Full Grain Leather vs. Genuine Leather

You might have noticed when shopping for leather goods that there are quite a few types of leather that are used in the production of these goods. Wistfully, not many customers are mindful of the differences these leather types have. 

People are not aware of the names full grain and top grain leather, and they often look for genuine leather, but if the leather product is labelled as genuine leather, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the quality is top-notch. Genuine leather has become the most misleading catchphrase that lures customers into buying faux leather goods. 

However, if you are searching for high-quality leather, you need to look for full grain leather.
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Full Grain Leather

When customers hear the phrase full-grain leather, it gives them the impression that the leather might look extremely grainy and pebbly, but that is not the case. Full-grain leather is the best quality of leather you can get. The kind of richness and depth of full-grain leather is impossible with any other type of leather. Full-grain leather refers to hide with all of its layered intact and not sanded down. 

To understand the difference between full grain and genuine leather, we first need to understand the three layers of hide.

The Grain

The grain is the outermost layer of the hide, this is the part that is clearly visible to the eyes, and it is also the most robust layer of the hide; the fibres are tightly woven. Since it is the top outermost layer, it makes sense that it is the strongest because it protects the animals from predators and fences in the wild.

The Junction

The junction is where the fibres start to loosen up, and the grain transitions to the suede part of the hide.

The Suede (Split)

The suede part of the hide is also referred to as split. Its softer fibres make up the bulk of the hide, and it is the weakest layer of the hide.

Once the top layer of the hide is altered in specific ways, you can no longer get full-grain leather. After the top layer gets altered, you can get top grain, corrected grain, and genuine leather.

Genuine Leather

Genuine leather is the phrase commonly used for anything that is remotely leather. The term has been used so much over the years that it has lost its worth. But unfortunately, many customers still believe that genuine leather is the best or premium quality that demands a high price. However, the opposite is often the case. 

Genuine leather can include any kind of leather. The definition consists of hides from all the animals, including pigs and goats, etc., and it also includes discarded scraps of leather, which means that you will pay a high price and in return you could be getting scraps of goat hide reformed into jackets and bags in the name of genuine leather.

Full-grain leather can also be called genuine leather by definition because it is also made from animal hide, but someone who has the knowledge about the difference between the two will never market his full-grain leather by calling it genuine leather. Full-grain leather is considered the best because it is not sanded down or weakened but is a full hide.

The hide can be shaved down to different thicknesses, but it is done from the suede side not to weaken the hide. This method allows you to have full-grain leather with varying thicknesses without compromising the quality of the leather.

We hope to have helped you get a more precise understanding of the two types of leather. To shop for leather laptop bags in the UK, visit Obi Pelle and check out our collection of professional-looking laptop bags and other leather goods.