What Is Aniline Leather?
Aniline is one of the favourite types of leather used by fashion brands as it is dyed using soluble dyes. There is no uniform surface of insoluble pigmented sealant formed during its dying process which makes it unique. The animal hide is tanned using the normal process and is dyed afterwards. Napa hides are used to come up with the fine quality aniline leather. Tanned leather is dyed in a big container with aniline dyes that make the napa leather even softer and high in quality. Each hide comes out to be slightly different even if the dyeing colour is the same because the ability to absorb colour varies from animal to animal.
Is Aniline Leather Good Quality?
Aniline doesn’t contain any insoluble pigments and is translucent which is why the quality of Aniline is extremely fine. Natural hides, scars and imperfections are highlighted during the dying process to give an overall vintage look. Aniline comes in a number of variations i.e. semi-aniline and pull-up aniline leather. They differ from each other slightly based on the texture that the hide gets by the end of the dyeing process.
Does Aniline Leather Wear Well?
Aniline leather is highest of the quality as the dyeing process is so intense that no cheap leather can make it till the end. This type of leather is soaked in oils and waxes along with the dyes that give it extra smoothness and add to the richness of its texture. An additional thin coating in semi-aniline leather protects it from dust, water, heat and stains as well. Hence it’s easier to clean.
How Do You Maintain Aniline Leather?
Depending on the type of aniline leather that you own, there are a number of ways to maintain and protect your jacket, bag or a sofa from any kind of damage. Always make sure to use cleaning products that are specifically designed for leather. Don't forget to use a moisturiser as it brings out the richness and smooth texture of the leather good. In order to provide an extra protective layer to your jacket, there are sprays available in the market as well as online to make it waterproof. It helps you keep it as good as new even after you wore it on a rainy day.
Difference Between Top-grain And Aniline Leather
This comparison is important because most people believe that top-grain due to the word “top” is the best kind of leather available. However, the reality is that aniline is the best leather you can find as it contains the natural marks and scratches even after intense processing. Jackets made out of aniline leather are hard to replicate as each animal has different grain characteristics. The tight grain structure of aniline leather helps contain moisture which makes it different from top-grain leather.
Is Aniline Leather Expensive?
More pure the leather, the higher the price. Which basically means that Aniline leather is extremely expensive for being in its natural and raw form. Another reason behind the high cost of this type of leather is that it gets better with age and develops a certain patina that keeps making it better and better. Get aniline leather jacket once in your life and it will last with you forever. Not only that, but it will also actually get better with time. So if you are asked to pay some extra bucks for an Aniline leather jacket, we’d suggest that you should do it. You won’t regret it.
