Leather

Leather, as a natural product, is animal hide that has been preserved through a process of tanning. The natural fibre structure is retained as much as possible. During processing, a distinction is made between the grain side and the reverse side.

When leather is sanded, the leather top surface (grain side) or the reverse side (flesh side) is pointed or polished using abrasive paper that rotates on a roller. The aim of this processing is to achieve a uniform appearance for the material.
When the top surface is sanded, it gains a slight nap. When processed in this way, the leather is called nubuck leather.

The grain side can also be sanded to form smooth leather, or its structure is preserved as much as possible. One typical example is crocodile leather.
The reverse of leather is used to create suede through sanding, and this is also known as velours.

Klingspor's assortment includes an extensive selection of abrasives designed for leather processing.

Matching products

Back to Grinding terms and definitions