Leather Types
What Is Patent Leather?
Patent leather is leather with a hard, high-gloss coating, once linseed-oil lacquer and now usually plastic. Meaning, what it is made of and how it wears.
Patent leather is leather with a hard, high-gloss coating on its surface. The coating was first a lacquer based on linseed oil; modern patent leather typically uses a plastic or synthetic coating. The mirror shine comes from that coat, not from the hide underneath.
This definition is part of our guide to leather types, textures and finishes. Whether it still counts as real leather is covered in is patent leather real leather?.
Patent leather meaning
Dictionaries define it in two slightly different ways:
- American: a hard, glossy, smooth leather, used especially in shoes and accessories.
- British (Collins): leather or imitation leather processed with lacquer to give a hard glossy surface.
So in British usage the name can cover a glossy imitation too. An encyclopedia definition calls it a coated leather that is virtually waterproof yet still flexible.
What patent leather is made of
Modern patent leather is usually a form of bicast leather, a leather base under a plastic film. The full process is in how patent leather is made.
| Layer | Then | Now | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Fine-grain leather | Leather; one seller says almost any grade, as the coat hides it | – |
| Gloss coat | Linseed-oil lacquer, later plastics such as Parkesine | Plastic or synthetic coating, which allows more colors and patterns | – |
Why it is called patent leather
A 1793 British periodical reported that a Mr Hand of Birmingham had obtained a patent for a flexible leather with a glaze that kept water out. In the US, Seth Boyden of Newark improved the process in 1818 and began commercial production in 1819, yet never patented his method.
Patent leather vs smooth leather
| Column 1 | Patent leather | Smooth aniline (uncoated) leather | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface | Glossy coat on the grain | Dyed grain, pores visible | – |
| Water | Virtually waterproof | A water drop soaks in | – |
| Cleaning | Damp cloth, mild soap if needed | Shoe cream, then waterproofer | – |
| Often confused with | Corfam and Clarino, artificial glossy materials | Not covered by our sources | – |
Does patent leather wear in?
None of our sources describes patent leather softening much with wear. The coat changes more than the leather: worn patent loses its gloss but stays smoother than most leathers. A 1906 encyclopedia said patent made on chrome-tanned skins was softer, more flexible and much less likely to crack than the older kind.
Where you see patent leather
Wallets, handbags, dance and uniform shoes, boots, belts, trench coats and limited-edition sneakers. Nothing called patent turns up in the Leather Collection catalog. For a smooth finish on a real hide, the Leather Collection custom leather jackets list options such as nappa and glazed instead.
FAQ
Is patent leather waterproof?
Close to it. An encyclopedia calls it virtually waterproof.
How do you store patent leather?
Keep light-colored patent away from colored items, since dye can migrate into it; a white dust bag helps.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.