Different types of leather used to make bags, wallets and belts

Leather is made from animal skin that has been tanned. It is one of the oldest human inventions and has been used in many applications. Today it is mainly used in clothing for leather belts, shoes, purses and wallets.

The different types of leather are found according to the type of animal skin used and the tanning and manufacturing methods used. The most widely used skins are made from cowhide, but leather from other animals, such as eels, kangaroos, and ostriches, are also popular in the fashion industry.

the tanning process

The leather can be tanned with products of vegetable origin using tannins and other vegetable matter such as tree bark. The desired color is obtained by using a chemical mixture.

Alum-tanned leather is made with aluminum salts. It is less flexible than vegetable-tanned leathers, but can be converted to much lighter shades than vegetable-tanned. Both alum and vegetable tanned leather will rot in water.

Chromium salt tanning is a new tanning method that leaves the leather very supple and more resistant to water.

Brain-tanned leather or suede is washable and significantly softer. The production of this type of tanning process is time consuming and therefore more expensive than the methods described above.

Different grades of skins.

Full grain leather is made with the best quality skins. This is used in the best products. This type of leather is not altered from the original skin other than removing the hair and tanning the skin.

Top grain leather is sanded on one side and given an artificial grain to hide raw material imperfections. The other side of premium leather is fuzzy. The suede is fuzzy on both sides as it is cut from the inside of an animal hide.

Patent leather is a very shiny and smooth leather, which is made by coating the leather with plastic.

Nappa leather is known for its softness, as it is made from the skin of a fetal calf.

Italian leather is best known in the fashion industry, especially those produced in Milan and Florence. Only the best leathers are used with high quality dyes and chemicals to produce premium quality leather used by the fashion industry.

When shopping for leather products, look for stamped markings, which indicate full grain, top grain, or leather. If you’re shopping online, knowing the type of leather the bag, purse, or belt is made of will give you a guide to how the item will feel.