How much material can I get from a leather hide is a great question and depends mostly on its size. The industry standard for a 45-50 sq ft upholstery hide is a minimum of 3 cuts or panels of 27” x 27” (see photos). While panels can often be combined for much larger cuts, this is not guaranteed and if larger cuts are needed, please contact us before purchasing. A panel can have subtle natural markings including finished brands but no holes, gauges, or breaks in the finish.

The yields we guarantee in each hide size are listed at the bottom of the page. Please note for small hides (34-39 sq ft) we use a 25” x 25” panel size. Also, we occasionally sell quality hides that do not meet our yield requirements. In such cases, specific details on yield will be found in the Notes section of the hide and price reduced accordingly.

Remember, the industry standard typically leaves behind approx. 25% of the hide as “waste,” so projects that include smaller cuts will likely see higher yields than listed. See cut area diagram at bottom of page.

Cut Area

The cut area is usually 4-10 inches in from all sides of the hide where clean symmetrical cuts can be had. Leather material outside the cut area is considered “waste.” Waste is just unused leather and can be reduced when smaller cuts are needed from the hide.