Why is leather cut in different parts?

It turns out that each part of the hide has its own characteristics! 

You see, the skin of every animal is made to follow the shape of the body and its movements. This is called "stretching elasticity" and it is extremelly important because the fibers of the leather are not the same everywhere. Certain parts of a bovine animal are subject to much more mouvement and stretch.

Think about a cow for example, its back skin is going to be pretty stable throughout its life and therefore result in a more uniform leather than the belly that grows and shrinks depending on the season and the food supply.

Full hide / half hide or side:

The entire skin of the animal. It includes the shoulders, the butt and the bellies. It is used for making big projects like upholstery, large travel bags, saddle seats, belts and much more. The advantage of buying whole hides is that you have more flexibility when cutting your pieces. If there is a significant blemish than you would like to avoid, it will be easier to do so when working with a large surface.

The half hide is the full hide cut vertically. I personally never buy half hides because you "loose" half of the best section of the hide (the shoulders and the butt).

The shoulders:

This part is the neck of the animal, it is strong and most often thick yet very flexible to accomodate the movement of the animal looking up, down and sideways. This shoulders can be used for making a ton of items! The second best choice after the butt!

The butt:

The butt (which is the rump of the animal) is the noblest part of the hide, with tightly packed fibers making it the strongest part of all. It is especially used for making leather goods that require a lot of strength like harnesses, belts reins and other saddlery items under a lot of pressure. 

 The back / half back:

The shoulder and the butt. Basically a whole hide from which the sides have been removed. Used for long lengths.

The bellies:

The stretchiest and most unconsistent part of the hide due to its loose fibers. This part is from the underside and the top of the legs of the animal and therefore undergoes a ton of stretch and change in dimensions over the animal's lifespan. Can be used for making small items for recreational crafters. Some tanneries make better bellies than others but overall I personally do not use it for high-end leather goods.

 If you would like to get a PDF copy of the "THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE LEATHER", CLICK HERE!

Hope this was helpful! (it is also available in french and spanish)

Cheers,
Nico G