MANUFACTURING / JAPAN SOURCING
A leather colour sample is approved. What will the production order accept?
Keep a physical reference with its leather, finish and agreed variation. Then show how the visible parts of the finished product will be compared, including differences within and between hides.
A small swatch does not describe every visible panel
Imagine approving a brown leather swatch for a wallet. Production panels arrive in the same named colour, but the two faces look different when placed side by side. The supplier may have met its colour description while the buyer expected a closer match within each wallet. That expectation needs to be agreed before cutting.
Wilkhahn’s leather information recommends checking actual material rather than relying on screen appearance and distinguishes natural variation and a particular aniline range.[1] Use a photo or colour code to begin the conversation, then identify the actual leather and physical reference the order will use. A finish selected for another product does not establish the acceptance basis for this wallet.
Keep the reference with the leather and finish
Identify the supplier’s leather article, colour reference, finish, thickness requirement and sample ID/date. Record whether the reference shows the intended colour, grain, gloss or an agreed combination. If the buyer changes from one finish to another, ask for a new comparison rather than transferring the old swatch approval by its colour name.
Ask the supplier and buyer to compare retained references under the same agreed viewing conditions. Keep the light, orientation, relevant surface and comparison method with the decision. If a numerical colour comparison is requested, agree its method, measured areas and limits for this leather; the article does not supply a common tolerance.
Itoh Noboru Shoten explains colour variation within natural leather and between hides or lots.[2] Ask for samples representing the variation relevant to the order and agree what is acceptable on each visible part. Describing a mark as natural does not answer whether it belongs on a designated front face.
- 1Sample origin: retain which leather, hide/lot and area the piece represents
- 2Reference set: identify the agreed colour, grain, finish and variation
- 3Finished product: agree which adjacent or visible panels must be compared
Hide shape, positions and textures are illustrative. They do not map quality zones, establish cutting yield or define an acceptable colour difference.
Give variation a place on the finished product
For the wallet, mark the front, back and adjoining pieces on a sketch. Ask whether matching is assessed between the two faces, within each face, or across the delivery. Identify where grain variation or agreed marks may appear and which surfaces need a closer match. A reference set can make that discussion more specific than a general request for “uniform leather”.
Keep appearance approval separate from how colour behaves in use. Japan’s Institute of Leather Research lists friction, colour transfer and light-related evaluations for different uses.[3] A pleasing colour match does not establish resistance to rubbing or transfer. Give the actual product use to the supplier or test provider and agree any relevant evaluation separately.
| Decision | Keep with the reference | Question still to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Colour, grain and finish | Keep with the referenceLeather article, physical sample IDs and comparison conditions | Question still to resolveWhat range is accepted, and on which visible surfaces? |
| Within one product | Keep with the referencePanel sketch, adjacent pieces and designated front/back | Question still to resolveWhich pieces must match as a set? |
| Across the delivery | Keep with the referenceHide/lot identity, representative pieces and agreed sampling | Question still to resolveHow will variation be checked and reported? |
| Behaviour in use | Keep with the referenceActual handling/exposure and required evidence | Question still to resolveWhich separate evaluations and criteria are relevant? |
| Repeat order or change | Keep with the referenceRetained reference, date and accepted revision | Question still to resolveDoes a new lot, finish or other change need review? |
Keep the accepted range with the delivery record
Before ordering, record the reference IDs, agreed variation and panel-matching requirements with the material specification. Say who decides an uncertain case and what evidence they need. Where possible, retain corresponding references on the buyer and supplier sides so a later comparison is made against the same decision.
At delivery, link the supplied leather and any evaluated pieces to the order and lot references. If the visible result falls outside the agreed range, ask for clarification or a revised proposal; do not retrospectively treat an unrecorded variation as accepted. Keep a new lot or finish proposal separate until the relevant review is complete.
For a sourcing enquiry, send HAM the leather reference, intended product, destination and the appearance decision still open. A physical sample and a panel sketch help a Japanese supplier understand whether you are choosing a colour or defining what production should deliver.
Questions to send your supplier
Open supplier questions
Leather supplier/article, colour, finish and thickness requirement: Physical reference IDs, dates and retained counterparts: Product and visible-panel sketch, including adjoining pieces: Which colour, grain, gloss and marks does each reference represent? Proposed variation range, designated surfaces and matching within each product: Agreed lighting/orientation/comparison method; numerical method only if required: Representative hide/lot pieces, sampling and delivery identification: Separate use-related colour evaluations and acceptance criteria needed: Who reviews uncertain cases and what evidence is required? Repeat lot, finish or other changes requiring review: Destination and questions still open:
Sources
- Wilkhahn Japan — Leather colours and materials
Read the notes below the leather ranges: screen versus actual samples, grain/colour variation and a range-specific aniline finish. No furniture-grade approval or blanket acceptance of natural marks is transferred to other products.
- Itoh Noboru Shoten — Characteristics of its natural leather
Read colour/lot variation and the separately described surface characteristics. This is a supplier explanation, not a universal grading or rejection rule. No photos are reproduced.
- Japan Institute of Leather Research — Colour transfer and colour change
Read the introduction and friction, colour-transfer and light-exposure test categories. Supports separating initial appearance from use-related colour behaviour. No test procedure, sample size, price or pass grade adopted.