Leathercraft Terms Every Beginner Should Know
A plain-language leathercraft glossary covering grain, flesh side, vegetable tan, saddle stitch, and 30+ terms beginners encounter in the first weeks.
Pick up any leatherworking book or tutorial and you will hit unfamiliar language inside the first paragraph. Grain side, flesh side, vegetable tan, temper, skive, burnish. These words have precise meanings, and getting them wrong leads to real mistakes: cutting on the wrong side, buying the wrong hide, or finishing an edge that peels apart in a month. This glossary covers the terms you will actually encounter in your first projects.
The Two Sides of Every Hide
Every piece of leather has two surfaces, and which one you are looking at matters for every step you take.
Grain side is the outer surface of the hide, the side that faced the world when the animal was alive. It has a tight, smooth texture and takes dye, burnishing, and tooling detail well. When you stitch a wallet and want clean, even results, you are almost always working from the grain side.
Flesh side is the inner surface, the side that was against the body. It is fibrous and slightly fuzzy. The flesh side absorbs finish and glue readily, which makes it useful, but it does not burnish as cleanly as the grain side. Many edge treatments require you to bevel both the grain and flesh edges before burnishing.
Suede is simply leather that has been finished on the flesh side rather than the grain side, producing that soft, napped texture.
Tanning: What It Is and Why It Changes Everything
Leather starts as rawhide, which would rot and stiffen without treatment. Tanning is the process that stabilizes the hide and gives leather its character.
Vegetable tanning (also called veg tan) uses plant-based tannins from bark, leaves, or nuts. The result is a firm, pale-tan hide that takes tooling beautifully, develops a rich patina over time, and responds well to hand dyeing. Almost every beginner tutorial is written for veg tan because it is forgiving and easy to tool. It is the leather most people picture when they think of traditional leathercraft.
Chrome tanning is a faster industrial process using chromium salts. Chrome-tanned leather is softer, more supple, and water-resistant out of the gate. Garments, handbags, and upholstery are typically chrome-tanned. It does not tool well and resists traditional oil-based dyes, so most beginner how-tos steer you away from it for skill-building projects.
Latigo is a combination-tanned leather that blends veg and chrome characteristics. You will see it used for belts and straps.
Temper refers to the moisture level in a hide. Properly tempered leather is slightly damp and pliable, which is the ideal state for tooling and carving. Over-dried leather will crack under a stamp; leather that is too wet will not hold detail.
Weight, Thickness, and Cuts
Leather is sold by weight (in ounces) in the US, where 1 oz equals roughly 0.4 mm thickness. A 3-4 oz hide (about 1.2-1.6 mm) is common for wallets and card holders. A 7-8 oz hide (roughly 2.8-3.2 mm) works for belts and holsters.
Full grain leather retains the entire grain layer, including any natural marks or scars. It is the strongest and most durable grade and develops the best patina.
Top grain leather has had the outer grain surface sanded or buffed to remove blemishes, then often embossed with an artificial grain pattern. It is thinner and more uniform but weaker than full grain.
Splits are the layers left behind after the top grain is separated from the hide. Splits are weak and do not take tooling or burnishing as well. Many synthetic leathers and cheap suedes start as splits with a coating applied.
A side is half a hide, cut along the spine. This is a common purchase unit for beginners working on multiple projects.
Cutting and Shaping Vocabulary
Skiving means thinning the edge of a piece of leather by shaving the flesh side at an angle. You skive leather before folding it (so the fold sits flat) or before gluing two pieces together (so the seam does not create a ridge). A sharp skiving knife is the only way to do this cleanly.
Casing is dampening veg tan leather with water before tooling or molding. Wet veg tan becomes pliable and holds the impression of stamps and swivel knives better than dry leather. You case the leather, tool it while damp, and let it dry in the shape you want.
Beveling refers to trimming the sharp corners off a cut edge using a tool called an edge beveler or edge creaser. A beveled edge burnishes more smoothly and is less likely to peel or crack at the corner over time.
Stitching Terms
Saddle stitch is the standard two-needle hand-stitching method in traditional leathercraft. Two needles are threaded on a single waxed thread, one at each end. Each stitch locks independently, so if one segment breaks, the rest stays intact. Machine stitching uses a chain stitch that can unravel from a single failure point.
Stitching groover is a tool that cuts a shallow channel into the grain side along your stitching line. The thread sits below the surface in this groove, protecting it from abrasion.
Pricking iron (or stitching chisel) is used to punch evenly spaced holes along your stitching line before you stitch. The spacing and angle of these holes determine the appearance of your finished seam.
Waxed thread is the standard choice for hand stitching. The wax reduces friction, protects the thread from moisture, and helps it grip the leather fibers. Linen and polyester are both common base materials.
Finishing and Edge Terms
Burnishing is rubbing the cut edge of leather vigorously until the fibers compress and fuse into a smooth, glossy surface. You can burnish with a wood slicker, a bone folder, or purpose-made edge tools. It works best on veg tan.
Edge paint is a liquid finish applied to the cut edge as an alternative to burnishing. It suits chrome-tanned and soft leathers that do not burnish cleanly. Apply in thin coats and let each dry fully before the next.
Neatsfoot oil is a conditioning oil made from cattle shin bones. Applied to finished leather, it softens and moisturizes the hide and darkens it slightly. Too much will weaken veg tan over time, so a light coat is enough.
Resolene and similar acrylic topcoats are water-based sealers applied over dye to protect the finish and add a degree of water resistance. They lock in color and reduce dye transfer to skin or fabric.
Quick Reference: Common Tools by Name
| Term | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Awl | Pointed tool for piercing holes in leather |
| Wing divider | Adjustable compass-like tool for scribing parallel lines |
| Swivel knife | Curved-blade knife for cutting tooling designs into cased leather |
| Mallet | Leather or rawhide hammer used with stamps and punches (not a metal hammer) |
| Maul | Similar to a mallet, with a round polyurethane or rubber head |
| Hole punch | Round punch for cutting strap holes or rivet holes cleanly |
| Edge beveler | Small blade tool for chamfering the corners of cut edges |
| Bone folder | Smooth bone or synthetic tool for burnishing, folding, and creasing |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between grain and flesh side in practical terms?
The grain side is the smooth outer surface you see on finished leather goods. The flesh side is rougher and more fibrous. When cutting, marking, and stitching, you almost always work facing the grain side. Glue, however, bonds better on flesh-to-flesh contact.
What does vegetable tanned mean and do I need it?
Vegetable tanned means the hide was processed using plant-based tannins rather than chemicals. For beginner projects that involve tooling, stamping, or traditional edge burnishing, veg tan is the practical choice because it responds well to moisture and tooling. For soft bags or garments, chrome-tanned leather is more appropriate.
How thick should leather be for a first wallet project?
A 2-3 oz weight (roughly 0.8-1.2 mm) is typical for interior wallet panels that need to fold flat. Exterior panels can be slightly heavier at 3-4 oz. If your leather is too thick, the folded seams will create a bulky ridge that affects function.
What does it mean to skive leather?
Skiving means shaving the flesh side of a leather edge to reduce its thickness before folding or gluing. A properly skived fold sits flat and the join is invisible from the front. It takes a sharp knife and a bit of practice, but it makes a measurable difference in project quality. A good place to practice this is on scrap pieces before committing to a project piece.
Can I use chrome-tanned leather for tooling?
Generally, no. Chrome-tanned leather does not absorb water and does not hold tooling impressions. If you want to stamp or carve a design into leather, you need veg tan. Some leatherworkers use a hybrid called pull-up leather, which is chrome-tanned but treated with oils that give it a more natural character. It is still not a substitute for veg tan when tooling is the goal.
Getting familiar with these terms before you buy your first hide or pick up a swivel knife will save you confusion and wasted materials. If you are ready to take the next step, our complete beginner's guide walks through choosing your first project and hide. You can also learn more about what leathercraft actually takes in practice before committing to a full tool kit. When you are ready to buy tools, our breakdown of beginner leatherworking tools covers what matters and what you can safely skip.