How Can You Identify the Quality of Leather?

Leather isn’t cheap, and there are a lot of imitation fabrics out there that are competing with the real deal. However, quality isn’t something you want to skimp on when it comes to purchasing exotic leather products in Baton Rouge, LA, or anywhere. Whether it’s a genuine alligator belt or custom crocodile shoes that you’re after, making sure you can identify the quality of leather is important for any purchase.

So how does one go about determining how valuable a piece of leather really is? It doesn’t come down to one factor. Rather, there are a handful of aspects that can affect the quality of a piece of leather. From the type of animal it comes from to the way the hide is treated, the more you know about a piece of leather, the better.

The type of animal

First and foremost, the type of animal the leather is coming from will be a determining factor in deciding its quality. This is because different breeds of animals can produce different qualities of hides depending on their genetics. For example, a cow that lives in a colder climate might have a thicker hide for elemental protection, while a cow living in a warmer climate might not.

Where the animal lived

Similarly, the climate in which the animal lived also plays a more immediate role in affecting leather quality. In hotter areas, insects are often a problem, biting animals and leaving scars on their hides. The animal’s climate can also play a role in how much protective hair an animal grows, which helps keep the animal from accruing external scars.

The portion of the animal

The portion of the animal the leather was cut from is another crucial aspect of quality. The lower the cut on the animal, the looser the fibers are, and there is also more likelihood of the hide having scars from insects and fencing. Hide taken from around the legs, head or neck often has wrinkles, which become nearly impossible to remove during the leather’s processing.

The layer of the hide

The hide is actually made up of multiple layers, and each layer can have a large impact on quality. The highest quality layers of the hide are full grain leather and top grain leather. Full grain leather is taken from the topmost layer of the hide, preserving the hide’s original firmness. With top grain leather, the surface of the hide is sanded off to remove any imperfections.

The quality of processing

Lastly, the process of tanning and finishing a raw hide can affect quality, and for this reason, the leather artisan’s skill becomes imperative. During the tanning process, the artisan must essentially treat the raw hide so as to make it non-decomposable. For the finishing process, final touches are added to the leather, including elements such as texture, dye and surface carvings.

At Acadian Leather, we make sure you’re getting the highest quality of exotic leather products in Baton Rouge, LA. From the animal to the finishing, you can trust us to produce top-notch leather products no matter what custom design you’re looking for.

Categorised in: Leather Care