what are the 4 grades of leather?
Leather making involves various kinds of methods of tanning and by these methods, we get different types of leather. People often get confused with these grades. The grade of leather depends on the part leather is taken from, the type of coating, and the thickness of the skin. In this article, we will discuss 4 grades of leather and types of leather. We will start from the superior one that is full grain and from there we will come down to the cheapest and undesirable one that is bonded leather.
Table of Contents
1.| Full grain-
Full grain leather is obtained from the outermost layer of the animal skin that is just underneath the hair and contains the entire grain layer.
Full grain leather does not go through the sanding and buffing process and that’s the reason it is the thickest, strongest leather and is considered superior by leather experts.
Full grain is the strongest types of leather in all leather category. due to its natural grain texture and defects, one can easily relate to the the life of animals like branding marks, scratches, fat wrinkles, and insect bites.
Full grain leather tends to develop a nice patina over time with usage as it does not have any protective coating. Full grain leather is usually finished with soluble aniline dye which retains its grain structure.
2.| Top grain-
When Full grain leather is subjected to surface modifications in order to create an evenly textured surface. The modification involves sanding and buffing the surface and removing all irregularities then dying and embossing the surface to get an even textured leather.
Top grain leather is also robust and durable but not as strong as full-grain. Top grain is the most widely used leather worldwide.
By sanding and buffing the leather it becomes less rigid and it gets easier to work with and handle so that more flexibility can be achieved to make garments, upholstery, etc.
Top grain leather is usually finished with semi-aniline dye which provides a protective and stain-resistant coating to leather. Although coating is supposed to protect it it can also limit the breathability of skin and can prevent natural patina.
3.| Split grain or corrected grain-
The leftover part of the hide which does not contain any grains is called split leather. After the full grain and top grain are separated, the leftover is called drop split. In thicker hides it can further split into middle split and flesh split which are further less stronger than the drop split.
Split grain leather is not even nearly as strong and durable as full grain and top grain leather.
Split-grain leather is usually finished with an artificial uniform-grain texture and pigmented dye which gives it a smooth surface that is highly protective of stains and moisture. Split grain is also called genuine leather.
4.| Bonded leather-
Bonded leather is the lowest quality of leather. It is a kind of fake leather. It is a man-made material and its making is very much similar to that of a paper.
Leathe r scrap and fibers are shredded and converted into a fine pulp, then this pulp is mixed with adhesives and bonded on a paper or cloth backing.
Bonded leather is the cheapest form of leather as it contains only 20-30% leather. It is also called Composite leather and Reconstituted leather. It is as good as artificial leather. As it contains a little part of leather, it can technically be called leather genuine leather to fool the novice.
Conclusion-
In the above discussed 4 grains of leather, only full grain and top grain leathers are the most preferred ones in the different kinds of leather. However, it’s totally up to you and the project you are working on.
I hope you enjoyed reading our article on Different grades of leather.
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