4 Kinds of Leather Used For Office Bags
If you are thinking of buying office bags for men but only want the ones made from quality leather, then you should know about different leather types. Buying a genuine leather item requires thoughtful consideration and a keen eye for recognizing the quality of leather. Manufacturers can use different types of leather, depending on the end product. And if you are going to invest in a high-quality leather office bag, you have the right to know which leather is the best for it.
Some Facts About the Leather Industry
Leather is a material that is made from the hides of animals, typically cattle. Leather tanning has been around for centuries. It’s one of the oldest industries in human civilization. Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, and Mesopotamians had developed several different tanning processes centuries before industrialization. Leather was used to make intricate clothing articles such as footwear, gloves, and armor. The Industrial Revolution brought all kinds of new technological advances that made the leather-making process highly efficient, environment-friendly, and hygienic.
Leather production is a multi-step process that involves several different stages, including tanning (the process of treating hides to make them into leather), dyeing, and finishing.
Vegetable-tanned leather is considered to be of a higher quality than chrome-tanned leather because the process of vegetable tanning uses natural materials and results in a more durable and authentic leather. Leather goods are widely used in the fashion industry, but it is also used in many other industries such as automotive, furniture, and footwear.
So, what is the best leather? The best quality leather will depend on these important factors:
- Type of animal and breed
- Physical location and climate where the animal lived
- The portion of the hide the leather was cut from (see diagram below)
- The layer of the hide that is used (top grain, full grain, split)
- Quality and skill in the processing and tanning
1. Full Grain Leather
Full grain leather is a type of leather that is made from the topmost layer of the hide, known as the grain. This is the toughest and most durable part of the hide, and is also the most natural and authentic looking.
The grain layer has the characteristic texture and natural markings of the animal, such as scars and wrinkles. This gives full-grain leather a unique, authentic look and feel that is often sought after in high-end leather goods.
Full-grain leather is also considered to be the most breathable and durable type of leather, as it retains all of the natural fibers and oils that are present in the hide. These natural fibers and oils help to protect the leather from damage and give it a unique patina, or aging, over time.
Because full-grain leather is made from the topmost layer of the hide and not sanded or buffed to remove any imperfections, it usually has natural scars, wrinkles, and markings that are characteristic of that particular animal.
2. Top Grain Leather
Top-grain leather is a type of leather that is made from the topmost layer of the hide, just like full-grain leather. However, unlike full-grain leather, top-grain leather is sanded and buffed to remove any imperfections and natural markings. This results in a more uniform and smooth appearance. Top-grain leather is the second highest quality level of leather after full-grain. The sanding and buffing process used to make top-grain leather removes the surface layer of the hide, which also removes some of the natural fibers and oils that are present in full-grain leather. This makes top-grain leather less breathable and less durable than full-grain leather.
Another difference between full-grain and top-grain leather is that, because of the removal of surface imperfections, top-grain leather does not develop the same patina over time as full-grain leather.
- Corrected Grain Leather
Corrected-grain leather is a type of leather that is made from the lower layers of the hide, known as the split. These lower layers are not as durable or attractive as the topmost layer, known as the grain, and so they must be “corrected” before they can be used to make leather products. Corrected-grain leather is less durable and less breathable than full-grain or top-grain leather, but it is also less expensive. The correcting process involves sanding and buffing the leather to remove any imperfections, such as natural markings, scars, or wrinkles. Then, pigments and coatings are applied to the surface to even out the color and finish.
4. Bonded Leather
Bonded leather is considered to be a lower-quality leather product than full-grain, top-grain, or corrected-grain leather, as it is made from scraps and fibers that have been broken down, mixed with other materials, and bonded together with an adhesive. As a result, it is less durable and less authentic-looking than other types of leather, and it may also be less breathable. Bonded leather can have a fraction of the cost of higher quality leather, but its durability and appearance can’t compare
It’s important to pay attention to the labeling and information provided by the supplier to understand the quality of the leather product you are considering purchasing. With the knowledge of these leather types that are commonly used for office bags, wallets, and belts, you can get the best one suitable for your needs.
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