Many people around the world love good-quality leather because of its excellent durability. To make quality leather, there is a relatively long journey that must be undergone through a thorough process that is required to produce high-quality leather from many various types of animal skins. Cowhide is the most commonly used hide to produce leather around the world. The other animal skins that are additionally used to make leather and transformed into various leather products are sheep, goats, and pigs. Leather has been produced around centuries and produced traditionally in the early days. As many technological advances discovered, the process of making leather has become easier and more efficient.

The Three Types of Quality Leather

There are three major types of quality leather that are ready to be made into many kinds of leather products such as bags, shoes, clothing, belts, and so on. Those types of leathers are full-grain leather, top-grain leather, and genuine leather. Many factors affect the quality of the leather produced. One of the factors that can determine the quality of the leather is the different breeds and different climate. For instance, different breeds of cows that live in a different environment and have different genetics will result in different hide quality. The skill when processing a leather also determines the quality of leather. The process of making leather in the hand of skilled people who know well how to make rawhide and process it into the leather will influence the quality of the finished leather.

How it’s Made

To make quality leather, the skin will initially be discarded from the animal and then the flesh will be also removed, commonly with the help of a fleshing machine. After being removed, the hide then will go through a process that will prevent the decomposing process. It is commonly done by freezing the hide or placing it in a salt brine. After this process, the hide must be cleaned from dirt or any other materials by soaking it in the water for a few days. Subsequent to all these processes, the hide will be fully moisturized and ready to be used to produce various leather products.

What’s the Difference?

Full-grain leather is the most high-quality leather made from the top layer of the hide. Full-grain leather is the most well-known sort of leather, it’s known to be very tough and considered as a luxurious leather.

The surface of the full-grain leather is smooth and tends to have fewer flaws compared to the other quality of leathers. This leather material is the highest in price which is equal with the quality promised Full-grain leather is known to remain the only type of leather that is good to make a decent saddleback. The durability of this type of leather will be unquestioned as it will develop patina and absorb body oils. Patina is a thin layer that will shield the leather from any risks of damage and ensure the durability of full-grain leather. This inherent quality of full-grain leather also makes it mostly used to make high-quality footwear.

Top grain leather is the type of leather popularly used to make various high-end leather products like a handbag. Top grain leather is in the second grade of the leather and comes out to be more flexible compared to the full-grain. This type of leather is favored by many people because it is less expensive than full-grain leather yet the durability is fairly good. It is resistant to any stain better than the full-grain leather but it will more likely stretch in a passage of time. Many handbags on the market are made from top-grain leather and many people really love them.

Genuine leather that is also known as corrected grain is the lowest of the leather grades. It is generally produced from the skin layer that was left after the top layer was eliminated and used to make luxurious products. Genuine leather has a tougher texture than the other types of leathers and does not last as long as the rest. This type of leather is commonly utilized to make handbags, footwear, and belts. The fact that it is more affordable and widely available makes it a choice by many and so it is evenly preferred.