Rawhide vs Vegetable-Tanned Leather
Natural Material · grade comparison
Rawhide and Vegetable-Tanned Leather are both natural material grades. Rawhide is the stronger of the two: tensile strength 70 MPa (10.2 ksi) against 22 MPa (3.19 ksi) for Vegetable-Tanned Leather, about 3.2 times as much. In exchange, Vegetable-Tanned Leather is the more ductile: elongation 30% versus 12% for Rawhide. Vegetable-Tanned Leather is lighter (0.92 g/cm³ vs 1.05 g/cm³ for Rawhide) and Rawhide is stiffer (1.2 GPa vs 0.25 GPa). On the shop floor, Vegetable-Tanned Leather machines more easily (good vs fair) and Rawhide sits in a lower cost tier (premium, $$$) than Vegetable-Tanned Leather (high, $$$$).
RawhideChoose it when strength drives the design, or when cost is the deciding factor.
Vegetable-Tanned LeatherChoose it when the part is bent, formed or impact-loaded, or when weight is the constraint.
Rawhide vs Vegetable-Tanned Leather: propertiesHow to read these bars
- One bar per material. A full bar is the highest value among all natural material grades in the FabDigit library; each bar is drawn as a share of that.
- The better value (by the usual engineering direction) is in bold. Rows with no direction — density, thermal conductivity — have no bold.
- Values are typical room-temperature figures for the condition named on each card.
- Confirm against the certified mill or resin datasheet before design release.
How to read these bars
- One bar per material. A full bar is the highest value among all natural material grades in the FabDigit library; each bar is drawn as a share of that.
- The better value (by the usual engineering direction) is in bold. Rows with no direction — density, thermal conductivity — have no bold.
- Values are typical room-temperature figures for the condition named on each card.
- Confirm against the certified mill or resin datasheet before design release.
RawhideVegetable-Tanned Leather
Mechanical
Strength, stiffness, ductility and hardness at room temperature.
Elastic (Young's) Modulus
Poisson's Ratio
Tensile Strength (Ultimate)
Elongation at Break
Compressive Strength
Shear Strength
Hardness, Mohs
Physical
Density and transition temperatures.
Density
Porosity
Thermal
How each material carries heat and how hot it can run.
Thermal Conductivity
Specific Heat Capacity
Max Service Temperature (continuous)
Min Service Temperature
Same in both: Thermal Expansion (CTE, 20–100 °C) 60 µm/m·K33.3 µin/in·°F
Electrical
Conductivity and insulation.
Electrical Resistivity
Dielectric Strength
Chemical & Environmental
Corrosion and environmental resistance (0–100 scores).
Corrosion Resistance
Manufacturability
FabDigit workshop ratings (0–100 scores) — how each material behaves on the machine.
Machinability
Polishability
Sustainability
Primary-production footprint per kilogram.
Embodied Energy (primary production)
Embodied Carbon (primary production)
Embodied Water
Typical Recycled Content
Common Calculations
Ratios derived from the values above.
Specific Strength (UTS / density)
Specific Stiffness (E / density)
Same in both: Thermal Diffusivity 0.1 mm²/s · Thermal Shock Resistance Index 0
Strength versus weight
Yield strength against density for every natural material grade in the FabDigit library; the compared grades are highlighted. Up and left is stronger for its weight.
Manufacturing and finishing
| Capability | Rawhide | Vegetable-Tanned Leather |
|---|---|---|
| Default condition | — | — |
| Relative cost | $$$ Premium | $$$$ High |
| Min. machined wall | — | — |
| Best machined surface | — | — |
Rawhide vs Vegetable-Tanned Leather — frequently asked
Is Rawhide stronger than Vegetable-Tanned Leather?
Yes. Rawhide has a typical tensile strength of 70 MPa (10.2 ksi) against 22 MPa (3.19 ksi) for Vegetable-Tanned Leather — about 3.2 times as much.
Which is cheaper, Rawhide or Vegetable-Tanned Leather?
Rawhide is the lower-cost material: it sits in the premium tier ($$$) while Vegetable-Tanned Leather is high ($$$$). Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Which is easier to machine, Rawhide or Vegetable-Tanned Leather?
Vegetable-Tanned Leather. Its machinability rates good (60/100) against fair (40/100) for Rawhide.
Ready to make it?
Upload a CAD file and FabDigit prices the part in Rawhide and Vegetable-Tanned Leather side by side — material, machining time, tolerance and finish in one quote. Certified material data ships with the order on request.
Typical handbook values for the conditions named above, normalised for comparison. Hardness on non-Brinell scales is converted approximately for charting only. Request certified data with your order for design-critical properties.