What Is Genuine Leather?
By 4TRAVELTIPS
GENUINE LEATHER
WHAT IS GENUINE LEATHER?
If you are in the market for a leather business case, attaché or travel bag and the label reads ‘GENUINE LEATHER’ this tells you all you need to know. Much like purchasing a hot dog that is not all beef, you probably are better off not knowing what you are about to eat. The fact is the genuine leather label is purposely ambiguous, and meant to mislead the consumer. The label actually tells the consumer what it is not, and should actually send off a buyer beware signal. It is most certainly not full-grain, top-grain or belting leather.
The typical leather hide is split into two parts. The surface layer or layer closest to the animal’s hair line is called the top-grain or full-grain layer. The lower layer is called the split layer. In our industry the full-grain leathers are the most desirable. The natural markings are attractive and consequently it is not necessary to correct the leather in any artificial manner. Some hides have more insect bits, or excessive animal scaring in which case it becomes necessary to correct the hide to give it more appeal. There are many methods in correcting the leather hide. It can be buffed, sanded, plated or embossed with an artificial pattern. Some of these patterns are meant to simulate the best full-grain leather markings, while other embossed patterns are intended to give the hide an authentic print meant to look like genuine alligator, ostrich, snake, lizard, etc. In general, the embossed pattern simply hides some of the less desirable markings that changed the classification of this hide from that of a full-grain to top-grain. The durability of both full-grain and top-grain are essentially the same, yet the full-grain will be the more premium classification of hides.
Belting leathers were developed in the industrial age, and are actually the most premium level of full-grain leathers. These durable hides were used to turn pulleys, to give you an idea of their impressive application and performance. Today some of the finest personal leather goods, business cases or luggage products are offered in belting leather for the consumer who is looking to enjoy a product for an entire lifetime and then pass on to their child.
Split leather is more affordable than top-grain or full-grain leather and consequently has many applications. This classification of leather describes the under layer that is split off from the surface layer. The split layer is void of any natural animal scaring that gives the hide the natural look of leather. Consequently, it may be far more difficult for the consumer to tell whether the product is leather or synthetic. In addition, split leather is never as durable as top-grain or full-grain leather and consequently the performance of your split leather product will not last as long. There are many techniques to give split leather a desirable appearance. The most common is to give the finish an artificial polyurethane coating along with plating or artificial markings to simulate the better product. Naturally, a split leather product will be far less expensive than that of full-grain or top-grain leather. I recommend trading up to at least the top-grain leather if it fits in your budget.
It continues to go down from here, next we have bonded leather. This has many applications as well. A bonded leather to leather is what particle board is to wood. As you may know particle board comes from the waste wood products that are then sprayed with liquid resin or glue to give the product applications in lieu of the more expensive wood product, such as shelving or inexpensive furniture. Likewise, bonded leather comes from the collected waste products of the leather. It too is reconstituted in order to be used as a less expensive alternative to better leather. Bonded leather is also embossed with natural leather-like texture to give it more appeal. Many affordably priced bibles, book bindings, diaries, photo albums and slim pocket agendas are made of bonded leather.
Upon making your purchase, I recommend that you ask the sales associate to describe the leather. If they are unable to describe the type of leather with confidence you might ask to speak to another associate who can provide more product knowledge. If none of the associates can impart their product knowledge, you may be in the wrong store. Training is readily available in our industry as the Travel Goods Association (TGA) provides a comprehensive course that allows a sales associate to become an expert in industry related product knowledge. However, in any evet if you see the ‘GENUINE LEATHER’ label in the product, you now have the education to make an informed decision. I hope that I have provided a basic guideline in helping you make a more informed decision when purchasing your next leather product.
Comments
Thank you, I appreciate your comment!
Thanks, great article.
KC
Great article.
This is what I've been looking for to decide whether a leather jacket is right for me. Well, a store tells it's made of "genuine leather" with RRP of over $600, so it must be of good quality.
hey really appreciable
informative :-)
thanks, that was an awesome article!!
very educational..Thanks....
a great article
Very educational. Thanks
Very informative article.Thank you.
I would really hope you could elaborate more on genuine leather and on how to see a good quality genuine leather.
If the description is 'genuine leather' the quality will not be good! This terminology for leather should send up the red flags. In most instances, the leather will be split or bonded leather if described as 'genuine leather'. If the leather is a better quality Top Grain, Full Grain, Belting, Saddle, etc. it will be identified as such.
This is so pro, I can't fully understand it. I wish google translate can do a better job into Chinese so I can totally understand it.
Dear Tony,
Thanks for you kind comments, I am very flattered to hear that you made an effort to read this article even though your primary language is Chinese. If you have further questions please let me know, and I will do my best to answer.
Hello.
I'm here by a true accident. I don't like to use wallets but I just pick one from my closet - time to exchange pennies. So, the embossed text on that wallet is "Genuine Leather". It smells like leather, smells the same like expensive furniture in lawyer's agency, so Google invited me to your Hub. If I understood you properly my wallet is at least bad quality leather. Thats good to know, because I have it for free. So It looks like cigarrete companies had nice gifts in past time. It has at least 5 years old but looks new.
Greetings from Poland!
Hi Martin,
I am so glad to see that these articles are read world over. How cool to have a reader from Poland, which is where my Dad was born.
I can't say that regulations in Poland are the same as that of the United States, yet product that we see in our market identified as 'Genuine Leather' is always the lower grade (generally split leather). Since the vast majority is manufactured in Asia, I believe it is no different in your market. Thank you very much for sharing your story!
Great article!!!
I'm just in the middle of setting up my own vintage wear business so this is really very helpful!!!
Thanks! ;)
MGV, Good luck on your new business, and thanks for your kind comment!
I live in India. India is traditionally a very low margin and high volume market. Its ironical that 1/3rd of leather is produced in India. But I can say with guarantee that almost all that we get in the market is sold in the name of Genuine Leather. I have used many leather products like shoes, gloves, wallets, but I have never seen a full grain leather stuff ( except today when I saw leather belts at Levis which had the same colour throughout the cross section which is sign of full grain i guess). I want to purchase full grain leather Jacket in India. What brands do sell full grain jackets in India ( if they at all do given the low margin market India is), else what are the parameters to judge the leather quality ( as I am considering going to some leather manufacturer to get it stiched ).
Thanks
Ankur Jarora, thanks for your comments. I actually import leather goods from India. The manufacturing is in Chennai and Mumbai and in fact my supplier actually has the facilities to finish the hides. No doubt, India has a wide selection of fine leathers, including full-grain and top- grain leathers. Of course, they also have lower priced split leathers. Most of my products are limited to wallets, business cases, luggage, travel totes and leather backpacks. My supplier does produce products in your domestic market under the name Hidecraft. Although, many of their products also are private label names produced exclusively for quality retailers.
Any thoughts on why i paid over 70$ for a Guess belt in a Guess store stamped genuine leather, n it started falling apart its filled with paper or card board. IS THIS NOT FRAUD? even the store staff said its a knock-off? untill they scued it n proved they sold it.
Hi Guess Who,
Thanks for your comment! I've seen several belts that are either bonded leather or split leather which are $30.00 and below. However, $70.00 should buy you at least a top-grain belt. Your comment is a perfect example of how the term 'genuine leather' should send up the red flags of warning. The filler material on most belts are fiber, and can look like cardboard. This is common to give the belts form and structure. I believe your belt desintegrated because it was a low quality bonded or split leather. Thanks again for sharing!
Hello, this is an informative article! But I would like an opinion. I came across this pair of shoes which says "Authentic Leather" in Zara, is it worth buying? As in I'm afraid it will develop a foul smell when it gets wet in the rain or something like that. Thanks!
Hi Esther,
Authentic Leather sounds like an intentionally misleading term as well. Another important consideration is the lining and soles of the shoe. Many synthetic materials are not porous and will not breathe. Leather lining and soles is always my personal preference. Yet, there are materials such as gortex that absorb moisture and keep your shoes dry and odor free. Thanks for your question!
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I have D&G clock and typing the Genuine leather.. And one question.. This is orginal ?
Thank you for your question. The leather marking on the product alone does not determine whether the product is an original or counterfeit. The best way to make this determination is to take your Dolce & Gabbana clock to an Authorized Dealer and have them make the assessment. Unfortunately, the branded names are frequent victims of counterfeit reproductions.
Dear Shabbier, it appears you own a leather tannery. I will be responding directly to you via email. Please look out for my response. Thank you.
Hi there, great article but I must confess that I am still confused. You see I make and sell bags and stuff, I get my "leather" supply from my local suppliers who claim they are bought from Italy and all over. I'd like to believe they are real and I tell my customers so but I can't hide the nagging worry and Q "what if..." My partner thinks they are not because they are so affordable but a seller claims that they are affordable cos what they import from the factories in Italy are actually leather scraps that have been cut up and or discarded. The leathers are measured here in Square foot/feet, some already have markings and cut-out shapes, you can buy full sheets also. I've had a sheet of leather that I bought and forgot about over 4 years ago, it was rolled up and hidden beneath a pile and it still looks good, I just made a bag from it :D. I would really need more clarification especially for sellers and buyers in my part of the world- Nigeria to be exact
I could send you pictures of the leather if you'd like---- Yes I am that desperate :D
RH leathergoods 19 months ago
good article~