It may be useful to know whether a piece of finished leather is full grain or corrected grain, or has been printed. Microscopic examination of cross sections or cut edges, or of the surface of a piece of leather, may not help in detecting buffing of the grain or printing. It is difficult and time-consuming to extract reliable information on the condition of the grain surface from cross sections of the leather. Because most finishes are applied to alter the appearance of the existing leather grain surface, examination under a stereo microscope or hand lens may not be informative. Satisfactory illumination is difficult because of the uneven and often glossy surface of the finish. In some cases it is virtually impossible to obtain information about the leather surface by using either light or scanning electron microscopy. More information could be obtained if a method for removing the finish were readily available. Many of the polymeric components of a finish are applied in organic solvents and most remain soluble in these solvents. We observed that application of one or more organic solvents to the leather finish usually removed enough of the finish to allow us to examine the underlying grain surface.