How Does One Tell The Quality Of Leather On A Finished Product?

[knashville]

For instance when shopping and looking at a belt, or a watch band, or a jacket even.

If something just says "leather X" or "Genuine leather" how can I or someone else tell if it's good quality?

[MonicaJacobson]

There's a discussion of some of the terms here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=63308&hl=%2Bgenuine+%2Bleather

There's certainly a cheap leather look. The leather looks thin, unsubstantial, and characterless. Just look on ebay, etsy, or anywhere else - there are lots of bags for $100.00, and a lot of them have a very similar look, even though they come from many different sellers.

A lot of what you are asking depends on what you really mean, though. Are you asking how to tell the difference between good leather and bad leather or machine sewing vs. hand sewing? And just because something isn't sewn by hand doesn't mean it's inferior - I believe some of the highest end bags have hand sewn and machine sewn elements.

[knashville]

There's a discussion of some of the terms here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=63308&hl=%2Bgenuine+%2Bleather

There's certainly a cheap leather look. The leather looks thin, unsubstantial, and characterless. Just look on ebay, etsy, or anywhere else - there are lots of bags for $100.00, and a lot of them have a very similar look, even though they come from many different sellers.

A lot of what you are asking depends on what you really mean, though. Are you asking how to tell the difference between good leather and bad leather or machine sewing vs. hand sewing? And just because something isn't sewn by hand doesn't mean it's inferior - I believe some of the highest end bags have hand sewn and machine sewn elements.

Thanks for chiming in! I do not mean hand stitched versus machine stitched. I mean the actual quality of the leather such as those shitty belts that you can buy at a mall kiosk versus something like a pair of shoes from Timberland.

[MonicaJacobson]

I'd be interested to see what other people use, but in my (somewhat limited) experience, the quality of leather and the way it is used is related.

As an extreme generalization, it seems to me that the higher quality the leather, sometimes the simpler the design. Or, conversely, the more complicated the design, the cheaper the product. Of course, that's absolutely not true. But it does seem to be true as long as you're under the $800.00 mark. If something is complicated, it requires thinner leather. There are a lot of complicated patterns being used and sold for $100.00, but they're all made with cheap, thin leather, and only last a few years. Most truly complicated products with thin, high quality leather, are over $800.00.

It's like the "fast, good, and cheap; pick two" scenario. If it's complicated and cheap, it's almost sure to be sub-par leather. The exception are a lot of the USA workers who start with extremely good leather, but because they're not being marketed, have to sell their products for less, at first. Though never as cheaply as mass produced products.

I know this wasn't really what you had in mind. I simply don't know another way to actually discern good leather from bad except experience, working with it, or perhaps buying a lot of it and using it for years.

I'd be interested to see if anyone else has any advice on the subject.

[DavidL]

From a manufacturing view point the amount of marks, imperfections and difference in thickness throughout the hide is a nightmare for manufacturers. Using genuine leather or synthetic leather cuts down the amount of waste in some cases for HUGE companies in the hundred thousands to millions of dollars. There is a place for genuine leather, if you want a product that is cheap and you want to buy a different pair that is in style. Using leathers that are full grain on cheap shoes would be a waste for the buyer and seller.

Thats where full grain, bridle leather, or luxury leather has its role, for products that are meant to not be fast fashion, they are meant for classic products, and durable products.

If you want something that will cost 20 dollars and last a year buy genuine leather. At the end of the day to me when I buy low priced item I always receive something that is almost good and almost bad. Its not what I wanted but its just good enough for me to use it. So many corners were cut just to reach the price point.

A belt that will last for years expect to pay 70+.

[Art]

If you are bringing a product to market and you want to make and sell a gazillion of them, then they need to be professionally engineered, if not for cost (don't kid yourself), then for manufacturing. If you are making leather car seat covers or furniture then where are you going to get big expanses of leather to cut down on the labor cost of seaming smaller pieces together (like they did in my '53 Packard)? You have to resort to some technique that provides the size and consistency you need and the ability to say "leather seats". So you find "bonded" leather that contains leather hide leftovers (the worst of the hides after salvaging the good portions) that are prepared into a slurry and bonded to a polyester backing. This is cheap leather, but really fulfills it's intended purpose. It can be manufactured to be durable (well kind of), pliable, the desired thickness, the desired finish, and most of all cheap. All your bonded products will be made with "genuine leather", you can stamp it in gold right on the product.

Custom and semi-custom makers usually take pride in acquiring the best quality products they can. There are a few suppliers in the US that make really quality leather. Horween, Wickett & Craig, Hermann Oak to name a few, and several very good retanners and chrome tanners who provide excellent product. These companies are not inexpensive but provide excellent quality product at reasonable (but then not inexpensive) pricing. Some companies will mark the flesh side of the leather, Horween comes to mind. However, that being absent, quality leather is usually used in quality construction.

Art

[impulse]

I was in a shop which specialised in handbags and luggage. I often browse through to get ideas for making custom handbags and was looking at a rack of bags advertised as "genuine leather". On close inspection, I could tell that the materials used were synthetic BUT there was one small piece that WAS leather - a tag on which were stamped the words "genuine leather".

I found the same fraudulent claims on a gents belt. It looked good when new, but the holes for the buckle tongue failed after 2 weeks wear. On disassembling this belt, the outside surface was thin synthetic made to look more substantial with a layer of cardboard and lined with tissue thin real leather on which was stamped "genuine leather".

Be guided by feel, smell and price. These goods were being sold by top retail stores, which were probably ignorant to the misrepresentation and it is definitely a case of BUYER BEWARE!