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Various Grades Of Leather: What Are They?
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May 13, 2021
We all know that the market is flooded with many kinds of real leather as well as synthetic alternatives. But did you know that there are several grades of real leather as well? Each of these grades has its own specific use. Let’s have a look at the most popular ones:
- Full Grain Leather
This is the top layer of the animal’s skin, which is actually exposed to the air. Its toughness means that full grain products will last long, but at the same time it’s much harder to work on. - Top Grain Leather
The top grain is the layer underneath the full grain. It is also reasonably strong, high in quality and also easier to work on. - Split-Grain Leather
As a skin is split into multiple layers, the layer beneath the top-grain is called the split-grain. It balances the properties of top and genuine leather, not too soft or too hard, not too easy or too tough to work on. - Genuine Leather
This is the layer beneath the split grain. Slightly softer to the touch, it can be crafted into a variety of products. - Bonded Leather
This is the one grade you might not want to buy! Bonded leather is not from any layer of the hide – rather, it is a mixture of shavings & scraps from other grades which are ground up into a powder and then mixed with adhesive. It is not at all durable, so any bonded leather product would have a very short life span.
In addition to these 4 grades, there is also other terminology used in the leather industry:
- Suede
It is a type of soft leather from the inner layers of skin, and is ideal for making footwear, gloves and other accessories with a premium feel. Unlike nubuck, suede is not given any surface buffing treatment. - Nubuck
It has a soft, velvety texture like the surface of a pool table. It is usually made from aniline leather (minimally treated) which has been given a surface buffing. Nubuck looks and feels great, but needs a little more care from the user. - Veg tanned leather
This is not a specific grade of leather, rather it is a process of tanning the hide using vegetable extracts. It takes several days to treat the hide, whereas using synthetic chemicals would achieve the same result in a few hours. - Vegan Leather
This is not actually leather – in fact, the most common ‘vegan’ leathers are actually plastic! Typically they’re made using PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or PU (polyurethane). Some people even call it ‘pleather’ (short for plastic leather). PVC is most commonly made using plasticizers that contain phthalates, is known to release dioxins and can be extremely dangerous if burnt. The fact that these are made with plastic also means that they never fully biodegrade. While there is no animal product in vegan leather, the smell and toxic properties might be enough to avoid them altogether.
If you’re more interested in this kind of lingo, do check out our other post on terminology used in the leather business.
Now that you know all about the different grades and types of leather, why not head over to our store and browse our range of handcrafted accessories?
