Leather Types
What Is Sheep Leather?
Sheep (ovine) leather is leather from sheepskin. How lambskin, sheepskin, shearling and cabretta differ, how it compares with cowhide, and its uses.
Sheep leather is leather made from the skin of a sheep. "Ovine leather" means the same thing, since ovine simply means "of or like sheep". Sheep supply about 13% of the world's leather, second only to cattle.
This definition is part of our guide to leather types, textures and finishes.
Sheep leather names: lambskin, sheepskin, shearling and cabretta
The same animal gives several leathers. The name tells you the animal's age, whether the wool stayed on, or the breed:
Usage overlaps. An encyclopedia notes sheepskin is "sometimes also called lambskin", so a label alone may not tell you the animal's age. Our page on lambskin leather covers the young-sheep side in detail.
| Name | What it is | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Lambskin | Skin of a young sheep; small, about 4-7 sq ft (0.4-0.6 m²) | – |
| Sheepskin | Skin of a mature sheep; often dressed with the wool on, but also used for leather and parchment | – |
| Shearling | A recently shorn sheep or lamb skin tanned with the wool left on; suede one side, clipped fur the other | – |
| Cabretta | Leather from hair sheep rather than wool sheep; tougher than other sheepskins, used mainly for gloves and shoes | – |
What sheep leather feels like
Sheep leather is soft and light. A jacket maker says it has a finer grain than cowhide but may be less durable, while cowhide is often thicker and more wear-resistant. The Leather Collection says much the same about its own jackets: cowhide feels firmer, while sheepskin and lambskin feel softer and drape more.
Lambskin is the most delicate of the group and scratches and stains easily.
What sheep leather is used for
- Wool-on skins: coats, gloves, hats, slippers, seat covers and saddle pads
- Wool-off leather: jackets and soft bags; one store says sheep leather drapes well for clutches and shoulder bags
- Hair-sheep leather (cabretta): gloves and shoes
- Specialist leathers: soft nappa leather and chamois, which a British standard defines as the flesh split of sheepskin or lambskin
Where to see sheep leather named
Most men's jackets in the Leather Collection range are cowhide or sheepskin, and the hide is named on every product page. The Leather Collection Jazz sheepskin jacket is soft brown sheepskin 0.8-0.9 mm (about 1/32 in) thick.
FAQ
What is leather with fur called?
Sheep or lamb skin tanned with the wool on is called shearling. Our hair-on leather page covers other animals.
Is genuine sheepskin leather real?
Yes. Sheepskin is the hide of a sheep, tanned as leather or with its fleece on. See is lambskin real leather? for how labels use these words.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.