In this case, literally is there for a reason, albeit, imprecisely. It implies you can actually get sandpaper at the hardware store and use that to physically s

In this case, literally is there for a reason, albeit, imprecisely. It implies you can actually get sandpaper at the hardware store and use that to physically sand leather down like one sands wood. Rather that some specialty tool or process. And until we start killing cows and discarding the carcass just for the leather, I can't imagine the processing is any worse than synthetic, usually petroleum based substitutes.