Leather Origins and Making
What Animals Is Leather Made From? Match the Item to the Animal
Most leather is cattle hide, but gloves, jackets, belts and bags use different animals. See which animal is in which item and the label names that hide it.
Leather is made from tanned animal skins and hides, and most of it comes from cattle, followed by sheep, goats and pigs. Which animal is in a given item depends mostly on what the item needs: large hides go mainly into footwear, upholstery and leather goods, while smaller skins go more into clothing such as coats and gloves.
Sources agree that cattle supply about 65% of leather, but they disagree on the rest. Wikipedia gives sheep about 13%, goats 11% and pigs 10%, while one leather-goods maker gives sheep 15%, pigs 11% and goats 9%. For the full list of species, see which animals leather comes from.
This page is part of our guide to where leather comes from and how it is made.
Which animal is in which leather item
Cattle get their own page: what cow hides are. If you only want to know whether something is cow leather, see what animals are used to make leather.
| Item | Animals usually used | Why that animal | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofas and armchairs | Cattle, including water buffalo | Upholstery needs large, defect-free cutting areas, so it comes from large animals | – |
| Shoes and boots | Mostly cattle; also sheep, goat and horse | More than half of bovine hides and about 40% of sheep and goat skins are made into footwear | – |
| Jackets and coats | Lamb, sheep, goat, cattle | Skins go more into clothing; lamb gives soft leather for pricier garments | – |
| Shearling coats, slippers, seat covers | Sheep, with the wool left on | Sheepskin is tanned with the fleece intact | – |
| Gloves | Sheep, goat, deer, cattle, peccary | Each skin trades softness against wear; see the next section | – |
| Belts | Cattle hide | Cut from the butt of the hide, which has tight fibers and low stretch | – |
| Wallets and watch straps | Cattle; horse (shell cordovan) | Hides go into leather goods; shell cordovan is chosen for its looks and durability | – |
| Exotic-skin pieces | Alligator, crocodile, snake, ostrich | Valued for scale or follicle patterns | – |
| American footballs | Cattle | Cowhide is required in professional and college play, despite the "pigskin" nickname | – |
| Bullwhips | Kangaroo | Strong and flexible | – |
| Fine book bindings | Goat | Goatskin has been a major bookbinding leather for centuries | – |
Gloves: many animals, different feel
Gloves come in many different gloving leathers, and each skin gives a different balance of softness, weight and wear:
- Hairsheep comes from sheep that grow hair rather than wool. It is fine, soft and durable, and particularly suited to dress gloves.
- Deerskin is strong and stretchy, with a more rugged, grainy look; it is hard-wearing and heavier, and is widely used in work gloves.
- Cowhide is often used for lower-priced and casual gloves, but is usually considered too thick for fine dress gloves.
- Peccary is described as the rarest and most luxurious gloving leather.
- Shearling gloves are sheepskin with the wool left on the inside, for warmth.
Sources disagree about goatskin. One describes it as hard-wearing but coarser, and used for cheaper gloves. Another calls it extremely durable and often used for gloves that need a soft hide.
As one example of how much the animal can vary within one shop, the Leather Collection men's gloves come in soft 0.8-0.9 mm lambskin and cowhide, while its motorcycle gloves are hand-stitched from cowhide.
Bags, wallets, belts and watch straps
Small leather goods come from both big hides and small skins. Belts are often cut from the butt of a hide, the firm rear section with the least stretch. Shell cordovan, a horse leather taken from the rump, is used mostly for shoes and also for wallets and watch straps. Reptile skins are prized for their scale patterns.
Philip of the Leathercraft Masterclass channel handles goatskin and explains why he uses it mainly for the linings of wallets, cases and bags. Watch for the tight, recognizable grain and the glossy "glace" finish; his views on durability are a maker's opinion, and the facts on this page come from the sources cited.
Names that hide the animal
Some leather names do not say which animal they came from:
For more on suede, see where suede comes from.
| Name on the label | Usual animal | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Kid, kidskin | Young goat; lambskin can give the same effect | – |
| Morocco | Goat | – |
| Buckskin | Usually deer, though some is dyed sheepskin | – |
| Cordovan, shell cordovan | Horse | – |
| Shearling | Sheep, with the wool on | – |
| Calfskin | Young cattle | – |
| Suede | Any of several animals; it names the napped underside, not a species | – |
How to check the animal on a label
Vendors often name the animal. In countries with large religious populations, they typically state the source so that, for example, Muslim shoppers can avoid pigskin and Hindu shoppers can avoid cattle hide.
In the US, the FTC leather guides cover handbags, luggage, wallets and other small leather goods, belts and footwear, not jackets. For those items, a non-leather material that looks like leather should be disclosed, for example as "imitation leather". If the label says faux, PU or vinyl, no animal is involved; see how faux leather is made.
FAQ
What are 10 things made of leather?
Shoes, boots, jackets, gloves, handbags, wallets, belts, sofas, American footballs and bullwhips are all commonly made of leather. Watch straps and fine book bindings are two more.
Is leather made from crocodile skin?
Some is. Alligator, crocodile and snake skins are used for their scale patterns, and these species are hunted and farmed partly for their skins.
What is the best leather in the world?
There is no single answer, because "best" depends on the item. By grade, full-grain leather is usually considered the highest quality. For gloves, peccary is described as the rarest and most luxurious.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.