Fabric Definitions — definitions of fabrics, cloths, laces and textile materials from Apparel Search
Patent leather is leather that has been given a high gloss finish. The process was developed by Newark, New Jersey based inventor Seth Boyden in 1818, with commercial manufacture beginning September 20, 1819, using a linseed oil based lacquer coating; modern patent leather usually has a plastic coating. Patent leather is used where an eye-catching glossy appearance is the main consideration — fashion items such as wallets and handbags, and dance and uniform shoes.
Patent leather is sometimes confused with poromeric imitation leathers such as DuPont's Corfam and Kuraray Co.'s Clarino which are manmade materials with a similar glossy appearance.
Patent leather and poromerics are cleaned in a similar way. Dirt adhering to the coating can be removed with a damp cloth, using a mild soap if needed. Minor scratches and scuff marks in the coating itself can be removed using one of several special purpose patent leather and poromeric cleaners on the market.
Patent leather and poromerics are used in applications where an eye-catching glossy appearance is the main consideration. Examples include fashion items such as wallets and handbags, dance and uniform shoes, professional wrestling boots and fetish clothing.
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Patent leather is defined by its finish. Almost any sound leather can be given the treatment: the hide is prepared smooth, then coated so the finished surface is a continuous glossy film. In Seth Boyden's Newark process of 1818 the film was built from linseed oil lacquer, applied and hardened in layers; the modern equivalent is a plastic coating that gives an even higher, harder gloss and better resistance to cracking. Either way, the visual effect is the same — a surface so smooth that light reflects from it in a sheet rather than scattering, producing the wet-look shine that no polishing of ordinary leather can match. The coating also changes the material's behavior: it seals the leather against water and dirt, makes the surface wipe-clean, and stiffens the hand somewhat, which is why patent leather goods hold crisp shapes. Its weaknesses live in the coating too — the film can scuff, scratch or crack with flexing and age, and damage to the film cannot be fed or buffed away the way damage to bare leather can.
The definition's use list follows directly from the finish: patent leather is chosen where an eye-catching glossy appearance is the main consideration. In fashion goods — wallets, handbags, belts and dress shoes — the shine itself is the design, reading formal and deliberate against matte fabrics. Dance shoes and uniform shoes use it because the sealed surface stays smart under hard wear and cleans in seconds before inspection or performance. Professional wrestling boots and other performance footwear exploit the same high visibility under lights. The poromeric imitations, Corfam and Clarino, compete in exactly these applications by reproducing the gloss without leather, and they are cleaned the same way, precisely because in both materials the working surface is a smooth synthetic film. Care, then, is surface care: wipe with a damp cloth, use mild soap for ground-in dirt, treat scuffs in the coating with a purpose-made patent cleaner, and store pieces so the glossy faces do not stick to each other or pick up dye from darker goods — a sealed coating can transfer and absorb color at contact points in warm storage.
The shine is a coating, not the leather itself. Seth Boyden's 1818 process built the gloss from a linseed oil based lacquer; modern patent leather usually receives a plastic coating applied over the leather surface. The smooth, sealed coat reflects light evenly, which is what produces the mirror-like finish.
Patent leather starts as real leather with a glossy coating applied to it. Corfam (DuPont) and Clarino (Kuraray Co.) are poromeric imitation leathers — manmade materials engineered to look glossy like patent leather without a leather base. Care is similar for both: dirt on the coating lifts off with a damp cloth and mild soap if needed.
Dirt adhering to the coating can be removed with a damp cloth, using a mild soap if needed. Minor scratches and scuff marks in the coating itself can be treated with one of the special purpose patent leather and poromeric cleaners on the market. Because the surface is sealed, it does not absorb conditioners the way unfinished leather does.