Why Leather Gets Better With Age

Most materials wear out. Full-grain leather wears in. Over months and years of handling, natural oils and light exposure darken the surface and soften the hand, and the small scratches and creases that would ruin a synthetic finish become part of the leather's surface story.

This is one reason we work primarily with full-grain hides rather than corrected-grain leather. Correcting a hide's surface — sanding it smooth and applying a uniform coating — produces a consistent finish, but it also seals off the process that makes leather age well in the first place.

A well-made leather piece is not finished when it leaves the workshop. It is finished after years with its owner.