When shopping for a new leather jacket, vest, trousers or any other garment, you should pay attention to the type of leather from which it’s made. Not all leather garments are made of the same type of leather. There are different varieties of leather. Among the most popular and sought-after is napa sheep skin leather. Also known as napa lamb skin leather, it’s prized for its silky smooth texture. What is napa sheep skin leather, and how does it differ from other types of leather?
Overview of Napa Sheep Skin Leather
Napa sheep skin leather is a type of premium, real leather that’s characterized by an ultra-fine grain. It’s used to make many of the same garments as other types of real leather, as well as faux leather. Napa sheep skin leather simply has an ultra-fine grain, which is responsible for its unique properties.
When viewing napa sheep skin leather from afar, you may assume that it’s the same as all other types of real leather. After all, it’s difficult to distinguish between napa sheep skin leather and other types of real leather. Only napa sheep skin leather has an ultra-fine grain, however. Other types of real leather have a coarser grain.
Here are some common characteristics of napa sheep skin leather:
- Super soft and smooth texture
- Very flexible and pliable
- Premium, real leather
- Typically tanned using chromium salts
- Classified as full-grain leather
- Develops a patina over time
Origins of Napa Sheep Skin Leather
It’s known as “napa sheep skin leather” because it originated in the city of Napa, California. In the late 1800s, leatherworker Emanuel Manasse at The Sawyer Tanning Company created the world’s first napa sheep skin leather.
Manasse pioneered napa sheep skin leather. He was responsible for creating the first napa sheep skin leather. In the years to follow, other leatherworkers and companies jumped on the bandwagon by producing their own napa sheep skin leather as well. Today, napa sheep skin leather ranks as one of the most popular types of real leather on the market.
How Napa Sheep Skin Leather Differs From Other Types of Leather
Think napa sheep skin leather is the same as all other types of real leather? Think again. Napa sheep skin leather is classified as full-grain leather. Therefore, it features the entire grain.
Napa sheep skin leather has a finer grain than that of other types of leather. The ultra-fine grain, in fact, is what sets napa sheep skin leather apart. All types of real leather have a grain. But the grain of napa sheep skin leather is very fine.
Thanks to its ultra-fine grain, napa sheep leather is incredibly soft and smooth. It has a suppler, softer texture than all other types of leather on the market. The end result is a higher level of comfort for garments made of napa sheep skin leather.
Other types of leather may or may not fall under the category of full grain. In addition to full-grain leather, there’s corrected grain leather. Corrected grain leather undergoes a finishing treatment. During production, it’s typically either buffed or sanded, which wears down the grain. There’s also split leather. Split leather is a type of real leather that consists of the corium. The top grain is separated from the hide, after which the corium is used to create split leather. Regardless, napa sheep skin leather is classified as full-grain leather, whereas other types of leather may be classified as corrected grain or split.
Another difference between napa sheep skin leather and other types of leather is the animal from which it’s made. As the name suggests, napa sheep skin leather is made of sheep skin. In comparison, other types of leather are typically made of cow hide. Statistics show that nearly two-thirds of all real leather on the market is made of cow hide. Sheep skin leather, on the other hand, only accounts for about 13% of all real leather on the market.
Reasons to Choose Garments Made of Napa Sheep Skin Leather
You can find jackets and other garments made of different types of leather. Regardless of what garment you are planning to purchase, though, you can’t go wrong with napa sheep leather.
There’s no leather softer than napa sheep skin leather. As previously mentioned, napa sheep skin leather is defined by its grain. It has a finer grain than all other types of real leather. This ultra-fine grain manifests in the form of a super-soft texture. If you’re tired of wearing leather garments that scratch or otherwise irritate your skin, napa sheep skin leather may be the answer. It’s the softest, most comfortable type of leather on the market.
Napa sheep skin leather ages gracefully over time. It doesn’t wear out. Instead, napa sheep skin leather develops subtle hints of aging that make it particularly stylish and attractive. Known as a patina, these hints of aging make napa sheep skin leather stand out. Other types of leather may fail to develop a patina. Patinas are typically associated with full-grain leather. Napa sheep skin leather, of course, is a type of full-grain leather, so you can rest assured knowing that it will produce a patina.
Napa sheep skin leather is easy to maintain. You don’t need to wash or dry it. If it gets dirty, you just need to spot clean it. Spot cleaning will restore napa sheep skin leather back to its original appearance. Take a damp washcloth and squeeze a few drops of mild dish soap on it. Using this washcloth, blot the surface of your napa sheep skin leather until it comes clean.
Of all the different types of leather on the market, none are more stylish than napa sheep skin leather. It features a distinct texture. Napa sheep skin leather has an ultra-fine grain, which manifests in the form of a smooth and smooth texture. If you’re looking for a stylish leather garment that will lift your personal appearance, you can’t go wrong with napa sheep skin leather garments.