Why Choosing Quality Leather Matters for Your Western Upholstery Projects

Premium Leather Starts With Clean Hides

A high-quality hide should be as clean and consistent as possible. That means:

• Minimal nicks, cuts, and blemishes
• Even texture without deep scratches
• No weak spots that will stretch or tear during upholstery

* Repaired cuts can be difficult to apply to curves, boxed corners etc.

While every hide tells its own story, excess imperfections can lead to frustration during install and shorten the life of your finished piece. A clean hide gives you the strongest base, the smoothest finish, and the most professional results.

 

Soft, Supple, and Well-Tanned

One of the biggest differences between average leather and premium leather is how it feels when you work with it.

Quality leather should be:

• Soft and buttery
• Supple enough to stretch and wrap
• Strong enough to withstand tacking and tension

Poorly tanned leather can be stiff, dry, or brittle and once it cracks, there’s no bringing it back. A well-tanned hide shapes beautifully around curves, fills, and detailing, giving your piece that high-end, polished look western upholstery is known for.

 

Our Printed Leathers: Tried, Tested & Designed for Upholstery

When it comes to printed leather, quality matters even more. At Roamin The West, every leather I print on has been tried, tested, and selected to ensure the best results both in print clarity and in the way it performs during upholstery.

Thanks to my amazing printers I am able to provide you with several different grades of leather so you can choose what suits your project best:

• Premium upholstery-grade leather for crisp, detailed prints and long-term durability
• Leathers with added stretch, perfect for tighter curves, deep tufts, or frames that need more flexibility
• Firm, structured leathers ideal for flat or minimal-stretch areas

Each grade is chosen with purpose to make sure your finished piece not only looks incredible but also installs smoothly and holds up beautifully over time.

 

Why Your Leather Choice Matters So Much

Choosing premium or application-specific leather isn’t just about aesthetics, it affects the entire project:

• Your print quality looks clearer, richer, and more vibrant.
• Your upholstery work lays smoother and holds tighter.
• Your finished chair lasts longer and wears beautifully.
• Your customer satisfaction improves when their piece still looks amazing years down the road.

When you're investing hours of craftsmanship into a project and bringing a western vision to life, the material should support your work, not fight against it.

 

Need Help Choosing Leather & Coordinating Materials?

If you ever feel overwhelmed trying to match leathers, fabrics, cowhides, paints, stains, and decorative tacks… you’re not alone. Designing a cohesive western piece can be a big task and that’s exactly why I created something to help.

🤠 Download the Free Roamin The West Upholstery Style Guide

Inside, you’ll find:

✔️ Inspiration boards featuring full-chair concepts
✔️ Coordinating leather, cowhide, and fabric suggestions
✔️ Paint and stain combinations that actually work
✔️ Decorative tack pairings
✔️ Direct links to where you can source the materials
✔️ A done-for-you starting point for your next project

Whether you're designing for yourself or a client, this guide takes the guesswork out of pulling everything together so your next piece looks polished, professional, and unmistakably western.

👉 Grab your free copy here and start planning your next show-stopper.