Understanding Leather

Let’s talk LEATHER.......

Our bridles are made from the two highest leather grades - Full and Top Grain.

We use vegetable tanning which is the most eco-friendly method and then it is manufactured by our partners in India to our design specifications.

The two leather grades we use are:

Full-Grain - less processed and leaves the entire — or full — grain of the hide intact, including natural scarring and blemishes. Full-grain leather absorbs moisture and oil and, over time, will develop a wonderful patina that looks better the longer the item ages.

Top Grain - is buffed, sanded, and pigmented to provide a more uniform and smoother look to the end product. Water and oils do not absorb into top-grain leather and can be wiped away since the leather’s natural pores have been sealed during the coloring process.

So here’s a bit of info you mind find useful and help bust some of the myths over certain sorts of leather.

90% of Equestrian leather products are made in India – sorry, but it’s a fact of life.

India is now the leading manufacturer of leather products with some of the most sophisticated tanneries in the world. Kanpur sits on the banks of the river Ganges in northern India and is an absolute hub for equestrian leatherwear and equestrian products. The British brought textile and leather manufacturing to this area towards the end of the 19th century building the first tanneries in India by name Cooper Allen and Northwest Tannery both owned by British India Corporation Ltd

So what is the difference is between Indian and English leather?

A lot has changed in the past few years in the world of leather. So-called Indian leather is now still predominantly farmed in Asia and the quality of the hides is very similar to the English hides which are farmed in Europe.

Leather is given different grades and if you were to compare Indian and English leather in the same grade, only an expert would detect a difference these days. The reality is, you would be very hard pushed to find a bridle in your local saddlery store that isn’t made in India.