The difference a year of proper grain direction made in my leather covers

A year ago, I finished a commission for a set of three journals with full leather covers. Within six months, the client sent a photo showing all three had started to warp and buckle pretty badly. I was using nice veg-tan, but I realized I'd been cutting pieces based on the hide's shape, not checking grain direction. For the replacement set, I spent an extra hour per hide mapping the grain and cutting everything with it running head to tail. Those new books are still flat as a board. Is grain direction something you always check, or do you think other factors like leather type or board thickness matter more?

2 comments

2 Comments

gracet2216h agoMost Upvoted

Nah, grain is a big deal. Your first set warped because the leather's natural pull wasn't even. It fights itself. Using scraps for small stuff like wallets is different than a big flat cover. A thicker board might help hide the problem, but it's just a bandaid. Getting the grain right fixes the cause.

adam75117h ago

Honestly, mapping grain for an hour per hide sounds like overkill. I've made dozens of wallets and notebook covers from scrap pieces, cutting whatever shape fits to save leather, and most stay fine. That warping you saw could have been from a really thin board inside or the room's humidity. Some leathers, like chromexcel, are just floppy and will move no matter what you do. I'd bet a thicker core material or a different tannage would fix it faster than obsessing over grain.