vegetable tanning is an artisanal process with a rich tradition and is safe for the environment. It involves leather that has been tanned with tannins extracted from the bark, leaves, or berries of trees.