The world of leather comes with a wide array of terms that are not always easy to understand. Though it can be confusing, understanding the meaning of various names is important for deciding which type of leather is best for you. Unfortunately, not all leather is made equal and for that reason it is best to do the research. This guide is aimed at making that research as simple and effortless as possible. For a guide to Men's wallet designs, check out the dedicated blog here:
https://bosca.com/blog/men-s-wallet-style-guide
Manufacturing Terms
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Tanning
- The process in which hides are treated in order to make them stronger, more durable, and less likely to fade from exposure to sunlight and everyday use. This is the step that turns hides into leather.
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Tannery
- A tannery, which is a phrase regularly used when explaining and discussing Bosca products, is a factory that takes raw hides and processes them into tanned leather. As the name suggests, this is where the tanning process takes place. Though many today tanneries have become large scale industrial operations, the tanneries used by Bosca are relatively small, oftentimes multigenerational businesses with decades of experience working with the highest quality hides available. Bosca is extremely fortunate to work alongside incredibly skilled and knowledgeable tannery experts who enjoy their work and truly appreciate the artistry that is the tanning process. Can you tell we love our partners?
Leather Terms
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Full grain
- A standard leather crafting process where the hide is cleaned and sent directly into the tanning process. Full grain leather is generally considered the best, as it is a traditional method of treating and preparing hides before the material is used for the construction of leather products.
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Hand stained
- The staining process involves using various oils and natural solutions to add a lively color and pattern to leather. Leather is a strong but porous material that soaks up and retains natural oils, which makes it ideal for adding that extra visual appeal. All Bosca leather is hand stained by individual leather works at our partner tanneries outside of Florence, Italy. These leathers are hand-treated then sent a short distance over to the Bosca Italia factory, located in the same region of Italy.
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Vegetable tanned leather
- Vegetable tanning, or veg tanned as it is often called, is a specific method of tanning hide into leather that uses tannins from natural oils, the most common and traditional of which being oak bark. The vegetable part of the name comes from the fact that the tannins and natural tannic acids used in the process come exclusively from planet based materials. Though other oils are sometimes used, oak bark is by far the most traditional and common source of tannins used in the undertaking.
Design Terms
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Euro Products
- Bosca products with the term "Euro" refer to the size of the currency pockets included in said product. While the majority of Bosca products include currency slots sized for USD, a wide selection of options are sized for Euro which have a wider and longer shape to them. Euro sized products do fit USD as well as other currencies as they are larger, however standard sized products will not comfortably hold Euro. Keep this in mind when deciding which size and design is best for you.
- RFID
- RFID is an acronym for Radio Frequency Identification. RFID is an electronic system that was originally used to keep track of railway cars, though it has since found much wider applications such as monitoring product stock in warehouses and retail establishments. The concern is that RFID readers can and have been used by identity thieves to scan and steal personal data from credit cards. This most often occurs in crowded environments such as train stations, crosswalks, airports, and similar public areas.
- Bosca uses a tried and true method for blocking RFID scanners that involves weaving thin metal wire into the fabric interior of wallets and bags. Though it may sound like the process would create a rigid and uncomfortable product that is far from the truth. Generally it is almost impossible to tell by just handling the wallet, however some products include a very small wifi logo stamped in the interior. RFID blocking products are highly suggested for those who use crowded public transportation, those who regularly travel, and anyone concerned about the safety of their private data.
Hopefully this brief guide of the most important leather terms proves to be helpful in making the big decision. This blog will be regularly updated as new terms are used and other terms become more relevent. Until then, happy wallet hunting!