What is the name of Carhartt's patented sanded duck fabric?

Carhartt's patented sanded duck fabric is called Sandstone. The name refers to a specially finished version of cotton duck: the surface is sanded or microsanded to soften the fabric and give it a broken-in feel while retaining the toughness associated with workwear.

Duck is a tightly woven cotton canvas, not an animal-derived material. Carhartt's classic duck fabrics are valued for resistance to abrasion, wind and hard daily use, which is why they became closely associated with construction, farming, ranching and outdoor labor.

Sandstone is easy to confuse with terms such as stonewash or washed duck. Those describe finishing treatments or broader product language, whereas Sandstone is Carhartt's distinctive name for a particular sanded-duck fabric family. “Granite” and “Grit” are not the canonical answer.

The material appeared prominently in Carhartt jackets, bib overalls and other heritage garments, especially in the 1990s and 2000s. Modern Carhartt catalogs may emphasize firm duck, washed duck or stretch duck instead, but Sandstone remains an important heritage term for identifying older Carhartt products.