# Leather, canvas & hardware glossary

**URL:** <https://superreps.net/t/leather-canvas-hardware-glossary/112>\
**Category:** Guides & Wiki\
**Tags:** guide\
**Created:** [October 20, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://superreps.net/t/leather-canvas-hardware-glossary/112 "2026-10-20T20:35:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
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**Author:** ![repnerd\_staff](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/repnerd_staff/32/283_2.png) [@repnerd\_staff](https://superreps.net/u/repnerd_staff)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://superreps.net/t/leather-canvas-hardware-glossary/112/1 "2026-10-20T20:35:48Z")

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The vocabulary you’ll meet in Bags threads: leathers, canvas, construction and hardware. General hobby terms (GEN, batch, QC, GL/RL) are in the [SuperReps Glossary](https://superreps.net/t/glossary/103).

Many fashion houses give their leathers their own trade names. Here we describe the **type** of material, which is what matters when you compare a replica with the original.

_This is a wiki post, maintained by the SuperReps team with help from members. Spotted a mistake or a missing entry? Suggest it in #Site Feedback._

## Leather grades

**Full-grain** – The outer layer of the hide with its natural surface intact. Strong, breathable, and it develops character with use.

**Top-grain** – Full-grain with the surface lightly sanded or corrected, then finished. More uniform, slightly less character.

**Corrected grain** – Leather whose surface has been sanded heavily and given an artificial grain and coating. It can look perfect at first and “plastic” up close.

**Split leather** – The lower layer of the hide, under the grain. Often used for suede or coated with a finish.

**Bonded leather** – Leather fibres glued together with a binder. Not a real leather surface; it can peel.

**Genuine leather (as a label)** – Despite the name, often a lower grade. The label alone tells you little.

## Common leathers and grains

**Calfskin** – Leather from young cattle: fine, tight grain. The basis of most luxury bags.

**Lambskin** – Very soft and smooth, with a buttery feel, but it scratches and marks easily.

**Pebbled / grained calf** – Calfskin with a raised, pebble-like texture, natural or embossed. Grain size and how it’s distributed across the panel are key checks.

**Embossed grain** – A texture pressed into the surface with heated plates. Usually more regular than natural grain, which can be a tell.

**Crosshatch-embossed leather** – A fine, diagonal crosshatch pattern pressed into the leather, very scratch resistant.

**Box calf / glazed calf** – Smooth calf with a polished, glossy finish.

**Patent leather** – Leather with a high-gloss plastic coating.

**Suede** – The fibrous underside of leather, brushed to a nap. **Nubuck** is the grain side sanded to a similar nap: finer and more durable.

**Exotic-look leathers** – Calf or other leathers embossed to imitate crocodile, ostrich or snake. Scale pattern, symmetry and depth give the embossing away.

**Vachetta** – Untreated, undyed cowhide used for trims and handles. It starts pale and darkens to a honey colour with light and handling (patina). How quickly and evenly it darkens is a frequent discussion point.

## Canvas and textiles

**Coated canvas** – Cotton canvas coated with a flexible plastic layer and printed with a pattern. Durable and light. Check print alignment at seams, colour, and how the coating creases.

**Pattern alignment / pattern placement** – How the print lines up across seams and where the motifs fall on each panel. Originals usually follow strict placement rules; misalignment is a classic tell.

**Jacquard** – A pattern woven into the fabric rather than printed on it.

**Lining** – The inside material: leather, canvas, microfibre, suede-like textiles. Colour and texture of the lining are often overlooked checks.

## Construction

**Stitching / SPI** – Stitches per inch. Check the stitch count, the evenness of spacing and the angle of each stitch, especially on handles and corners.

**Saddle stitch** – Hand stitching with two needles, with slanted stitches that look the same on both sides. Machine **lockstitch** looks different on the back.

**Thread** – Colour, thickness and wax finish. Shiny, fuzzy or too-thick thread can be a tell.

**Edge paint / edge glazing** – The coating on the cut edges of leather. Look for even, smooth, slightly rounded edges without blobs or cracks.

**Turned edge / raw edge** – Leather edges folded over and stitched, versus cut and painted.

**Piping** – A cord wrapped in leather along seams, giving structure.

**Heat stamp / embossing** – Logos or text pressed into the leather, sometimes with metallic foil. Font, depth, spacing and centring are among the most checked details.

**Date code / serial tag** – Interior codes found in some originals. Their presence alone proves nothing; their format and placement can.

**Structure / slouch** – How the bag holds its shape. Stiffeners and how the leather was chosen affect it.

## Hardware

**Hardware** – All metal parts: clasps, turn-locks, rings, zippers, feet, chains, screws.

**Base metal** – What the hardware is made of underneath: commonly brass or zinc alloy.

**Plating** – A thin metal layer over the base: gold-tone, palladium, ruthenium, silver-tone and others. The **tone** (warm vs pale gold) is one of the most visible tells.

**PVD** – A harder coating applied by vapour deposition, more resistant to wear than standard plating.

**Engraving** – Logos and text on hardware. Look at depth, font, sharpness and position.

**Weight** – Hardware that feels light compared with the original is a common concern.

**Zippers** – Brand of zipper, pull shape, engraving and how smoothly it runs.

**Feet / studs** – Metal feet on the base protecting the leather.

**Chain** – Link shape, interwoven leather and how the chain drapes.

## Ageing and care

**Patina** – Natural darkening and character from use, especially on vachetta and full-grain leather.

**Oxidation / tarnish** – Discolouration of hardware. Plating that wears through quickly shows the base metal.

**Creasing** – How leather or coated canvas folds with use. Deep, cracked creases can mean a heavy surface coating.

**Odour** – Strong chemical or glue smells are common on arrival. Airing out helps; a smell that doesn’t fade is worth mentioning in a review.

**Conditioning** – Treating leather to keep it supple. Always test any product on a hidden spot first; never condition vachetta unless you want it to darken.

**Dust bag / storage** – Store bags stuffed, upright, away from heat and direct light.

## See also

- [How to ask for a QC or legit check (and take photos people can actually judge)](https://superreps.net/t/how-to-ask-for-a-qc-or-legit-check-and-take-photos-people-can-actually-judge/105)
- [Leather & Hardware](https://superreps.net/c/bags/bags-leather-hardware/28)
- [Bags Newbie Corner](https://superreps.net/c/bags/bags-newbie-corner/46)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![repnerd\_staff](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/repnerd_staff/32/283_2.png) [@repnerd\_staff](https://superreps.net/u/repnerd_staff)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://superreps.net/t/leather-canvas-hardware-glossary/112/2 "2026-10-20T20:36:37Z")

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