Leather and its types

Leather and its Types

Leather can be a part of your personal accessories and also part of your home and office life. But the most important question remains is how to buy genuine leather.

Taking a decision is all dependent on you. This guide will help you to select genuine leather. Leather needs no introduction. The history gives you an idea on how leather developed.

Tanning leather is a centuries old industry. Its history has been traced to ancient civilization of Greece, India, Egypt, China, and Mesopotamia. Leather was used to make gloves, armor, footwear and weapons.

Industrial Revolution brought technological advances which made leather-making a very efficient, friendly and hygienic.

Leather items and their quality can vary. The best quality depends on important factors, like animal type and breed, Physical location of the animal, from where was the hide cut from, layer which is used – full grain, top grain and split, the quality and skill of the tanning process.

Different portions of the hide also yield different quality leather.  The lower portion has loose fibers.  The scars become permanent and cannot be removed even after processing. A skilled person can skin the rawhide and process it through finishing and tanning. This influences that quality of the end product – leather item. Italian leather is liked for this. And their leather artisans are considered experts and are loved for their handiwork.

There are four types of leather - Full Grain Leather, Top Grain Leather, Corrected Grain Leather, and Bonded Leather.

Leather with just horizontal fibers will fall apart easily. Vertical fibers are the strongest and if the number of vertical fibers is more the leather are stronger.

The top layer of the hide is the Full grain leather. It has all the grain in it. This leather is tough but has imperfections as no alterations are made to the surface.  This is high quality leather and used for saddleback. It is most expensive. It is difficult to work with as it will absorb any body oil. It also develops a patina with time which makes it popular.

Top grain stands as the second highest grade of leather. To get at the top grain leather, the top layer with marks is split and sanded to get rid of the imperfection. Staining and pigmentation adds to its attraction. This leather is strong and very durable but stretches over time. This is also used to make suede and Nubuck leather. Jackets and handbags are made from this leather.

Corrected grain leather is also called genuine leather. It is made from skin layers left after the split. It is sanded to remove the marks and imperfections. It is spray painted and given a leather pattern to make it look natural. But this changes the way the leather breathes.

Bonded leather is created from hide that is left which includes shavings and dust. They bonded with latex on a fiber sheet and are spray painted to give it a full grain leather look.

Aniline Leather is natural leather with no soiling it requires daily are. Semi-aniline has a thin surface and is stronger than aniline. It has a natural look and is also stain resistance.

Antique Grain Leather has a unique surface which resembles a ragged look and is also called distressed leather.

Chrome-Free Leather uses aldehyde for tanning; it is used to make baby shoes and automobile accessories.

Chrome Tanned Leather use chromium salts (or chromium sulfates) for tanning.  This leather is thin and process is not environmental friendly.  

Corrected Grain Pigmented Leather has imperfections removed by abrading.  A pattern is embossed to give it a natural look.

Pigmented Leather contains pigments, and is applied to get a particular look. It is durable and pigmented and is used to make car and furniture upholstery.

Embossed Leather is printed with artificial grain design.

Finished Split Leather is made from middle or lower part of the hide which is coated with a polymer layer and embossed to give it a natural look.

Good Hand Leather is soft leather and is pleasant to the touch. Kidskin Leather made from young goats.

Latigo is cowhide and made for outdoor use. It is found in ties, cinches, saddlebacks, and army accessories.

Oil Tanned Leather is made from oils and has a smooth finish.

Pebble Grain Leather has a look and feel that copies small pebbles.

Printed Leather has a stamped design or texture.

Pull-Up Leather stretches over time and has a worn effect.

Skirting Leather is used to make saddles and bridles. Suede is very popular and has a napped finish and is used to create shoes, jackets, purses, shirts, and furniture.

Tooling Calf Leather is lightweight and is good for engraving and printing.

Waxy Hand Leather has wax finish and is used to make shoes, upholstery, and handbags.