FIRST
STREET LEATHER
1634 COPENHAGEN DRIVE
SOLVANG, CA 93463
Contact us:
By phone (805) 688-5215
Via e-mail
sales@firststreetleather.com
By fax
(805) 688-6381
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GARMENT LEATHERS
In our descriptions you will note references to different types of leather- nubuck, lamb nappa, suede and so on. Following is a brief explanation of these types of skins.
All skins have two sides, the outside, or hair side, and the inside, or side against the muscle tissue. Tanners will process one side or the other, to produce the desired type of leather. LAMB NAPPA is the top grain, or outside of the skin, finished to a luxuriously smooth, wrinkle free surface. All our lamb nappas are "naked finished," producing a non- shinny, non-slick finish, which lets you feel the luxury of the leather directly. NUBUCK LEATHER, whether lamb or deerskin (we cut both), is the same top grain, or outside of the skin. The tanner subjects it to a buffing process, removing the grain that would have produced a nappa finish. The resulting top grain finish is often mistaken for suede, since it has a micro nap, much like suede. It is however a full top grain, and performs like a nappa. Both NAPPA and NUBUCK are very durable and can withstand water easily. They both clean well with water, using as much water as necessary to remove any water soluble soiling. In the same vain, both withstand mild wet weather, showing no adverse effect when dry again.
SUEDE is produced from the inside, or back side of the top grain. Genuine suede does not have two "fuzzy" sides to it, since the back side of a suede skin is the top grain. There is a third type of leather, referred to as "split" leather, produced from thicker hides, from which the tanner splits the hide horizontally, producing a second sheet of leather, fuzzy on both sides. This "split" leather could be, and unfortunately often is represented as genuine suede. "Splits" tend to be 'boardy' and stiff. They are offered at a lower price than suede, and are recognized by the educated consumer for what they are. GENUINE SUEDE is very soft and has a wonderful drape. It has the tensile strength of a top grain, much stronger than a split skin, and, yes, can be cleaned with water. The lamb suedes we cut are produced here in the United States and England, where we have them "SCOTCH-GARDED" (tm) in the tanning process, creating the most carefree, water repellant lamb suede possible.
One of the defining characteristics of a hide is its THICKNESS, or "millimeter" in tanner's jargon. There is no one millimeter better than another, overall. At First Street Leather, however, we have chosen the niche of producing lightweight, thinner millimeter leather garments, and have cultivated our customer, over the years, to appreciate and expect softer and more lightweight leather garments than they are used to finding in other stores. Our lamb suede shirt for example is cut from a specially produced, thin millimeter "shirting" suede. Ever challenged to produce luxuriously light leather garments, we said, "Why not a jacket out of shirting?" The result is one of our best selling suede jackets, a shirt weight blouson windbreaker for men.
Last modified: November 08, 2004