The men’s leather product comes in a lot of varieties. There are several colors, shades, built, and styles that you can try to enhance your character and overall appeal.
However, these aspects are just the secondary aspects that affect only the accessory’s looks and not its durability, life, or quality. The element that affects these factors is the grain type of leather, and this post will introduce you to this part.
Full Grain Leather
Full-grain leather is the strongest leather type that you will find in the market. It is made up of the top layer of the animal hide and is totally unprocessed. You can easily see the grain or pattern of the animal hide on it, which is why the name- full-grain leather.
This type of leather is not that common in the market and costs a bit higher than any other leather type. It is also challenging to process or make accessories from it. However, it comes with a few benefits. For instance, it’s non-processed or split, which means it’s highly absorbent. Not to mention, its inherent toughness and natural-looking appeals.
These properties make it the best option for making Alexandre Leon, premium quality men’s leather-like saddlebags, and sought-after leather products.
Top Grain
Top grain is the second in line leather type after full grain. This leather is obtained by removing the top high grain layer of the animal hide. The splitting removes the high inherent imperfection. It also reduces the strength of the material, but that’s a good thing in this case. It makes the leather much more flexible and easier to use, reducing its price.
The type is also much better in terms of finish quality. You can sand it to obtain anywhere from a completely smooth to a grainy texture.
Another good thing about this leather grade is that it’s customizable. You can use pigmentations and staining to get any type of shade from this type. It’s the prime reason why professionals like Alexandre Leon recommend this leather type for premium products like handbags and jackets.
Genuine Leather
Genuine leather, also known as split leather or corrected grain leather is the most common type of leather in the market nowadays. The leather type is prepared by the lower layer or the layer left after the top layer leather.
The leather type is much distinct from other types and offers a much harder texture. It is also possible to sand the surface and pain it to enhance its natural looks. If processed correctly, this type can literally offer you the looks of original leather, which is the prime reason for its name.
The best part is that it’s relatively cheaper than the other two types. You may find a slight decrease in its durability, but that’s still pretty good. You can easily use this leather for products like messenger bags, footwear, furniture, and handbags without worrying about their life.
The leather type is also a suitable material for making high-end men’s jackets. It doesn’t have the same strength as the higher-grade leather, but it offers you much better breathability and flexibility.
Bonded Leather
Bonded leather is the lowest quality of leather that is available in the market. It’s made up of leftover animal hides and often contains shaving or dust particles. The scrape of leather products is also a suitable raw material for this leather type.
The lather type is prepared by shredding the scrape or leftover and pulping them together. This pulp is then coated with a bonding agent and pressed against a fiber sheet to obtain a complete layer. A variety of different chemical enhancers can also be added at this stage. You can use them to enhance leather’s colors, look, feel, and even smell. The manufacturers can also use paints and texture makers to make it look like top-quality leather.
However, even with the leather look and enhancement, its durability remains very low. You can not expect to make jackets or similar products from this leather. Therefore, this leather type is used only for making fashion accessories, bookbinding, and furniture.
Final Words
Now that you know the different types of leather and their pros/cons, it shouldn’t be difficult to decide which one suits you the best. So, the next time you go shopping for leather products, do keep these types in mind and don’t forget to inquire about them from your dealer.
