There are many different and conflicting definitions of leather grades, but below is what we feel is the most sensible way to classify leather as a modern consumer. Full-Grain Leather Starting at the top of the chain, we have full-grain leather. The term full-grain refers to leather that hasn’t been sanded or buffed out to remove marks or imperfections, so it includes the entire thickness of the skin. While sanding these out may make the leather more visually appealing to some, keeping the grain allows for additional material strength and durability.Only the highest quality furniture, luggage, and footwear often feature full-grain leather, and it develops a beautiful patina over time. The popular natural leather that Tanner Goods uses is a...
LEATHER BAGS VS NYLON BAGS Would you go on a vacation with a leather bag or Nylon bag? The finished products or both types of bags look very good but you must first consider your needs. Let’s take a quick look at these types of bags. A Quick Look at Leather Bags Leather in its most basic form is made from the hide of an animal. On processing the hide, they are well cleaned to remove hair and debris after which a chemical process is used stretched and tan the hide. The end product can either be a soft leather (mostly used for fashion), hard (travel) or suede. Leather bags are quite strong and durable. With a good finishing touch,...
What is a man's bag? This is generally something portable, like a lady’s handbag/purse, designed to be carried most days for work and/or pleasure activities. Men’s bags often start out as practical items for carrying computers or cameras but are modified to carry more items for use during the day. If you’re looking for a new bag, you’ll need to decide exactly what you want to use it for, whether it needs to be waterproof, how many compartments you want, and so on. Fastenings also vary a great deal; you could opt for discreet magnetic closures, or brass buckles, or noisy zippers and Velcro. What is a messenger bag? This is designed to be slung over the shoulder – across...
Usually on the underside of a belt or inside a leather good, the leather quality will be stamped one of three things: genuine leather, top-grain leather, or full-grain leather. But what exactly do these mean? When you're buying your fancy leather briefcase, jacket, or shoes, you should know exactly what to look for in your leather. Genuine leather doesn't just mean that the product is made of real leather (which it is), but it also means it is the lowest quality of all products made out of real leather. Genuine leather generally doesn't last as long or look as nice as higher-quality leather. You'll typically find it in belts from mall stores, shoes from lower-priced department stores, and bags or...
Leather is one of man’s earliest and most useful discoveries. Our ancestors used leather to protect themselves from the elements. Primitive man hunted wild animals for food, then made clothing, footwear and crude tents from the hides. Like then, hides used today are a by-product. Animals are raised for the meat, dairy and wool industries, not for their hides. Roughly half of all leather produced today is used to make shoes and about 25% for clothing. Upholstery demands only around 15% of the total product. Wall paintings and artifacts in Egyptian tombs dating back to 5000 B.C. indicate that leather was used for sandals, clothes, gloves, buckets, bottles, shrouds for burying the dead and for military equipment. The ancient Greeks...