The Leather We Use

At West Street Leather Co. we only use the best quality full grain leather. This means that the leather comes from the top-most, outer layer of the hide and is the strongest and most durable. This is the most valuable part of a hide because of its strength and quality and is the most costly.

This outer layer of the leather is unique and tells a story. Some pieces can show creases, some have cattle brands, and some can have marks from scratches that took place during the life of the animal known as “range marks.” When making our leather goods we evaluate each hide and select the best possible portion for the piece being constructed.

Some other products on the market use the inner parts of a leather hide, after the full grain has been removed. These can be labeled “Genuine Leather,” or may use scraps of leather glued together (like particle board) or faux leather made from plastics or other chemicals.

All of our bags and gear are built from full grain leather that uses ancient methods of processing the hides with natural tannins that come from tree bark and plant products. This process is called vegetable tanning and where veg-tan leather gets its name. It is a time consuming process that avoids harmful chemicals but results in the best leather available and bags and goods that will last a lifetime and then some.