article
On Top Grain
What separates leather that ages from leather that merely wears.
Top grain is the outermost layer of the hide, lightly refined so its surface stays honest. It carries the life of the animal in its marks, and it carries yours in the patina it slowly takes on.
Cheaper leathers are sanded, coated and printed to look uniform. They look their best on the first day. Top grain looks its best years later.
We choose it not because it is perfect, but because it keeps improving.