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Making the Grade

Leather is a natural product featuring exceptional beauty, warmth and distinct characteristics. Each hide has a unique shape, size, coloring, natural scars, blemishes and finishes that make it one of a kind. These distinct characteristics are part of the leather's natural beauty and add to the personality of each product manufactured from it.

Because of these characteristics, leather can be graded as an A, B or C depending on the amount of damage or defects. Leather grade does not affect the quality of the leather; it is simply based on the number of scars, cuts, blemishes, etc.

Grade TR

A standard method of buying leather that consists of 20% C grade and 10% utility grade. All utility grade leather we either use ourselves or sell at discounted prices to those who can use this grade most effectively.


We buy and sell our leather as tannery run (TR), meaning it consists of 20% A grade, 50% B grade, 20% C grade and 10% utility grade.


Grade A

Allows for 1 to 2 small defects in the prime areas and 3 to 4 defects in the non-prime areas.


Grade B

Can have 3 to 4 defects in the prime areas, 6" to 12" of damage or waste and some small holes in the non-prime areas of the hide.


Grade C

Allows more than 12" of damage or waste and color variation.




Watch the video for more information on how we buy and sell leather hides.





Learn from the experts at Hermann Oak® Leather Co. how they grade their hides.

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