Leather goods are seemingly one of the most popular and preferred items that you might see in many product lines such as bags, footwear, wallets, accessories, furniture or more. Depends on how the leather is made or treated resulting in different types of leather that can be applied in different ways.
Within this short instruction, we will take a look at different types of leather that are mostly seen nowadays including full grain leather, top grain leather, split grains as well as suede, regenerated, and faux leather. These types of leather are diverse in features based on how they are made and processed but they possess typicality that helps you distinguish one from another.
Contents
Full grain leather
Full grain leather is the most high-quality leather. Full grain leather is characterized by its natural look due to the fact that it is not finished or is not removed scars on the surface to cover imperfections; hence this type of leather obtains a very natural look.
Full grain leather is commonly used to make cover for furniture such as sofa, or drums cover. Many luxurious products nowadays are using full grain leather as well such as bags or wallets. Goods made from full grain leather are extremely durable and long-lasting. It is said that the more you wear it, the better look the leather turns to have.
Normally, to distinguish full grain leather from other types of leather, you can pay attention to its smell. Obviously, full grain leather has a very distinctive smell like natural skin.
Because of all the characteristics that full grain leather owns, it is considered the most expensive among all other different types of leather out there.
Readmore: Full Grain Leather Vs Genuine Leather
Top grain leather
Top grain leather is a little different from full grain leather and at lower level compared with the former one mentioned above because top grain leather is corrected by sanding to remove imperfections on the surface to make it smooth and look nicer.
Due to the sanding process, the leather will have a finishing coat on the surface; nevertheless normally it turns out that the surface will not look as nice as what full grain leather offers over time over time because of the unnatural coating.
Due to the sanding process, the leather will have a finishing coat on the surface; nevertheless normally it turns out that the surface will not look as nice as what full grain leather offers over time over time because of the unnatural coating.
Still, top grain leather goods are good enough for daily-used items and less expensive compared with full grain leather products.
Split grain leather
In some cases, the animal skin is very thick and it is hard for manufacturing it into any good leather products, they need to turn the hide into split grain leather. What is different between split grain leather and other types of leather is that the leather is processed into two pieces by splitting. As a result, the leather’s surface will be enlarged to work with. However, it causes a disadvantage here which is that splitting leather into pieces will add pressure to the hide and make the leather weaker compared with more natural types of leather such as full grain or top grains. Therefore, split grain leather is often treated with chemicals to enhance the quality and durability as well as restore its original strength.
Suede leather
Under the same process of making split grain leather, the buffing process is applied to both sides of the hide, which makes the leather become suede leather.
Suede leather has soft and fuzzy surface which is suitable for making shoes or clothing. This type of leather is not as the same level as neither full grain nor top grain leather; the quality is below and the durability is not as of other types of leather, but the cost of its products will be very affordable. However, something to note about suede leather goods is that split grain leather is not resistant to spills, stains or liquids.
Regenerated leather
Regenerated leather is a favorite choice when it comes to the case that its surface gets a lot of wear and spills.
Regenerated is differentiated by its smooth and plastic-like surface. Normally, it is made by compressing low quality hides into a strong surface. Regenerated leather is often treated further with a layer of polyurethane to make it last longer. Overall, this kind of leather will not be as durable as other types of leather and at the very low quality. Nevertheless, this leather will be good for items that you won’t use too much or you want to change often.
Faux leather
Faux leather or fake leather exists in the market because of the rationale of pricing. Many products nowadays are produced under faux leather such as jackets, clothing items.
This type of leather is man-made entirely and in some cases can be more durable because of the mixture of synthetic materials. However, they are much cheaper and much affordable for average consumers.
As mentioned, faux leather is not made from natural resources and combined with synthetic materials which are normally not biodegradable; it can create some environmental problems.
As mentioned, faux leather is not made from natural resources and combined with synthetic materials which are normally not biodegradable; it can create some environmental problems.
Faux leather sometimes is hard to identify but normally you can tell because it is sold cheaply. However, we cannot deny that it is very durable and possesses very good looks.
As long as you are aware of the fact that there are different types of leather as listed and they possess signature features, you can choose the items with suitable material and quality to not feel regretted after getting a leather product.
Readmore: What Is Full Aniline Leather?
No comments:
Post a Comment