Aniline leather glove is obviously referring to gloves that are made from full& top grain Aniline leather. But what is Aniline leather? Why Aniline is the best leather for dress gloves? Let’s start with the grain leather categories. Generally speaking, there are three kinds of grain leather: aniline, semi-aniline, and sprayed (also called top finish).
Aniline Leathers
This is the most natural type of leather which is called Full Aniline most of the time. It is dyed with soluble dyes in drums so that the color goes all the way through the hide, giving the leather its lush and rich color. In order to maintain the natural feel and look of the hide, no protective coating or surface pigmentation is applied. Additionally, the leathers keep their natural markings and texture, which contributes to the authenticity of the leather. However, the lack of treatment might cause the leather more susceptible to scratching, staining, or fading and might show some color variations on the surface of the hide.
Semi-Aniline Leathers
What I want to highlight first is that “semi” does not mean partial. A more appropriate name for semi-aniline leather would be aniline plus pigment due to the way it is produced. The process starts in the same way as for aniline leathers. However, the treatment of full aniline stops after the dying, semi-aniline leathers are further treated. So, after the leather is aniline dyed, a slight protective coating, which can contain some additional pigmentation, is applied to the top of the hide to guarantee a consistent color. Due to the pigmented coating, some blemishes will be concealed, achieving a more uniform surface texture. Additional finishes can then be applied to the leather either by hand or by machine (e.g. antique looks or exotic leather optics). In the end, a clear protective coating is applied to make the leather stain-repellent and sun-resistant. The sheen of this coating can be adjusted to give a matte or glossy finish.
Sprayed/Top Finish Leather
Just like the other two types above, it is dyed all the way through the hide. However, the surface is then coated with a heavy protective topcoat which includes pigmentation. Any kind of blemishes or imperfections is removed through buffing or sanding and then embossed with an artificial grain. At the expense of a deep rich color and a luxurious feel, pigmented leathers are treated with spray coating which makes them more durable.
Summary
From above, you will have a clear impression of the difference in grain leather. As there isn’t any coating or other treatment for the Aniline leather, the look and touch l is most close to natural skin. So there is no doubt that Aniline leather is the best leather for gloves and Aniline leather glove is the best quality gloves.
