Leather Samples

Hide Cuts

One entire hide of calf leather. This includes the bend, shoulders and belly of the hide. Since a calf is smaller, a full calf hide is about as much leather as side of cow hide. 15-23 square feet

Side

One side of a hide. This is half of a whole hide split at the top (the back). It runs from the neck to the rear and is composed of a single shoulder, a bend and belly. 8-12 square feet

Single Bend plus

We offer calf bends which includes the what is traditionally a single bend, but also includes the belly underneath the bend. 7-9 square feet.

Double Shoulders

Our offer of calf shoulders includes the what is traditionally a single shoulder, but also the foreshank which is usually part of the belly. 5-7 square feet.

Quality

These full grain calf hides are sourced by the Perlinger tannery from a very small selection of German Simmental cattle. These cattle provide excellent hides because of their alpine location and skin quality. The Perlinger tannery maintains a strong relationship with the herdsmen of the German Simmental cattle and, as a result, is able to select the most pristine hides. This allows the tannery to use the natural surface of the hide to create texture without buffing, correcting, or embossing. In short, Perlinger offers a true full grain hide.

Five generations of history at Perlinger have gone into the selection of materials and processes for creating these hides, including a unique combination of tanning and finishing which spans three weeks and has over one hundred discrete steps. Perlinger’s rich history of tanning dates back all the way to their 1893 Chicago World’s Fair gold medal award.

These hides are produced sustainably by Perlinger and are only available in limited quantities. Due to the scarcity and quality of these hides, the cost per square foot is higher than many commodity leathers. We recommend that you only use this leather for your best projects and most premium products.

Sustainably Produced

All stock used in the production of the Alpine full grain calf leather by the Perlinger tannery is also used in the meat industry. Every aspect of the cattle is fully utilized and their care is evident in the consistent unblemished skins they yield. The tanning processes for these hides involve a highly refined water-based finish using protein that is in compliance with Germany’s high environmental standards. Every hide is produced end to end entirely in Germany. Production is also subject to the strict German environmental directives for water, air and waste. The tannery completes every production aspect in their state-of-the-art facility employing a CO2 certified solar power system and a multi-part wastewater refinement process that restores 99% of the water used in the tanning process to its original purity.

Care and Work Recommendations

The leather should be stored at approximately 60-70% relative humidity. When working, it should be moistened and treated carefully like a soft leather to prevent grain cracking. Use conventional leather protection products as additional water repellant or conventional oil and wax based products to protect the surface. Use only very gentle cleaners on the surface of the leather. The finished shoe or handbag should be maintained at regular intervals in order to retain a long-lasting beautiful appearance.

Service

We don’t add any handling fees to our leather price and we offer free shipping to US destinations for orders over $100.

Satisfaction

As with all of our products, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with your purchase.

Looking to get five or more hides? View our Leather Merchant Program.

These Chèvre Crispe hides are 100% vegetable tanned process with mimosa bark by a tannery that dates back nearly 100 years. They feature a semi-aniline coloring which adds pigmentation to the foundation of the hide and results in a more uniform surface that gives you flexibility for how you use the leather.

Unlike cheaper semi-aniline finishes, the Crispe hides still reveal a very good amount of the natural leather grain with the added bonus of better protection from color loss and wear.

This particular Crispe has light top-finishing so you can choose whether to add additional dirt and moisture protection of your own. This means that the vegetable tan base can still be burnished for edges. Of the two chèvres, Crispe has a more matte look for a subtler look and feel.

Like our calf hides, we offer Goat Crispe in half hides that are the perfect size for experimentation or in full hides that can be used to create bags or other larger items. The sizes of the half and full hides range from 2.25 -6 square feet.

You can use goat chagrin for an entire project or combine it with smoother leather such as our boxed calf to create contrasting textures on the inside and outside. For example, you can use chagrin on the inside of a wallet for the pockets and smooth calf for the outside.

This particular goat chagrin has a great flesh side in addition to the face side. You can further burnish the back of the hide to use it for single layer construction, but it’s also thin enough to glue to another layer of goat or calf creating a finished face on both sides. All of our Chèvre leather is full grain without any buffing, splitting or correcting. This means that only clear skins make the grade and all of the details and grain are the natural features of the hide.

Features

• Thin 1.2-1.4mm (2-3oz) leather for smaller items or to combine with an outer or inner leather lining
• Stiffer temper relative to the thickness for sturdier construction
• A vegetable tan process that achieves a great look naturally
• Allows for easier edge burnishing
• Semi-aniline coloring combining a natural look with color and wear protection
• Unique Chèvre grain that has a refined textured look

Grain Close-ups

Chèvre Chagrin is a top shelf goat leather. Everything from the hide sourcing to the finishing is honed to perfection. These full aniline hides highlight the natural beauty and variation of the leather by revealing the subtle changes in detail like the tighter grain at the spine and the larger grain at the shoulders. Because there’s no masking imperfections with the way these hides are colored, only the best-looking hides make the cut for this type of leather.

The secret to achieving the superior texture of Chèvre Chagrin hides is the use of mimosa and a 100% vegetable tanned process that dates back nearly 100 years. No, that’s not just the champagne and orange juice cocktail; it’s also an oil extract from the tree of the same name.  This means that, unlike chrome-tanned leather, it will take to edge burnishing beautifully.

This combination of full aniline color and 100% vegetable tanning also means it will develop a nice-looking patina with age. While it will require more maintenance, having this natural leather will be worth it because of its amazing look and feel. In addition to being mimosa bark vegetable tanned, this leather is also hand finished in the traditional Chagrin way using a cork pad to even out the surface, leaving a rich textured look that is highly sought after in leather goods.

Like our calf hides, we offer Goat Chagrin in half hides that are the perfect size for experimentation or in full hides that can be used to create bags or other larger items. The sizes of the half and full hides range from 2.25 -6 square feet.

You can use goat chagrin for an entire project or combine it with smoother leather such as our boxed calf to create contrasting textures on the inside and outside. For example, you can use chagrin on the inside of a wallet for the pockets and smooth calf for the outside.

This particular goat chagrin has a great flesh side in addition to the face side. You can further burnish the back of the hide to use it for single layer construction, but it’s also thin enough to glue to another layer of goat or calf creating a finished face on both sides. All of our Chèvre leather is full grain without any buffing, splitting or correcting. This means that only the clearest skins make the grade and all of the details and grain are the natural features of the hide.

Features

• Thin 0.8-1.2mm (2-3oz) leather for smaller items or to combine with an outer or inner leather lining
• Stiffer temper relative to the thickness for sturdier construction
• A vegetable tan process that achieves a great look naturally
• Allows for easier edge burnishing
• Full aniline coloring, highlighting the full grain natural beauty of the hide
• Unique Chèvre grain that has a refined textured look

Grain Close-ups