What is the difference between calfskin and cowhide

Still, where does it fit into all of this and how is it different from other types of leather? Find out more below. Cowhide is the natural and unbleached skin and hair of a cow. Though it is a product of the food industry related to cattle it is also very often processed into leather. Cowhide leather is the result achieved through various processes, some more common than others; such as tanning cowhide leather. Once finished, the leather is used for the making of several different products.

These products include leather jackets and apparel, shoes, wallets, furniture, different types of upholstery and many others.

As with all things, leathers too vary to some degree among themselves. Cowhide may be better than goatskin in some respects whereas goatskin may be better than cowhide in others. Below we differentiate between cowhide and other types of leather namely sheepskin, goatskin and lambskin. Mainly due to the fact that these are the types of leathers most commonly used. While cowhide may be really rugged which makes it stronger than goatskin , it does not have the flexibility or stretch as much as goatskin does.

Cowhide has the tendency to weigh more even as a finished product whereas goatskin is comparatively lighter. The same applies for touch. Starting with strength and durability, cowhide is a lot better than sheepskin in this regard.

Whereas sheepskin leather is a lot more flexible and stretchable than cowhide. Much like goatskin, sheepskin too weighs less than cowhide considerably so. Having some trouble picking leathers for durability. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites. Join the conversation You can post now and register later.

Reply to this topic Insert image from URL. Sign in to follow this Followers 2. Go To Topic Listing. Sign In Sign Up. You can buy 5 times Generally speaking, calf leather is durable, especially for its weight and thickness. While thinner in variable, calfskin has a tighter, more even grain and because the fibers are closer together — ounce for ounce , calfskin is said to have more tensile strength than cowhide.

There are too many factors that affect leather to accurately and consistently determine a baseline for durability. Common boot maladies like cracking, scuffing, and staining may occur regardless of the type of leather. That said, the pore structure of calfskin is different from older cattle. Calfskin has fine, barely visible pores and a very smooth surface. The amount of hair pores on a cow is constant throughout their lifetime, and as the animal ages, the added bulk of the animal stretches the pores across its body.

So calfskins have a higher density of smaller pores, resulting in a more uniform appearance, while pores on regular leather are usually more visible.

I also get a leather with a similar look and feel embossed with Alpine grain. I also have Calf from Tannerie H. Aesthetically, there are plenty of alternative, regular leathers out there for just about any style you can find in calf, and there are more rugged calfskin options too. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The surprisingly rugged calfskin on the Rhodes Dean boot.

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