About Siegel Leather
Siegel isn’t merely a business enterprise – it’s a manifestation of our commitment to serving the customer and the key to our enduring success since 1917. As the oldest Leather Merchant Family in the United States, Siegel’s rich legacy of over 100 years is powered by our profound relationships worldwide, a testament to our consistent presence and credibility in the leather industry.
We excel at what we do – procuring and selling leather of incomparable value. Our products are sourced as raw skins or vegetable crust from a variety of countries, processed under contract tanning, and finished in several nations. This allows us to deliver a versatile range of vegetable goatskins while ensuring operational efficiency.
Our lineage carries the imprint of generations of Siegels dedicated to the leather industry. Steven Siegel, the current spearhead of the business, is not just a physical chemist by training but also a seasoned leather merchant, having worked with his grandfather, uncle, and father from a young age. Today, Steven is recognized as a court-certified expert witness in the field of leather and is affiliated with the Thomson Reuters Expert Witness Program and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Sustainability and Integrity
At Siegel, we champion sustainability and respect for our environment. All our goatskins are procured from goats raised on non-arable lands, a tradition that has been sustained for centuries. Unlike synthetic alternatives with high carbon footprints, our leather is a byproduct of a 100% sustainable process.
We acquire most of our skins in the “hair”, directly from our trusted network of providers. Our practices are rooted in fairness and respect, aligning with local customs, offering competitive prices, and ensuring swift payment.
Quality Assurance
We are discerning about the quality of our products, avoiding goatskins from certain regions due to their inferior quality. We stand against the practice of detanning leather, as we believe it compromises the collagen structure and thus the quality of the end product.
Our Legacy and Expertise
Our history stretches back to 1917, when the Siegel family established the business in Boston’s historic leather district. Over the years, we have supplied an array of leathers for diverse applications – from saddles to bookbinding leather to anti-gravity suits for the US Military.
The 1960s saw us evolve from mere suppliers to engineering our unique leathers, characterized by special aging processes, vibrant colors, and luxurious textures. In 2011, we expanded our focus to revive historic leather styles and augment our range of specialty bookbinding leathers.
Notable Collaborations
Siegel Leather has worked with prestigious institutions, including the US Library of Congress, Harvard University, Columbia University, and Stanford University, among others. Our contributions extend to cinema with Walt Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean”, to Presidential gifts, and the award-winning architectural design for Craft Restaurant, NY.
Steve Siegel
Steve Siegel, our current owner, grandson of the company’s founder, and a third-generation leather merchant, has nurtured his expertise over 50 years. His educational background in Physical Chemistry plays a pivotal role in his successful development and engineering of specialty leathers. Steve’s extensive travels to inspect and test leathers worldwide have further cemented our reputation for quality and innovation.
