Leather guide

THE LEATHER GUIDE

HERMANN OAK® AT THE CORE

Our core leather line is built around Hermann Oak®.

The leather is the foundation of everything we build. For our core leather lineup, TYB uses Hermann Oak® full-grain leather for its proven quality, consistency, and working character.

We do not select hides based solely on color. Different leathers have different temper, feel, finish, break-in characteristics, and appearance over time.

That means there is not necessarily one “best” leather. There is a best leather for how you want your equipment to feel, perform, and age.

Hermann Oak® remains our primary leather source, while specialty and limited releases give us room to explore exceptional hides, tannages, and finishes from other proven tanneries when they meet the TYB standard. This guide will help you choose the right one.

QUICK COMPARISON

Leather	Feel	Break-In	Patina	Overall Character
Latigo	Supple / Medium-Firm	Faster	★★★★☆	Balanced
Harness	Firm / Substantial	Moderate	★★★☆☆	Hard Use
Old World Harness	Substantial / Supple	Moderate	★★★★★	Heritage
Bridle	Firm / Smooth	Moderate	★★★☆☆	Refined
Natural / Unique	Varies	Varies	★★★★★	One-of-a-Kind

LATIGO

Our All-Around Choice

Available Colors: Brown / Burgundy

Latigo offers an excellent balance between structure and flexibility. It has a slightly softer, more forgiving feel than some of our heavier harness leathers while still providing the substantial feel expected from a working product.

It begins breaking in quickly and develops more character with use.

Feel: Supple / Medium-Firm
Break-In: Faster
Finish: Smooth, rich and slightly more relaxed
Patina: Moderate to Heavy
Best For: Everyday wear, training, working dogs and anyone wanting a product that feels broken-in sooner

Choose Latigo if: You want the best combination of comfort, durability and traditional leather character.

TYB Pick: Best all-around option.

HARNESS LEATHER

Built for Hard Use

Available Color: Black

Harness leather was originally developed for equipment expected to withstand real work.

It has a substantial, dense feel and is heavily conditioned during the tanning process. Compared with Latigo, expect a little more body and structure when new.

With use, it begins to soften and conform while maintaining the rugged character that makes harness leather such a proven material for straps, tack and working equipment.

Feel: Firm / Substantial
Break-In: Moderate
Finish: Rich and rugged
Patina: Moderate
Best For: Working K9s, training, large powerful dogs and hard-use equipment

Choose Harness if: You care about function first and want a traditional work-grade leather with some serious substance behind it.

TYB Pick: Best for hard use.

OLD WORLD HARNESS

Traditional. Rugged. Full of Character.

Available Color: Russet

Old World Harness is for someone who wants leather to look and feel like leather.

It has a traditional russet appearance with tremendous depth and character. Oils and tallows are worked into the leather during production, giving it a rich feel that continues to develop as the product is handled and used.

Expect scratches, wear marks and changes in tone to become part of the product rather than something to hide. That’s the point.

Feel: Substantial / Supple
Break-In: Moderate
Finish: Traditional, rich and rugged
Patina: Heavy
Best For: Heritage builds, working equipment and customers who want leather that visibly tells its story

Choose Old World Harness if: You want the product that will develop the most traditional, old-school leather character over time.

TYB Pick: Best patina.

ENGLISH BRIDLE

The Refined Option

Available Colors: Black / Chestnut / Medium Brown

Bridle leather takes the durability expected from serious leather goods and gives it a cleaner, more refined appearance.

The grain and flesh sides have a smoother, more finished presentation, making this an excellent option for someone who wants working-grade construction without an overly rugged appearance.

It still breaks in and develops character, but generally maintains a cleaner and more polished look than our harness options.

Feel: Firm / Smooth
Break-In: Moderate
Finish: Smooth and refined
Patina: Controlled / Refined
Best For: Everyday products, premium builds and customers wanting a cleaner finished appearance

Choose Bridle if: You want hard-use construction with a more polished appearance.

TYB Pick: Best refined finish.

SPECIALTY LEATHERS

Limited Runs. Select Hides. Same TYB Standard.

Our Specialty Leather offerings are where we experiment and explore materials outside the permanent lineup.

From time to time, we may bring in limited colors, tannages, weights, finishes, or hides from Hermann Oak® or other respected tanneries. Some may become permanent offerings. Some may never be available again.

The tannery may change. The standard does not.

Depending on the release, you may see:

• Limited or one-off colors
• Different tannages and weights
• Leather from other respected tanneries
• Unique finishes and textures
• Waxed, oiled, or pull-up leathers
• Small-batch or difficult-to-source hides
• Experimental combinations and constructions
• Materials we are evaluating for future TYB products

Because specialty leathers can vary significantly, feel, temper, finish, break-in, color, and patina will be specific to each release. We will identify the leather and tannery for each Specialty Leather release so you know exactly what you are getting.

Choose Specialty Leather if: You want something different, do not mind a little experimentation, and like owning a piece of equipment that may never be made exactly the same way again.

TYB Pick: Best for limited-run and experimental builds.

Availability: One-offs and limited releases only. Once they are gone, they are gone.

BUILT TO BE USED.

Whichever leather you choose, the philosophy behind the product remains the same:

Purpose Built Equipment.
American Craftsmanship.
Uncompromising Quality.