A Guide to Leather

[DrewMill]

Thanks for this post, @The Shoe Snob! Excellent. Do you have any information on what ROIS leather might be? I've seen it mentioned a few places.

 

[DrewMill]

Bumping this old thread. (I've discovered that Rois leather is corrected grain leather btw). However, I have a question for those who have a lot of leather experience. How do you compare leathers? Say you're holding two different shoes in your hands. What would tell you that one used better leather than the other? How would a better leather feel compared to an inferior one?

 

[coloRLOw]

Bumping this old thread. (I've discovered that Rois leather is corrected grain leather btw). However, I have a question for those who have a lot of leather experience. How do you compare leathers? Say you're holding two different shoes in your hands. What would tell you that one used better leather than the other? How would a better leather feel compared to an inferior one?

shame that nowadays so few people give advice on forum.

not an expert, just my 2 cents

most of time, i 'know' one is better when i touch it.
some years ago, people always describe a fine leather is buttery soft. when i first touch zilli seraphin jacket, and kiton lattanzi shoes, i know what they means.

in addition, the pores on fine skin is denser generally.

 

[DrewMill]

shame that nowadays so few people give advice on forum.

not an expert, just my 2 cents

most of time, i 'know' one is better when i touch it.
some years ago, people always describe a fine leather is buttery soft. when i first touch zilli seraphin jacket, and kiton lattanzi shoes, i know what they means.

in addition, the pores on fine skin is denser generally.

Thank you. I had two shoes in my hands. One wax a brown boxcalf and the other was a brown French calf. I could not tell which was a higher quality. The boxcalf was firmer with finer pores with a slight waxy finish, but the French calf was softer and smoother.

 

[JohnMRobie]

Thank you. I had two shoes in my hands. One wax a brown boxcalf and the other was a brown French calf. I could not tell which was a higher quality. The boxcalf was firmer with finer pores with a slight waxy finish, but the French calf was softer and smoother.

I’m not an expert on this but you seem to have hit the point I’d make here. Once you cross a certain threshold (usually price point) you are likely getting good leather. It was explained to me that you aren’t paying for the leather they use so much as the leather they don’t or can’t use - the waste.

A good maker will find ways to use the scrap still because leather is expensive. If it’s bespoke but the scrap may be turned into your fitters, if it’s RTW I assume it’s hidden away in places that it won’t hurt anything.

Once I get to that threshold where I know I’m getting good quality leather then it comes down to characteristics more than quality which it sounds like you saw in your side by side. An aniline box calf will age differently from crust or veg tan and on and on. They’ll look different, age differently, etc. that doesn’t make one an inferior quality it just means they behave differently.