What is Nappa Leather ? The Nomenclature.
Nappa Leather – The Napa/Nappa name of the leather has a unique history. The story goes that historically there used to be two native American nomadic tribes, namely – The Wappo tribe and the Wapin tribe. When the non-natives came and settled with the locals, they tried to pick up local words, and it is supposedly an English way of saying a native American local word, the actual meaning of which is now lost in translation. This word has also inspired the name of a county in California, USA. However, Napa County, north of San Francisco, is today better known for hundreds of hillside vineyards in the Napa Valley wine region.
What’s Emanuel Manasse to do with Nappa Leather?
Emanuel Manasse is credited as the inventor of Nappa Leather. He was born in Germany and settled in the USA. He moved to New Jersey and then to Napa, California in 1871. Manasse was a son of a leather tanner in Germany. It is likely that he learned the leather craft from his father. He was a leather tanner for the Swayer Tanning Company. It is here at the Napa-valley that he developed the Nappa leather. The leather was soft, flexible, and very well suited for creating fine leather accessories. Since the leather was developed in Napa, many went on to call it Napa or Nappa leather.
Manasse would later become a partner at the Swayer Tanning Company and lead a very rich and successful life because of the invention. The Napa leather would go on as a very well-known term in the leather world.
Meanwhile, the next time you ponder about Napa-valley, it will not just be about fine wine, but also about the birth place of one of the finest leathers known to man.
Advantages of Nappa Leather.
There are multiple advantages that Nappa leather offers. The first is that it is strong yet soft and flexible. It is also very stylish and elegant making it popular for premium leather goods and accessories and other goods. Nappa leather is likewise durable and long lasting. Nappa leather also does not absorb water or any other liquid quickly. You can therefore clean the spill just by immediately wiping the surface. And last but not the least, Nappa leather is also hypoallergenic. Perfect for those who have respiratory system problems.
Various uses of Nappa Leather.
The leather pundits claim that Nappa is the ideal type of leather for impeccable leather goods and accessories. especially for small goods. They describe Nappa leather as being “buttery soft”, a perfect surface touch to a leather item. Moreover, other than being comfortable to create styles and designs, Nappa leather is also durable and easy to maintain, something that is very convenient for customers. It is also easier to clean liquid spills. Napa leather also has a very luxurious look. That is the reason why it can be found on some of the most luxurious items. It is superior in quality and style in comparison to other leather types. Its various uses include – wallets, gloves, handbags, and lifestyle accessories.
At WALLETSPLUS, we have decades of experience in crafting finest leather goods with Nappa leathers for some of the most prestigious private labels and brands world-wide.
