Top Grain Leather Defined
There is a wide misconception about top grain leather, primarily due to its name. Top grain sounds like it is the top portion of the hide, and it almost is, but with a caveat. Most leather hides have some sort of imperfections and must be altered so that they can be used for upholstery or other applications; that’s exactly what happens to top grain leather, it gets altered.

To explain this in further detail, we can take two hides; one is in perfect shape, without blemishes or markings, the other one has some visible markings, abrasions of the skin, possibly from barb wire and / or other markings, such as insect bites. Obviously the hide without any damages doesn’t have to be repaired or altered and can be used as
full grain leather which will be categorized as the best leather. Naturally this full grain leather is more expensive because it free of any defects and there is much less availability of these pure hides. The slightly irregular leather hide will be used as
top grain leather.
In order to use the slightly flawed hide as
top grain leather, the top surface has to be repaired so it can be used. This is done by shaving off or sanding off a thin layer of the hide in order to remove any markings or damages to the hide. After the thin layer is removed, the surface is then embossed or stamped with a grain to resemble the original grain.
Top grain leather is widely used in leather furniture as the embossed grain seals the leather, making
top grain leather quite durable and strong. Accidental spills and regular use will not harm the leather and it is less expensive and easier to maintain than
full grain leather.
Keep in mind that the best leather is
full grain leather, but top grain leather is definitely more popular and the most widely used leather in furniture upholstery. It gets more complicated however, as there is misunderstandings about aniline leathers associated with top grain leathers. To find out more details about “
Aniline Leather” and “
Semi Aniline Leather,” please visit the corresponding section.