Crust Leather
Leather Terminology / Leather Types
noun
Definition of Crust Leather
Crust leather refers to rawhide that’s tanned, but not yet dyed. It remains in its natural color and contains little to no surface treatment.
The natural color of crust leather often ranges from off-white to light blue, light brown, or yellow, and is seen as a blank canvas that’s not yet fully finished so the manufacturer can customize it to their desired final look.
Due to its “raw” state, any color is achievable on crust leather, provided the leather used is quality top grain.
It also accommodates various dyes, wax polishes, and pigmented creams and is super easy to manipulate for depth and variation.
Besides, crust leather is incredibly soft, pliable, and ages beautifully because of its rich leather patina. It can be used both in its natural state or top-coated with a surface dye to obtain special effects.
On the downside, crust leather is more susceptible to moisture, meaning it stains easily and requires high maintenance. Blemishes on the leather like scars and scratches may also be visible, rendering some products unattractive.
And since dye and the finishing mostly sits on the leather’s surface, it can easily wear out with the occasional scratch or cuff.
For vegetable-tanning, the crust leather is referred to as “vegetable crust,” and for chrome-tanning, it’s called, “chrome crust”.
Example of Crust Leather in a Sentence
"The smell of crust leather permeated the workshop."
Related Terms for Crust Leather
Written by Ryan Popoff
Ryan Popoff is the creative mind behind Popov Leather wallets, iPhone cases, belts, watch bands and journals since 2013. With a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts, my leatherworking journey began at home. I wanted to create a simple leather wallet that could fit into my front pocket and — to my delight — it was a hit with family and friends. Hopefully you love our honest, quality leather goods too! Read more