The study was conducted to assess pre and post-slaughter defects, preservation methods and grading of rawhide and skin in rural and urban areas of Fogera district, south Gondar zone, Amhara regional state. Three rural and two urban kebeles were selected purposively based on potential of hide and skin production. From the study district 382 (182 for farmers and 200 for urban dwellers) households, 5 middlemen, 12 butcher men, 3 key informants, 10 hotels and restaurants and 3 collection centers were selected. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 23. Majority of respondents in the study district sell hide and skin to get income. Out of 182 farmers interviewed, (44%) used the preservation methods of sun drying and (56%) use air drying. All intermediaries and collection centers in the study area preserve hide and skin by using only salt drying. A total of 1152 hide and skins (384 cattle hides, 384 goatskins and 384 sheepskins) were randomly selected to assess the observable defects using close observation. Hides and skins were graded according to the Ethiopian Quality and Standard Authority set. All the examined skin had one or more types of defects. The leading observed defects that downgrade dry salted cattle hides were flesh remnant (82.2%), flay cut (74.83%) and dirt contamination (73.1%). The major defects observed on dry salted Goatskin were flesh remnant (65.8%), flay cut (39.53%) and dirt (44.2%). In dry salted sheepskin, the higher prevalence defects were flay cut (67.4%), flesh remnant (50%), and dirt (41.5%). The dry salted cattle hides were 63.8, 32 and 4.2% in Grade 1, Grade II and Grade III respectively. The grade of dry salted sheep skins were Grade I (29.9%), Grade II (49.1%), Grade III (16.4%), and Grade IV (4.6%). The dry salted goatskins were graded in Grade I (44.7%), Grade II (30.2%), Grade III (7.7%), Grade IV (16.97%) and Reject (0.3%). Based on this result it could be recommended that extensive training and extension service should be given on pre, during and post slaughtering defects to improve the quality of hide and skins for maximizing income.