Glossary of Terms

  • Aniline (aka: full-aniline) leather: Is the most natural looking leather with the unique surface characteristics of the hide remaining visible. Aniline leather is coloured only with dye and not with a surface coating of polymer and pigment. Aniline leather is more expensive but is of higher quality.

  • Burnished edges: Edge burnishing is the process of smoothing and polishing the cut edge of the leather to produce a fine, smooth edge. Unburnished edges of cut leather have a sharp unrefined look and have a tendency to fray and look worn much sooner than a burnished edge. The burnished edges of Fenner Benedict's products are traditionally burnished by hand.

  • Combination tanned: Leathers are tanned using both chrome and blends of vegetable extracts giving the physical properties and aesthetic benefits that each tanning process provides.

  • Cowhide: Leather from a cow. These hides tend to be more characterful with more natural markings to them (healed scratches, insect bites, etc.) since cows live longer than their steer counterparts.

  • Deboss / debossed: See 'stamped'.

  • Handcrafted / Handmade: Made entirely (or almost entirely) by hand, not by machine. Here, 'handcrafted' is very much distinct from 'hand-assembled' - people often confuse the two separate meanings and some makers will describe items as 'handmade' when in reality they are only 'hand-assembled'. At Fenner Benedict the use of the word is in its truest sense as items are crafted entirely by hand at all stages with care and high levels of workmanship. It is this care, skill and time invested in each piece that results in products of real quality and with personality.

  • Pull-up: A finish of leather that gives the effect of temporary lightening of certain leathers when folded caused by displacing oil and waxes. These leathers are designed to have a 'distressed' or 'vintage' appearance through time and use.

  • Saddle-sewn / saddle-stitch: A type of hand sewing technique used to join leather. The saddle stitch is a very traditional, very strong method of sewing leather and is only possible by hand in a traditional way using an awl, needle and thread.

  • Shoulder leather: A part of the leather hide from the animals shoulder area. This particular cut of leather is strong with relatively good flexibility for its thickness.

  • Stamped: The traditional process of creating a permanent impression of a character, numeral, logo or graphic into leather by means of striking a metal stamp positioned against the surface.

  • Vegetable tanned / veg-tan: A traditional tanning method that uses vegetable liquors derived from tree barks. This ancient process has remained essentially unchanged for millennia.