Splits!

[toxo]

I'm going to show my ignorance now but that's ok if it furthers my leathercraft education. I've been sent some samples and although I asked for them to be labelled, they're only partially so. They have the company name and colour but apart from two that are labelled veg tan there's no indication of what type, ie veg/semi veg/chrome etc. It seems that according to the price list most of them are listed as "Core" leathers. What does that mean? I know you can tell some by setting fire to them but I think another phone call to the company might better further my education.

The main reason for this post is to talk about splits. I know a split is what's left after the top grain is taken off and so is a cheaper product. And I guess a split can also be veg or chrome tanned. What's puzzling me is the four samples of splits in front of me are not suede like as I would expect them to be but have a smooth finish on both sides. How robust are these finishes likely to be and what could they be used for?