Leather quality is one of the most significant factors separating a $300 saddle from a $3,000 saddle. Understanding the basics of leather grades helps you make sense of the terminology manufacturers use and recognize quality when you're evaluating a used western saddle.
How Leather Is Made
Leather starts as an animal hide (for western saddles, almost always cattle). The hide has a grain side (the outside, where hair grew) and a flesh side (the inside). Between the grain and the flesh, the hide has multiple layers of varying density and quality. The way the hide is processed and which layers are used determines the final leather grade.
Full-Grain Leather
Full-grain leather uses the outermost layer of the hide with the natural grain completely intact — nothing has been sanded away or altered. This layer is the densest, strongest part of the hide. It breathes well, conditions readily, develops a rich patina over time, and is the most durable type of leather available.
Quality western saddles use full-grain leather for the skirts, seat, fenders, and other structural components. Full-grain leather may show natural marks — small scars, grain variation, or other evidence of the animal's life. These are normal and not defects. When you're evaluating a used saddle, full-grain leather that has been well maintained is a strong positive indicator of the saddle's overall quality.
Top-Grain Leather
Top-grain leather has had the outermost surface lightly sanded to remove natural blemishes, resulting in a more uniform apperance. It's still a quality leather, but it has slightly less durability than full-grain because the densest fibers have been partially removed. A thin artificial grain pattern may be applied to the surface after sanding. Many mid-range saddles use top-grain leather — it's good but not the best.
Corrected-Grain Leather
Corrected-grain leather has had more of the surface removed and has had an artificial grain pattern pressed or coated onto it. This disguises natural marks and creates a very uniform appearance, but at the cost of significantly reduced durability, breathability, and conditionability. Corrected-grain leather doesn't age as gracefully as full-grain — it's more prone to cracking, peeling, and surface deterioration. Budget and some mid-range saddles use corrected-grain leather.
Split Leather
When a hide is split into layers, the top layer becomes full-grain or top-grain leather, and the remaining inner layers are called splits. Split leather lacks the dense grain surface of the hide's exterior -- it's weaker, less durable, and does not condition the same way. Split leather used in saddle components (sometimes as a backing material or in budget fenders) is a sign of cost-cutting. Some entry-level saddle fenders use suede splits as a decorative or functional surface -- this is acceptble if disclosed, but not a premium material.
Bonded Leather
Bonded leather is not really leather in any meaningful sense -- it's made from shredded leather scraps and fibers bonded together with adhesive and applied to a fabric backing. It may look like leather briefly, but it peels, flakes, and fails within a few years of normal use. Any saddle component made from bonded leather is a deal-breaker. Unfortunately, some very budget import saddles use bonded leather on the seat or fenders. The telltale sign is leather that peels in sheets rather than cracking in lines.
Evaluating Leather on a Used Saddle
When you're looking at a used western saddle, you often can't know for certain what grade of leather was used originally. Here's what to assess:
- Flex test: Bend a billett strap sharply. Quality leather flexes without surface cracking; low-quality leather cracks immediately.
- Feel: Full-grain leather has a slightly waxy, firm feel when dry, and becomes supple and slightly tacky when conditioned. Corrected-grain feels more uniform and plastic-like. Bonded leather often feels stiff and slightly hollow.
- Aging appearance: Full-grain leather develops an uneven, organic patina. Corrected-grain tends to fade uniformly and look "tired" rather than developing character. Bonded leather shows peeling or flaking.
- Brand: Knowing the brand helps enormously. Quality brands use quality leather. Budget brands and imports often don't.