Gloves and Apparel
What Is Cabretta Leather? Hair-Sheep Leather in Gloves and Shoes
Cabretta is leather from hair sheep, used mainly for gloves and shoes. See the animal, typical thickness, where sources disagree on origin, and how it differs from lambskin.
Cabretta is leather made from the skins of hair sheep, which grow hair rather than wool. In the US it is described as tougher than most sheepskins and used mainly for gloves and shoes. It is real leather, a type of sheepskin, not a synthetic.
This definition is part of our guide to leather gloves and apparel.
Cabretta at a glance
The thickness figures are one maker's own specs for its gloves, not a standard for cabretta.
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Which animal? | Hair sheep, not wool-bearing sheep |
| Typical uses | Gloves and shoes (US dictionary sense) |
| Feel | A glove maker says the texture resembles kidskin. Wikipedia calls hair-sheep glove leather finer and less bulky, suited to dress gloves |
| How thin? | One maker uses 0.45 mm (0.018 in) cabretta for golf gloves and 0.9 mm (0.035 in) for batting gloves |
| Where from? | Sources differ (see below) |
| Word origin | From Portuguese or Spanish cabra, "she-goat", around 1915-20 |
Hair sheep versus wool sheep
The "cabretta" in the name tells you the kind of sheep, not its age. Lambskin, by contrast, comes from young sheep, and sheepskin from mature ones. No source we read says whether cabretta is graded by age.
For the whole family of sheep leathers, including lambskin and shearling, see what is sheep leather.
Where cabretta comes from
Sources disagree on geography, so treat origin claims with care:
- Dictionary.com (UK sense): skins of certain South American or African sheep.
- A golf glove maker: most premium cabretta comes from Ethiopia and South Africa, and is chrome-tanned.
Neither is a standard. A label that says "cabretta" does not by itself tell you the country.
Why cabretta is used for gloves
A maker lists cabretta's qualities as softness, a smooth surface, tightly packed fibers and a little stretch. These are the seller's own claims, not independent tests. The dictionary's "tougher than other sheepskins" is the more neutral statement.
We found sources for its use in golf and batting gloves and in dress gloves.
Cabretta next to other glove leathers
| Leather | Animal and note | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Cabretta | Hair sheep; chiefly gloves and shoes | – |
| Lambskin | Young sheep; widely used for fashion gloves | – |
| Kidskin | Young goat; soft and thin; see what is kidskin leather | – |
| Nappa | Generic term for soft leather from calves, lambs or kid goats; see what is nappa leather | – |
| Cowhide | Often too thick and bulky for most glove styles | – |
Where to see it named
Leather Collection's men's leather gloves page lists lambskin driving gloves and lined winter styles in lambskin, cowhide or suede. It does not name cabretta. For how leather gloves are styled and worn, see Leather Collection's guide to leather gloves.
FAQ
Is cabretta real leather?
Yes. Dictionaries define it as leather from hair-sheep skins.
What is the difference between cabretta and lambskin?
Cabretta names a kind of sheep, hair sheep. Lambskin names a young sheep. See is lambskin real leather?.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.