How do I identify semi aniline leather?

by Super User

Aniline is a transparent dye that is drum dyed with leather and because the finish is transparent and shows the natural markings of the leather, only the best quality hides can be used.

Semi-Aniline leather is pure aniline leather that has a small amount of pigment or clear finish thus allowing the natural characteristics of the hide to still show through while offering some of the benefits of color consistency and increased wear ability.

So how do we identify them?

Here are some tests we can use :

1.  Water Test

Drip a small amount of water on to the semi-aniline leather. It will sit on the surface so dab it with a piece of cloth to absorb the liquid. You will notice that the leather will absorb a very small amount of water, this shows by a slightly darker patch. It can take around 3 minutes for a semi-aniline to absorb a drop of water.

2.  The Magnifying Glass Test

Looking at a semi-aniline leather through a magnifying glass will look quite similar to an aniline. The hair follicle holes are slightly visible like craters or human pores but you will notice a thin pigmented coating covering them. Some semi-anilines have thicker coatings than others and so the holes may not always be identifiable.

3.  The Visual Test

The color of a semi-aniline will look quite uniform, not as varied as aniline and not as uniform as pigmented. The grain pattern will be natural looking as only a thin pigmented coating is applied. You may be able too see natural markings, but you will have to look closely to spot them. A semi-aniline is often two toned but this two tone effect can sometimes be very slight and so hard to spot.

If you do not maintain the leather using the leather conditioner, the top coat of color can wear off in high use areas. To make the leather last longer, apply the protection cream once every three months to reduce friction and so, stop the color wearing away as quickly.

4. The Touch Test

Semi-aniline feels quite natural and soft to the touch. The finish is often smooth and you can feel the lacquered surface, which makes the leather semi slippery compared to a pure aniline piece.