Finishes and Characteristics
What Makes Leather Soft? The Hide, the Tannage and the Tannery's Softening Steps
Leather softness comes from the skin, the tannage, fatliquoring and milling or staking at the tannery. How each step works and how softness is measured.
What makes leather soft is mostly decided before you buy it: the animal and skin, the tanning method, fatliquoring oils that lubricate the fibres, and mechanical softening in milling drums and staking machines. The finish then sets the surface feel, from smooth nappa to brushed suede. Use can soften some leathers further, according to one maker.
The five things that set leather softness
| Factor | Softer | Firmer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal | Lamb, deer, sheepskin | Cowhide, buffalo | – |
| Tannage | Chrome: stretchable, used for handbags and garments | Vegetable: not very flexible | – |
| Fatliquoring | Fibres coated to cut internal friction | Less lubrication | – |
| Mechanical work | Dry milling and staking | Not milled or staked | – |
| Surface | Nappa; suede and nubuck nap | Heavy coatings such as patent | – |
1. The animal and the skin
Different skins start with different fibre structures. Lamb and deerskin go into soft leather for more expensive apparel. A study of four raw skins found cow has the largest collagen fibril diameter and deer the smallest, with deer fibrils changing direction often.
Store descriptions follow the same order. Leather Collection describes sheepskin as soft and light, goatskin as a little firmer, and cowhide and buffalo as thicker and tougher. A leather goods maker ranks bovine leather tough, deerskin softer and lambskin most delicate.
2. The tanning method
Chrome tanning produces a stretchable leather suited to handbags and garments, while hide from vegetable tanning is not very flexible. Our page on vegetable-tanned leather: how it is made and used covers the firmer side.
3. Fatliquoring: lubricating the fibres
Fatliquoring lubricates the leather fibres: it coats them with substances that cut the friction between them. Crusting thins and lubricates the leather and ends with drying and softening.
4. Milling and staking: softening by machine
The leather is also worked by machine:
- Dry milling: according to the machinery makers' association Assomac, drums shake the leather under controlled moisture and temperature to soften it.
- Staking: machines stretch and soften the leather, either with oscillating pins on wet or dry hides or with rotating cylinders for small pieces.
Finishing can also add tumbling. Our page on how leather finishing works covers the machines in order.
5. The finish and the surface
The finish changes how soft the surface feels in the hand. Nappa is a soft, flexible grain leather from cattle or sheep.
Suede and nubuck have a soft, brushed feel. Suede is softer but less durable than full grain because it has no tough outer layer.
Coatings go the other way. One maker says patent leather stays rigid. Compare the finishes in types of finished leather and how they differ.
Can softness be measured?
Yes. BSI sells a standard test method for the softness of non-rigid leathers such as shoe upper, upholstery and apparel leather; the listing page did not show the standard number.
A 2005 study measured softness with a softness tester under the IUP-36 method. If you buy leather by the hide for a project, ask the supplier for a softness reading.
Does leather get softer with use?
One leather goods maker says full-grain leather softens from use, with handles softening fastest, and that full grain is stiffer than top grain when new. The same maker lists very dry air, direct sun, heat and age as causes of stiffness. We have not tested this ourselves.
Softening at home is a care topic, covered by dedicated care guides.
Choosing a soft leather jacket
Leather Collection men's leather jackets come mainly in cowhide or sheepskin, with a few in lambskin or goatskin. The store says cowhide feels firmer and suits biker and cafe racer cuts, while sheepskin and lambskin feel softer and drape more, and it names the leather on every product page.
For how softness relates to the marks and grain on a hide, see common marks and natural features on leather and scars and scarring on leather.
FAQ
What softens leather the most?
At the tannery, fatliquoring and mechanical softening (milling and staking) do most of the work. The choice of skin matters as much: lamb and deer start softer than cowhide.
Does Vaseline help soften leather?
One leather maker advises against petroleum jelly because it leaves an oily residue and attracts dirt, and also warns against kitchen oils and direct heat.
How can you tell if leather is high quality?
Softness alone does not tell you. Look at the layer and finish as well; see understanding leather grain types and leather grades explained.
LeatherGuru Editorial Team
LeatherGuru articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.