Man, I love your way of explaining, so easy to listen. Please do more videos about leather like: history, process, type of tan etc. Everything there is to know about leather. Thank you!
Thank you for explaining this. My husband and I are always looking for full grain leather products. Currently a couch, which is very difficult to find these days, especially in a 4 seater. (We have a long thin living room) But your products are absolutely beautiful! Will be buying a wallet or belt for my hub's birthday and christmas.
Great video. Educational and important as far as awareness of quality leathers. Growing up I always thought that genuine leather was an indication of high quality. Boy was I wrong, but I'm sure that I'm not the only one that was fooled.
I think that if they sell the "top grain", they sell the thin very top layer too. So if the top grain is not just right the top and should be called 2nd layer, what is the name for the very top layer that has been splitter and that can no more be a full grain?
Thanks for making this video! Short, sweet, and to the point. You’re a great actor to btw 👌🏼 you look like somebody the store hired just for the video and not like one of those car salesman tv ads haha
You said you'd tell us what grade of leather we might be purchasing but you didn't allude to what that label might be called. You spoke of top grade & full grain & briefly explained it. What I'd like to know is what you call both of those in a retail situation, if you're not labelling them with 'genuine leather'? And what each product looks like as a comparison, visually? I recall you saying what you use each grade for, I.e. bags, wallets, etc. So is there a thickness difference with each top grade & full grade/grain? Thx in advance Belinda
I'm new to leatherwork and I'm learning how to make things with it. I need the right leather for the right project. I make small projects now but I want to make knife sheaths and wallets. My skills are improving but I'm not ready for those projects yet. This video was helpful because I'm practicing scarp panels of different types of leather to learn how to do different things like cutting, sewing, stamping, etc. Can you tell me what's a good weight for wallets and sheaths?
Had a top grain leather bikers skull cap from H-D Motorclothes. Purchased it in 1996 or 1997. This piece of H-D apparel was rugged and had a heavy duty feel to it and really strong stitching too. It included the leather bands that tied around/over the rear neck flap or duck-tale and I could pull the bands extremely tight if needed when securing it(without ever having to worry about ripping or breaking either of the leather tie bands) to make sure no gust of wind could get underneath and blow it off my head while riding. Spent years training this skull cap to my head and after owning it for 20+ years, I accidentally lost it. Now, this skull cap only cost me about $20.00 back in 1997 but unfortunately H-D Motorclothes discontinued the item and I have searched and searched and searched and am still searching (4-5 years now) but haven't been able to find another leather skull cap that was even close to what I had and still want. I figured I would ask just for the hell of it, is there anything you can tell me that would help me either find a place or person that will custom make me a top grain rugged heavy duty (including extra / strong stitching in the ties) skull cap ... I've recently come across 1 or 2 that look like they might be close to what I'm looking for but I worry that the 2nd or 3rd time I go to tie the bands behind my head that one of them will rip or just break like and old shoe lace.......lol hell of a story for a skull cap huh? Lol Would greatly appreciate any help or advice or info you could share regarding finding someone to make it for me or where I might find something like I've described here....most leather skull caps found in shops are nothing more than frilly almost bandana like and cheap Thanks agian Billy
Out of Kip & Steerhide which is more durable?! And why do some companies market Kip as the top shelf top of the line leather , & others say Steerhide? I know there’s different types,Texas SH ,US SH, Mexican, .. mostly tanned in Japan from what i hear.. And Wagyu? Theyre usin this now? Haga is supposed to be some of the best feeling and performance leather in the game.. pricey..
Thank you for your Honest, No B.S information! Can a great quality Motorcycle Jacket be made from Full Grain leather? Or is it easier to be made from Top grain? Also if you could answer me a question how many millimeters thickness, is good quality that I should be looking for? I'm searching for a full-on sturdy heavyweight thickness, and I keep seeing 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 sometimes up to 1.5mm. is there a standard of light-duty, medium duty and heavy duty thicknesses? I would appreciate any kind of information. Thank you I love your video and thanks so much for all the useful information!
Yes ,very helpful info, I've asked the question to the manufacturer of the most recent Huge price 2 piece full Grain Leather Laguna Seca 4 Two piece suit by italian Dainese , but only received a Practiced reply ,in comparison to my other Dainese 2 piece Leather suit in Dainese speak Tu-Tu cow hide Leather. But yours Buffalo Jackson was a better explanation of full Grain Leather, And I thank you very much. From Alberta.
To be honest the temper and thickness of the leather has nothing to do with whether it is full or top grain. The top grain has a "corrected" "full grain" surface. Which means that scars, insect bites and such are removed in a top grain leather. At the same time a top grain can be used to stamp an artificial grain or some other type of pattern. The grain has nothing to do with the thickness of the leather although the grain can be a tiny tiny bit thinner, we are talking 0.001mm - 0.01mm . However the bulk of the leather thickness is made up by the suede part beneath the grain, i.e the flesh side. Which makes it fully possible to just remove the bulk of the thickness and still be able to work with 0.8-1.0mm full grain leather. The temper of leather is a combination of which tanning process the leather has gone through *and* it's thickness. Again.. it has nothing to do with the quality of the grain // Leatherworker
Remember , this is the leather type,..not the tannage. Vegetable tanned leather that is ALSO full grain is the most premium one can buy for strength and characteristics. Most full grain leather in the market is 'chrome tanned' which takes on different characteristics. Chrome tanned is when a tannery strips out all the natural color, fat and oils then adds chemicals to tan a hide faster. It makes the hide gray in color. They then 'hot stuff or liquor' a leather afterward with fats, oils and waxes after dyeing it. You can feel a leather has been artificially hot stuffed because it has a fatty, almost spongy quality. Chrome tanned leather looks it's best on day one,..then degrades from there. Vegetable tanned leather looks amazing on day one, then takes on characteristics of use (patina) over time that makes each item unique in wear and color. Avoid Genuine leather (because all that means is that it comes from an animal. Could be a rat.) Avoid Bonded leather because it's the 'particle board' of the leather world. One tends to encounter it in cheap office furniture. Cheers 🍺👍
Technically, unless leather is a Suede or Split, all leathers would be considered Top Grain. Yes, you are correct that "Full Grain" really does imply it's unaltered. But just because leather manufacturers use "Top Grain" as a marketing term, doesn't mean you should. You are showing a finished and corrected grain of leather when speaking about "Top Grain."
@@sora01897 They are all genuine leathers. Top grain is the top half of the hide, the best half, splits are the bottom half, very inferior, no strength at all. A top grain can be both full grain (untouched by sanding), or corrected (lower quality hides, sanded to remove imperfections, but it degrades the leather surface). Full grains are often called Nappa, partcularly in the German auto industry, they have a natural surface. A top grain that is corrected to reduce imperfections, is often embossed with a grain design, this hides more imperfections but it makes the hide less supple because of the pressure applied by the 9 ton embossing rollers. So the best leather is a full grain top grain, but in the industry, to call it full grain is enough, as it cannot be a full grain without being top grain. Bones Jones has a good understanding of the terms, not many do.
I purchased a full grain crocodile watch strap from Etsy, but there’s no stamps or branding indicating it is full grain, how can I tell if my leather band is in fact full grain leather? The strap shipped out from Australia, if that makes a difference
Without destroying it? I dont think you can. From what i understand youd have to cut into it and look at the grain. The tighter packed it is the better quailty. Eg Nubuck vs Suede
I really want to order one of his bags but on the website it says that it is manufactured in India. I’m not sure if I feel misled or not... Also, if there is a quality issue would I have to deal with someone in India? I really want to buy USA!
Hi Vincent, thanks for your question. We design all of our bags here in Charlotte, NC and work closely with our manufacturing partners to build the highest quality leather goods possible.
A proper explanation is rare in an industry rife with deception; misleading terms, such as "genuine leather", have been engineered to swindle customers into buying crap that does not last and is unfit for purpose.