Leather Types
What Is Chamois Leather?
Chamois leather is an oil-tanned sheepskin flesh split, once made from the chamois goat. Why it is so absorbent, how to spot imitations, and its uses.
Chamois leather (said "shammy") is a soft, porous leather made today almost entirely from the flesh split of a sheepskin. It was once the skin of the chamois, a European mountain goat-antelope. It is tanned with oil, which makes it highly absorbent and almost non-abrasive.
This answer is part of our leather types guide.
What chamois is made of
A flesh split is the underside layer of a skin, left once the grain side is taken off. Two standards pin the name down, as summarized by Wikipedia's chamois leather article:
- UK (BS 6715:1991): leather from the flesh split of sheepskin or lambskin, or from a sheepskin or lambskin whose grain has been removed by frizing, tanned by oxidizing marine oils in the skin.
- US (CS99-1970): "chamois" with no other word means the flesh split of sheep or lambskin tanned only with oils.
So chamois is real leather, but not the grain-side sheepskin used in sheep leather goods. Suede is also made from the underside of a skin; what sets chamois apart is its oil tannage.
Why it soaks up water
Chamois is made with oil, traditionally cod oil, that oxidizes in the skin. That reaction produces aldehydes, which do the tanning and leave a porous, highly absorbent leather. Glovemakers in southwest France found this out when skins tanned in local cod oil became unusually absorbent. Another oil-based tannage gives buckskin.
Genuine chamois vs look-alikes
| Product sold as "chamois" | What it is | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Genuine chamois | Sheep or lambskin flesh split, oil-tanned | – |
| Goat or pig skin "chamois" | A common counterfeit of real chamois | – |
| Synthetic "chamois" | Man-made material; most modern cycling-short pads use it | – |
What chamois is used for
Its best-known job is drying and buffing cars after washing, since it absorbs well and barely scratches. Artists use small pieces to blend charcoal drawings. It also pads camera viewfinders, and it was once used to filter water out of fuel. Early chamois goods included soft white gloves for carriage footmen.
For contrast, most Leather Collection men's leather gloves use a 0.8-0.9 mm (about 1/32 in) lambskin. For another soft sheep or calf leather, see what nappa leather is.
FAQ
How do I clean a charcoal chamois cloth?
Wash the charcoal out with soap and water.
What is the best chamois for a car?
For genuine chamois, look for oil-tanned sheep or lambskin; in the US, plain "chamois" on the label should mean exactly that. Goat or pig skin versions are imitations.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.