Common Leather Myths?

[nstarleather]

Hi folks, posted this over one Reddit and it was fun to hear what people have heard over the years from customers or even other leatherworkers...let's talk misconceptions and myths common to our craft!

 

I'm sure over the years a lot of us have gotten customers who will insist on something they've heard on the internet about a particular type of leather is true, insisting that I do or don't use a specific type of leather because of something they've read.

Here are a few that I hear frequently some are very egregious, others just assumptions that are more or less harmless:

• Full grain leather is the full thickness of the original hide. (probably the most demonstrably false of the bunch).

• Genuine is a specific kind of (low quality) leather

• Leather that has a light edge isn't fully tanned

• "x" type of leather is the best (veg-tan, full grain, bridle, CXL, etc...we all know there are a lot of good leathers)

• All veg tan is natural veg (not that people say it but they get confused if I show them a "normal" leather like Essex or Dublin that happens to be veg).

Anyway those are a few I've heard...one bonus one I heard just this week: "You wouldn't want to use veg-tan for a backpack because it will bleed color"...

Obviously some of these have a grain of truth that got exaggerated.

Which ones have you heard that bother you?

[Tugadude]

2 hours ago, nstarleather said:

grain of truth

I see what you did there!

[nstarleather]

56 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

I see what you did there!

What's your fav?  Some of the ones mentioned on Reddit besides these was the idea the leather goods last 50 or 100 years...things wear out. 15-20 is about as good as you'll get for most items that see everyday use. 

[Tugadude]

Don't really have any favorites, but I guess the one I see abused the most is when something is advertised as genuine leather.  Of course it may be, they aren't lying, but they are taking advantage (to a degree) of the public's lack of knowledge.  At least it seems that way to me.

 

This is a pretty good description from businessinsider.com...

Genuine leather

Genuine leather doesn't just mean that the product is made of real leather (which it is), but it also means it is the lowest quality of all products made out of real leather. Basically, you should read it as: "At least it's genuine leather."

Genuine leather generally doesn't last as long or look as nice as higher-quality leather. You'll typically find it in belts from mall stores, shoes from lower-priced department stores, and bags or other goods in the lower price range.

Goods marked as genuine leather will be several layers of low-quality leather bonded together with glue and then painted to look uniform. It's made from what is left over when the other, higher grades are stripped away for pricier projects.

[nstarleather]

1 hour ago, Tugadude said:

Don't really have any favorites, but I guess the one I see abused the most is when something is advertised as genuine leather.  Of course it may be, they aren't lying, but they are taking advantage (to a degree) of the public's lack of knowledge.  At least it seems that way to me.

 

This is a pretty good description from businessinsider.com...

Genuine leather

Genuine leather doesn't just mean that the product is made of real leather (which it is), but it also means it is the lowest quality of all products made out of real leather. Basically, you should read it as: "At least it's genuine leather."

Genuine leather generally doesn't last as long or look as nice as higher-quality leather. You'll typically find it in belts from mall stores, shoes from lower-priced department stores, and bags or other goods in the lower price range.

Goods marked as genuine leather will be several layers of low-quality leather bonded together with glue and then painted to look uniform. It's made from what is left over when the other, higher grades are stripped away for pricier projects.

While I agree that companies will trick people, they can do it with "full grain" as well...full grain just means it's not been sanded...were you to toss out all other "quality factors" you can make full grain pretty cheaply, which is why you'll see it more an more in mass produced goods. 

Genuine as a low quality leather is actually a myth too...or at least a huge over simplification. 

 

 The idea that "genuine" is some specific low grade/quality/tier is actually my least favorite myth because it's so common and even people who should know get tricked because it's repeated so much. 

 

So NO, not everything marked Genuine will be layers of low quality leather...yes sometimes that's the case but it's not specifically what "genuine" means.  The "leather" they describe in that article is actually called a "finished split".

 

  Both Horween and SB Foot say it just means "real" :

https://www.thetanneryrow.com/leather101/2016/9/8/moksha-sample-blog-post-01

https://imgur.com/a/Tdtbjge

Call up a tannery, you can't buy anything just called "genuine leather"...they'll give you a blank confused stare. 

[Tugadude]

But, and there's always a but.  I found the following article which distinguishes between how the term "genuine leather" is viewed in the U.K.

GENUINE vs. FULL GRAIN?

As a British company, we find ‘genuine leather’ often gets lost in translation between the UK and the USA. In the States, ‘genuine’ refers to leather that undergoes some or several layers of extra treatment. Found beneath the surface of the top, full-grain outer hide, this layer is typically split apart and bound together to mimic the properties of high quality leather. However, this layer has less memory and doesn’t hold its shape so well. So, although ‘genuine leather’ derives from the same cow hide as full-grain and is still technically real leather, it’s known to be cheaper quality.

However, in the UK, the terms ‘genuine’ and ‘full-grain’ are interchangeable. They both refer to the same top quality level of leather, so whilst ‘genuine leather’ has become common code for ‘cheap’ across the pond, it means the total opposite here in Britain.

For us, full-grain and genuine leather both represent the entire top grain layer. Known to be the strongest part of the animal’s hide, this leather is durable and holds its shape. Full-grain leather is also typically left in a natural state – which means branding, scars and any imperfections from the animal’s hide often show up. These blemishes affect the final appearance and even the desirability of the product, so companies will often reject sub-quality hide in favour of blemish-free stock. This factors into the final cost of the product, which explains why a smooth, flawless, full-grain leather item is generally the most expensive to invest in.

 

Edit: The quote above is from The British Belt Company

Edited September 1, 2022 by Tugadude

[nstarleather]

25 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

But, and there's always a but.  I found the following article which distinguishes between how the term "genuine leather" is viewed in the U.K.

GENUINE vs. FULL GRAIN?

As a British company, we find ‘genuine leather’ often gets lost in translation between the UK and the USA. In the States, ‘genuine’ refers to leather that undergoes some or several layers of extra treatment. Found beneath the surface of the top, full-grain outer hide, this layer is typically split apart and bound together to mimic the properties of high quality leather. However, this layer has less memory and doesn’t hold its shape so well. So, although ‘genuine leather’ derives from the same cow hide as full-grain and is still technically real leather, it’s known to be cheaper quality.

However, in the UK, the terms ‘genuine’ and ‘full-grain’ are interchangeable. They both refer to the same top quality level of leather, so whilst ‘genuine leather’ has become common code for ‘cheap’ across the pond, it means the total opposite here in Britain.

For us, full-grain and genuine leather both represent the entire top grain layer. Known to be the strongest part of the animal’s hide, this leather is durable and holds its shape. Full-grain leather is also typically left in a natural state – which means branding, scars and any imperfections from the animal’s hide often show up. These blemishes affect the final appearance and even the desirability of the product, so companies will often reject sub-quality hide in favour of blemish-free stock. This factors into the final cost of the product, which explains why a smooth, flawless, full-grain leather item is generally the most expensive to invest in.

 

Edit: The quote above is from The British Belt Company

So once again the Brits got it right… 

In the USA the negative connotation has a lot to do with a viral video that said as much and a corresponding “Leather 101” that was posted on the video author’s site.  That 101 got copy/pasted into tons of other fashion blogs and here we are today.

Back in the day genuine was a positive.  Here’s a blog post I did some years back:

https://nstarleather.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/genuine-leather-has-become-a-4-letter-word/

[fredk]

My main hate is the myth that 'ready rivets' are not strong and will pull apart easily. Not so in my 22 years of experience

Sewing with a sewing machine is not proper leather working/crafting & sewing machine sewing is not as good as hand sewing. Proper hand sewing can only be done using a hog's bristle

Brass buckles (or other brass hardware) will make the leather rot

If I/you/we make a historical replica very neat and tidy, with good sewing, neat edges, good carving or stamping, its not 'real' - the ancients, the Greeks, Romans, Corinthians, Chinese, Mongolians, Vikings, Persians, Medieval Europeans, Victorian age Europeans & Americans . . . . . .  never made things as good as that, they didn't know how to

Chrome tanned leather will cause cancer to anyone who uses a lot of it, either as a leather crafter or a wearer

Chrome tanned leather takes hundreds of years to decompose and it pollutes the environment with heavy metals (chromium)

[nstarleather]

2 hours ago, fredk said:

My main hate is the myth that 'ready rivets' are not strong and will pull apart easily. Not so in my 22 years of experience

Sewing with a sewing machine is not proper leather working/crafting & sewing machine sewing is not as good as hand sewing. Proper hand sewing can only be done using a hog's bristle

Brass buckles (or other brass hardware) will make the leather rot

If I/you/we make a historical replica very neat and tidy, with good sewing, neat edges, good carving or stamping, its not 'real' - the ancients, the Greeks, Romans, Corinthians, Chinese, Mongolians, Vikings, Persians, Medieval Europeans, Victorian age Europeans & Americans . . . . . .  never made things as good as that, they didn't know how to

Chrome tanned leather will cause cancer to anyone who uses a lot of it, either as a leather crafter or a wearer

Chrome tanned leather takes hundreds of years to decompose and it pollutes the environment with heavy metals (chromium)

Those all great and I’ve heard versions of them all.  I especially think that one about historical stuff is a good one…anyone who have been to a museum know how many things form days long past were made with a real artistry and attention to detail…just because leather doesn’t age as well as metal and jewels doesn’t mean the work wasn’t done with great care.

[Ed in Tx]

How about automakers that say their vehicles have "leather seats" when in actuality the seats are really bonded leather. one of those technicality things I guess.