Aniline leather

Aniline leather is in a bath with aniline dyes colored leather. Aniline leather is porous smooth leather without a pigment based surface finish. On aniline leather the natural texture of the skin material is recognizeble and is usually high-priced and high-graded leather. Because of the missing pigmented colour layer on the surface, aniline leather feels natural, soft and worm.

The pores of the skin must be clearly identifiable in aniline leather. Maximum, an aniline leather is allowed to receive a finish with a hydrophobic treatment, but pigments are not allowed as component of the finish.

Aniline leather without any finish and completely porous is called pure aniline leather or just pure aniline. Soft aniline leather is also called napa leather.

Also leather with velvet-like surfaces like suede and nubuck belong to the group of porous leather.

Which type of leather can be called aniline leather, is regulated by national and international norms, regulations and standards. In Europe the term is ruled by the standard: DIN EN 15987 "LEATHER - TERMINOLOGY - KEY DEFINITIONS FOR THE LEATHER TRADE" (July 2015). Accordingly to this norm, an aniline leather is a smooth leather, were the pores of the hair is well and clearly visible. An applied finish is not allowed to be thicker then 0,01 mm and is not allowed to contain pigments.

Aniline leather is used for all kinds of leather products. It's used as furniture leather, as handbag leather, for shoes or for clothing. Seldom is car leather, as leather in cars is expected to be easy to leather cleaner and care which can only be achieved with a |pigmented coating on top of the leather.

Structure of the leather coloring and finish. Without finish = aniline leather.

For aniline leather only absolutely flawless hides can be processed because the surface structure of the leather is completely visible. Leather with damages on the skin surface which emerge disturbing in the main areas like visible scares, insect bites and fire-brands are not first choice. Because flawless hair is rare, aniline leather is generally more expensive than pigmented leather. Tanners talk of less than 5% of the delivered skins, which can be processed as aniline leather because of impeccability.

Aniline is porous grain side leather. When you do a water rubbing test, a drop of water would sink into the surface and darken it. Aniline leather are therefore highly susceptible to water marks and grease stains, as for the fading caused by sunlight. Aniline leather generally has a warm and waxy grip and a matt degree of gloss. Because of the softness of the leather aniline leather is also called nappa leather or occasionally as soft leather.

Picture 1 shows a drop of water on a pigmented cowhide. The drop does not sink in. Next to it, the drop sinks into the porous smooth leather.

Smooth leather, which has a low pigment coating and where the pore structure of the leather surface is still clearly visible is called semi-aniline. Since January 2016 there is a new leather term for a type of leather which is between aniline leather and semi-aniline leather ( (RAL 061 A1 - Germany). It`s called Aniline leather refined (use optimized). Refined aniline leather is allowed to have a very fine pigmentation. Pure aniline leather is not allowed to have any pigments on the surface.

Video about different kinds of smooth leather.

Micrograph of the surface of an aniline leather. The open pores of the skin can be clearely identified, which are not covered by a finish.

Anilinleder gibt es in allen Bereichen: Bekleidungsleder, Autoleder, Fahrradsattel, Möbelleder, Schuhleder, Taschen- und Kofferleder

Anilinleder ist empfindlich: Fettstellen - Ausbleichungen - Fleckenränder

Unterscheidungsmerkmale

Reines Anilinleder - Haarporen sind gut erkennbar und keine Farbschicht auf dem Leder.

Semianilinleder - Haarporen sind gut erkennbar, aber eine dünne Farbschicht auf dem Leder.

Haarporen sind kaum erkennbar, ein stärkere Farbschicht ist auf dem Leder. Hier kann nur ein Fachmann prüfen, ob es noch als "Semianilinleder" bezeichnet werden darf.

Pigmentiertes Glattleder - Haarporen sind nicht mehr erkennbar, ein dicke Farbschicht ist auf dem Leder.

Manchmal werden Leder als Anilinleder angeboten, die garkeine sind. Da die Leder so empfindlich sind, erhalten die manchmal eine "leichte" Zurichtung. Solche Leder sind dann aber keine "Reinanilin" mehr, sondern allerhöchstens Semianilinleder oder sogar pigmentierte Leder.