All About Leathers

[Jeanius 0]

COWHIDES - Introduction

Cow hides are thick. The hide is usually "split" which means that the thickness is sliced into two pieces, making nearly two sheets of leather. One sheet of leather has the "grain" or what used to be the derma - the side that had the hair. This side is called grain leather or top-grain leather or top-side leather. This is the strongest and premium quality hide.

The "split" is the underside of the hide. It has a suede look on both sides top and bottom. The leather is not as strong as grain leather and is nearly impossible to make water proof or even water resistant. Split leather is OK for some garments that do not require strength or integrity.

All split leather is not the same. an earlier poster was correct, cowhide *is* thick. So thick, in fact, that there are several layers of epidermis (think of a sheet of plywood), most of which can be used in commercial tanning applications, but not all of which are close to being superior leather or suitable for higher quality leather goods. At the tannery, a leather hide is split into 2 layers – top grain and the lower grain or "split." The lower, bottom grain is the flesh piece and may be split one or more times. The splits are generally inferior, contain less fat, and are far less supple. Because of the lower fat content, more chromium salts have to be crammed into it during the tanning-curing process in order to make it more durable. This makes it almost as stiff as cardboard and so it needs a lot of working to be shaped to form.

[Jeanius 0]

LEATHER GLOSSARY

Crocking: Removing the crock, or excess coloring, that rubs off of a newly-dyed hide.

Drum Dying: The process of coloring leather by tumbling it in a rotating drum immersed in dye. A very effective method allowing maximum dye penetration.

Embossed Leather: Leather that has been "stamped" with a design or artificial texture under very high pressure. Used, for example, to create imitation alligator hide.

Finish: Any enhancing effect applied to leather after it has been tanned. Examples are dyeing, embossing, buffing, antiquing, waxing, waterproofing, and so on.

Full Grain Leather: Leather which has not been altered beyond hair removal. Full grain leather is the most genuine type of leather, as it retains all of the original texture and markings of the original hide.

Glove Leather: Lambskin or other very soft leather typically used for gloves.

Grain: A word used to describe the natural characteristics of an unprocessed hide, such as its pores, wrinkles, markings, and texture.

Hand: A word used to describe the feel (i.e. softness or fullness) of leather, typically upholstery leather.

Nubuc: A leather whose surface has been buffed and brushed to create a soft, velvety effect. Differs from suede in that while suede is created from the flesh (inner) side of a hide, nubuc is created using the grain (outer) side, giving it added strength and durability.

Oil Tanned: Leather that is tanned using oils to create a very soft, pliable finish.

Patina: The aura or luster that develops in a quality piece of leather with age.

Perforated: Leather in which a pattern of small holes is stamped using a die.

Pigmented Leather: Leather that has been coated with a flat surface color on top of or instead of the usual dye finish. Leather is usually pigmented to add durability and hide natural blemishes.

Plating: The process of pressing leather under a heated plate. Often used in upholstery leather to mask imperfections.

Pull-up: Describes the behavior of leather that has been treated with oils, waxes, and dyes in such a way that when the leather is pulled or stretched (i.e. on upholstery), the finish becomes lighter in the stretched areas. Considered a mark of high quality.

Semi-Aniline: Aniline leather to which a matching pigment layer is added to even out the color and add protection.

Split Leather: Leather made from the lower (inner or flesh side) layers of a hide that have been split away from the upper, or grain, layers. Split leather is more fragile than side leather or full-grain leather, and is typically used in the form of suede.

Suede: Split leather that has been buffed and brushed to create a fuzzy surface feel.

Upholstery Leather: Leather created from a whole hide and intended for use in furniture, automobiles, airplanes, and other upholstery applications.

Vegetable Tanning: A method of hide tanning which utilizes materials from organic materials such as bark instead of the traditional chemicals. Vegetable tanned leather has greater body and firmness than traditionally-tanned leather.

Weight: A term which describes the heaviness or thickness of leather. Typically given in ounces per square foot or millimeters (thickness).

[Jeanius 0]

FAUX LEATHER

What is Faux Leather?

Faux leather is not totally artificial. Faux leather does have some leather included in the material makeup, but not enough to be considered real or genuine leather. There are different grades of faux leather, just like real leather.

Common Names

Faux leather has a variety of different names, all of which mean that it is not true leather. Artificial, leatherette, pleather, man-made leather, synthetic leather, leather-like and naugahyde all refer to faux leather.

Materials Used

Different polymers are blended with the leather to create a material that is similar to real leather. Vinyl and a type of softener are injected into the leather to create a durable material that still resembles leather. The amount of polymers used determines the grade: the more polymers used, the lower the grade.

[Jeanius 0]

How Is Leather Furniture Graded & Determined to Be Superior Quality?

Leather furniture is luxurious and supple and the strongest natural material known to man. While leather is a popular choice in furniture, many people aren't aware of its various grades which indicate its quality and durability. There are four grades of leather used in furniture: full grain, top grain, split grain and bonded grain. Knowing the quality of these grades is crucial when purchasing leather furniture.

FULL GRAIN

When the hide is stripped from an animal, there are two layers found: the top layer which produces the higher grade of leather and the bottom layer, which produces the poorer quality. Full grain is one of the top two leather grades which are taken from the top layers of the hide. This leather has been described as elegant and sumptuous. It's not conditioned---as is the top grain grade---to remove the markings. Such markings in high-quality leather are believed to enhance the material's texture and beauty. Full grain is the most expensive leather. It is not appropriate for a household with children and/or pets, where hard or-impossible to-remove drink and food spills, as well as scratches, are more likely to occur.

TOP GRAIN

Top grain leather also comes from the top layer of the hide. But unlike full grain leather, it is sanded or otherwise processed to remove the natural markings and imperfections of leather. It's very strong and durable. In terms of quality, it's the second highest after full grain. Top grain leather is expensive, and it has a soft, luxuriant feel. Like full grain leather, it's wise to avoid purchasing it when children and pets are around and spills and scratches are likely.

SPLIT GRAIN

Split grain, made from the bottom layer of the hide, is not as strong or durable as top grain. It also lacks the textural look of the better grades. But it's more affordable than the higher quality leathers and is the best leather to use with small children and pets. Sometimes it's embossed with markings to duplicate the look of the higher quality leathers. It can also be used on the less visible parts of leather furniture, like the sides and back.

BONDED LEATHER

Bonded leather is the lowest quality grade of leather. It's made from scraps of leather bonded together to make it look like a single piece of leather. It doesn't have the strength or durability of the single piece leathers. And some furniture experts recommend that it not be bought at all.

CAUTIONS

Some products are described as all "genuine leather." However, that may not be true. Close examination might reveal that the sides and backs, the less visible sections, are vinyl or leather that doesn't quite match. Over time, the leather can mellow and the vinyl become brittle. Be careful to keep leather furniture out of direct sunlight. The rays can cause discoloration and/or fading.

[Jeanius 0]

WHAT IS ANILINE COWHIDE?

The term "aniline" refers to an organic base used to make dyes employed by the leather industry. Some cowhides are treated with aniline to create a range of leather products that vary in appearance and durability.

PURE ANILINE

Pure aniline leather is a high-quality cowhide that has been dyed in aniline. Since no pigmentation is used, the natural characteristics of the hide, such as scars and scratches, show through. Natural color variations are apparent. This type of leather is prone to fading and stains.

PROTECTED ANILINE

Protected aniline leather is also a high-quality cowhide dyed in aniline, but added pigmentation creates a more consistent color. Due to the added color, the natural characteristics of the hide are less noticeable. This type of leather is resistant to fading, wear and stains.

SEMI-ANILINE

Semi-aniline leather is dyed with a small amount of pigmentation to provide some consistency of color while still retaining some of the natural characteristics of the original hide. This type of leather is still prone to fading, but has greater stain resistance than pure aniline.

[musingaway 0]

Hi Jeanius

Why is split grain leather better for homes with children/pets?

I always thought top grain is suitable already. I know that full grain is not.

Thanks.

[Jeanius 0]

Hi Jeanius

Why is split grain leather better for homes with children/pets?

I always thought top grain is suitable already. I know that full grain is not.

Thanks.

What they meant was that, split grain leather is so much more cost effective compared to a full grain. If it is damaged by children/pets, it is not so painful in the pocket.

[Jeanius 0]

LEATHER CARE - Genuine 100% Top Grain Leather

Leather Advantages

Pigmented leather is easy to clean and requires minimal upkeeping. Leather is denser than normal upholstery fabrics, therefore. household dirt, dust or smoke is not as easy to penetrate as in the case of fabrics. Leather breathes by absorbing and releasing humidity from the atmosphere, and therefore, users do not sweat on leather as much as we might on vinyl (artificial leather).

Normal household spills, if wiped up quick enough, will usually not stain leather. It's because leather has much less pores comparing with upholstery materials, such as fabrics.

Normal Maintenance

Wipe down the leather surface with a soft cotton cloth (slight moistened) on a daily basis.

To keep the leather natural-soft and prevent it from drying out, regularly (depends on how heavily the sofa is used) apply the leather care products onto the sofa leather. Do refer to the instructions on the care products for more details.

Never place the leather sofa too close to heaters or direct sunlight. Constant level of temperature and humidity of where the leather sofas are placed is always good for leather.

Stain Removal Procedures

Any spilled liquid should be wiped up immediately with a dry cotton cloth to reduce the chance of penetrating the leather. If a stain is left after wiping, moisten another clean cotton cloth with a small amount of neutral household detergent. Then, clean the stain in a circular motion adding light pressure until the stain fades. Dry the area with another clean cotton cloth. Never rub too hard to remove stain as leather pores might be blocked and a shiny mark might appear on the leather surface.

For stain marks, such as ink or pen marks, an "Ink lifter" by leather master or other similar products from other brands, shall be used within a short period of time after the marks have been created on the leather surface. The sooner that the above procedure is applied after the stain is marked on the leather, the higher the chance that the stain can become less visible.

Edited November 2, 2011 by Jeanius

[Jeanius 0]

What to watch out for when buying leather sofa.

After genuine cow hides have been processed, even professionals sometimes can't accurately classify the quality standard with bare hands. That is why quality oriented sofa makers always work with Italian name brand tanneries which are certified by international quality asseessment institutions.

- What kind of leather.

If it is cowhide leather, it should be written cowhide leather and not bovine or leatherette or any other terms.

- Thickness of the cowhide.

Ask about the thickness of the cowhide used.

- Grade/category of the leather

Corrected / Semi-Aniline / Full-Aniline

- Warranty

Read the warranty throughly and understand it. Ask if you are not sure about it. (Read the warranty card before purchase, not after)

- History of the company

Google about the brand and the company.

Edited November 2, 2011 by Jeanius

[Daveyap 0]

Hi Jeanius,

Just to add a link to your postings here. This organization is the ultimate expert and leading authority on leather. They provide lab testing services for companies who suspect they have been scammed by their leather suppliers/tanneries. Your company may need their services one of these days if you have been sleeping on the job Just Joking with you

http://www.leatherusa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3284

[Jeanius 0]

Thanks dave, for the link. I don't think we need it now. After many years dealing with leather sofa manufacturers, we now only buy from one factory and for the past 5 years, we have not face any leather problems, which is why we are actually planning to raise the warranty period from 2 years now to 3. No big hoo-ha here i hope. Haha...

[musingaway 0]

What they meant was that, split grain leather is so much more cost effective compared to a full grain. If it is damaged by children/pets, it is not so painful in the pocket.

Thanks for clarifying Jeanius.

[folwer 0]

actually, I have a burning questions that I meant to ask. few years back, i have a toyota car that I own for 5 years. In fact, during those days, i spent more time inside my car driving around then sitting on the sofa at home. After 5 years, despite being well use and under the sun all the while, there is no peeling or tear of my leather seats. Throughout the 5 years, I have also never used any leather care product on it.... I'm sure given the pricing of the car, the leather seat can't possibility be real or top quality leather.

So why is it that car seat leather seems to last and has better track records then sofa leather?

[Jeanius 0]

actually, I have a burning questions that I meant to ask. few years back, i have a toyota car that I own for 5 years. In fact, during those days, i spent more time inside my car driving around then sitting on the sofa at home. After 5 years, despite being well use and under the sun all the while, there is no peeling or tear of my leather seats. Throughout the 5 years, I have also never used any leather care product on it.... I'm sure given the pricing of the car, the leather seat can't possibility be real or top quality leather.

So why is it that car seat leather seems to last and has better track records then sofa leather?

Hi Folwer

I am sure your car leather upholstery is genuine leather. The grade of leather used for car upholstery are usually Top Grain Leather and it's been corrected and pigmented. Being pigmented (dyed) with protected color-finishing on the leather surface, it serves to waterproof and ensures color consistency as well as high durability. It will just slighty fade under long sunlight exposure and is well protected against normal stains. This are acheivable thanks to advance technology on leather tanning. Having this category of leather, you can easily clean up many kinds of stains simply by using neutral detergents.

Trust me, good brands will not want to ruin their reputation by using a lower grade of leather. The cost of the leather upholstery is already work into the cost of the car, ask the price of one which is fabric upholsterd.

A sofa set uses more leather, that is why it is very much more expensive if Top Grain Leather is used for the whole sofa upholstery. That is the reason why, we have so many different grades of leather. In order to make the sofa more cost effective, you will have manufacturers making what they call half-leather, PU leather, PVC leather and names that they can think of.

A genuine leather sofa set which is corrected and pigmented usually do not need much upkeeping. Most Italian tanneries, with their advanced technology produced High Performance Pigmented Leather. As mentioned above you can just use neutral detergent for everyday cleaning.

What consumers hear from Sales people making their sales pitch is that you need to take care of the leather or it will peel/crack and tear easily. That's all bull****, once i hear that, i know that they are selling split or bonded leather.

Why buy a leather sofa if it is so hard to take care of, just like you said, your car leather upholstery last you more then 5 years.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Jeanius

[folwer 0]

Thanks, Interesting to know that q cheap car like Toyota used good leather......