We believe excellent craftsmanship starts with knowing our materials. Whether you’re a customer looking for a leather product or just getting to know leather, we are passionate about sharing our leather knowledge with you.

What are Top Grain, Full Grain, and Corrected Grain?

Top-grain and Full-grain leathers are the best you can buy. They look great; feature the unique characteristics and markings of the original hide. Both types of leather are most durable and will age well, but they aren't the same thing. Here's what you need to know about each one:

Full-grain Leather

Full-grain is leather from the upper part of the hide; it is the outer surface that has not been polished or corrected. If you look very closely, you'll see the hair follicles. It is the most natural and the priciest leather that developed a gorgeous patina over time. FYI: Top-grain leather is a part of full-grain leather.

Top-grain Leather

Top-grain leather refers to the top surface layer of the hide, lightly buffed or sanded to minimize obvious imperfections. It is strong, flexible, and widely used in premium products.

Corrected-grain Leather

Corrected-grain is also top-grain leather, but it looks and feels more uniform than other types of leather because been sanded and buffed to remove flaws and then embossed with an artificial grain to achieve a more uniform look. However, the embossment makes the leather less flexible than its top-grain and full-grain leathers.

Top-grain and Full-grain are incredibly soft and flexible, made from the fattiest part of the hide, which allows it to absorb dyes easily. La Mitra products are crafted with only full-grain and top-grain leather that develops a gorgeous patina over time.