Everything you need to know about the types of leather materials

The types of leather materials include natural leather (top, second layer & synthetic leather), artificial leather (PVC, PU leather), and recycled leather.

Leather is non-perishable animal skin. It has a special grain layer on its surface. Therefore, the leather has a natural grain and luster and is comfortable to the touch. Let’s take a look together.

Comparison of pros and cons of different leathers

Types of leather materials
ProsCons
Genuine leather
Soft and elasticExpensive
Faux leatherWide variety of designs and colors, lifelike appearance, easy to take care ofThe leather surface is astringent, rigid, and poor in softness
Regenerated leatherRelatively neat leather edge, high utilization rate, cheap priceThicker and weaker skin

What is natural leather?

Genuine leather refers to natural leather processed from animal skins. According to its type, there are mainly pig leather, cow leather, sheep leather, horse leather, donkey leather, and kangaroo leather. But, there is also a small amount of fish leather, reptile leather, amphibian leather, and ostrich leather. Among them, cow leather is divided into yellow cow leather, buffalo leather, yak leather, and yak leather. Sheep leather includes sheep leather and goat leather.

Top layer leather

What is the top layer of leather?

-The top layer of the cowhide is the upper skin of the cow’s body. Its surface has raw skin features.

Pros and cons:

The leather surface of the first layer of cowhide has clear pores and texture. It has good natural properties. And the appearance is flat and soft. The texture is firm and elastic to the touch. But, It is easier to damage.

Top layer leather
Image from: acctrims

Distinguish:

To identify the quality of the top layer of cowhide, it is necessary to observe whether the cross-section of the leather is intact. If it is a high-quality top layer of cowhide, you can clearly see the compact cross-sectional structure. But, if it is inferior top layer cowhide, its cross section looks very rough.

Cleaning and maintenance

  1. Clean up frequently. Keep the pores on the surface of the cowhide from being blocked by dust. Moreover, keep indoor ventilation frequently.
  2. When cleaning at ordinary times, be sure to use pure cotton cloth or silk to moisten it and wipe it gently to keep it clean.
  3. If there is a pen mark, it can be removed by gently wiping it with an eraser for a short time.
  4. Do not expose to the sun, fire, wash, or hit with sharp objects or contact with chemical solvents.
  5. Keep dry and store in a cool and ventilated place.

Second layer leather

What is the second layer of leather?

-The second layer of the cowhide is added with PVC and PU materials to rebond the leather. Therefore, it is suitable for making leather products. Moreover, it looks very classy. Also, the appearance is indistinguishable from the first layer of skin.

Second layer leather

Pros and cons:

The texture is relatively loose and has certain elasticity and plasticity. The price is cheaper than the first layer of cowhide. However, the durability and strength are not as good as the first layer of cowhide.

Distinguish:

The smell of the second layer of cowhide will be less pleasant. Then, the top layer of yellow cowhide has only a faint smell.

Cleaning and maintenance

Try to use a semi-wet cloth to clean off the dirt on the leather surface. If you encounter oils that are not easy to wash, you can add some usual detergent to a semi-wet cloth. Then, wipe with a clean cloth.

Synthetic leather

Synthetic leather is also called PU leather. It is made by coating PU resin (a polymer material) on cloth.

Pros and cons:

It is light and easy to process. Moreover, it is wear-resistant and inexpensive. However, it has poor air permeability and is prone to cracking.

Distinguish:

Synthetic leather has a uniform thickness and a smooth surface. But no natural defects. The pores and patterns are also very uniform. In general, there is no pile in the leather.

Cleaning and maintenance

When wiping, use dry wiping and water wiping. In addition, do not place related products in a space with high humidity. Excessive humidity will cause damage to the surface film and shorten the service life.

Artificial leather

Artificial leather is an extremely popular leather material. We can use it to make various leather products. And it can also replace part of the leather material.

In addition, its surface technology almost achieves the effect of genuine leather. Therefore, its price is also comparable to that of domestic top-layer leather.

PVC artificial leather

Its advantages are high product strength, easy processing, and low cost.

The disadvantage is poor oil resistance and high-temperature resistance. And it’s not that soft to the touch. So the feel is poor.

We can use them for all kinds of bags, seat covers, linings, sundries, etc.

PU artificial leather

PU artificial leather also has good breathability and warmth. Especially, it is more comfortable to wear when we make it into clothes.

Pu artificial leather has a smell of plastic. The severity of this taste is related to the quality of PU artificial leather. And it is suitable for the decoration of bags, clothing, shoes, vehicles, and furniture.

PU synthetic leather

PU synthetic leather is cheap and rich in color and pattern. But, it tends to harden and become brittle.

Therefore, it is suitable for the decoration of bags, clothing, shoes, vehicles, and furniture.

Recycled leather

Regenerated leather is moisture-wicking and breathable. Well-made regenerated leather also has the softness of real leather. Plus, they’re stretchy and lightweight. Moreover, it has strong resistance to extreme high and low temperatures. And it is wear-resistant. However, they are weaker than dermis of equal thickness. Of course, it is worse than PU.

types of leather materials: recycled leather

Therefore, it is only suitable for making stereotyped craft products. Such as cheap briefcases, trolley bags, club covers, and cheap belts.

In conclusion

Real leather, faux leather, and synthetic leather are common types of leather materials. They each have their own strengths. Therefore, customers can choose the leather material that suits them. Acctrims supplies leather products for various clothing, shoes & hats, and bag brand companies. Such as leather labels, leather tags, leather patches, leather bags, leather hang tags, and belts. You can customize your brand logo on it. Any color, size, or type is ok. If you have questions, please contact us. We will serve you wholeheartedly. We are the garment trims and accessories manufacturer and supplier.

What are the main leather fabrics? What garments can be used for?

There are many main leather fabrics such as natural capillary, natural rough fur, faux fur, pure/full/semi aniline, trimmed, full/half grain, split and more. Leather is composed of natural protein fibers tightly woven in three dimensions. Its surface has a special grain layer. So it has a natural grain and luster and is comfortable to the touch. So, what are the main leather fabrics? What kind of clothing can they be used on?

leather labels material

Main leather fabrics

1, Natural size capillary

Natural large capillary leather mainly includes fox fur, mink skin, lynx skin, and badger skin. And we often use it to make high-end children’s hats, coats, and capes. Natural small capillary leather mainly includes sable, mink, squirrel, ferret, and so on. This kind of capillary is short and soft, suitable for high-end children’s coats, hats, scarves, shawls, etc.

2, Natural rough fur

Commonly used natural rough fur leathers include sheepskin, dog skin, wolf skin, leopard skin, etc. The hair is long and wide. It can be used to make hats, coats, vests, linings, etc.

Natural rough fur

3, Artificial leather

Artificial leather is made by mixing various types of chemical fibers. Faux fur has a larger format. Can be dyed in a variety of bright colors. In addition, it has the appearance of animal fur. Various wild and farmed fur species can be imitated. But its biggest feature is that it is not environmentally friendly, not easy to degrade, and pollutes the environment.

leather label fabrics 02

4, Pure aniline

Leather decorated with no pigments but only dyes with aniline effect are the best leather in the world. Those who love truly natural products will especially like this leather. 5% of world leather production falls into this category. Only some Grade A leathers meet the criteria for this category. This leather does not have any finishing. Maybe just a thin coat of wax or a light coat of oil to enhance the feel and aesthetics. Machine breaking or buffing is usually the finishing touch for this type of leather.

leather label fabrics 03

5, All-aniline

As with pure aniline leather, only some of the finest leathers in the world fall into this category. The only difference between it and pure aniline leather is that the raw leather used will be a slightly lower grade. There is only a thin protective layer on the surface. We usually use wax and transparent pigments to coat it on the surface.

All-aniline

6, Semi-aniline

This leather requires a little more work and has a little finish. Spray the paint lightly on the surface of the leather to even out the color and hide any existing imperfections. This leather has good light fastness and scratch resistance, and is easy to clean. 10-15% of world leather production belongs to this leather. Most B-grade leathers meet the criteria for this category. Many discolored types of leather begin by lightly sanding and smoothing the grain.

leather label fabrics 05

7, Trim the surface

The grain surface is partially buffed away to lessen the effects of grain imperfections. A false grain is then created through various finishing methods to mimic full-grain leather. 18% of the world’s leather production belongs to this leather. This kind of leather has undergone more processing. Such as: frosting, sanding, embossing, and paint to cover up the original flaws.

The top layer of leather is the outer leather with grain. About 0.9 to 1.5mm. This kind of leather very obviously needs to be sanded. Because it has no use other than artificially creating a fake grain surface to replace the original surface. The remaining 65% of world leather production is unsuitable for furniture. We can only use them to make shoes, clothes, belts, handbags, and car seat cushions.

leather fabrics for shoes

8, Full grain

This is leather in which the grain pattern remains intact and the natural pores and grain are clearly visible. The better the leather, the fewer touch-ups are needed. The original grain of cheap leather is buffed away and painted. They are not as soft as full-grain leather. Although a layer of paint covers it, the original texture variation is still visible.

leather label fabrics 07

9, Half grain

We lightly buff only part of the grain of the leather. However, that part of the grain that has not been worn off remains on the entire leather surface. Leather with natural pores and texture still visible on the grain. Basically, half-grain leather is not split.

10, Splitting leather

The skin is divided into several layers, and the one with the grain is called the first layer of skin. The following are the second layer of skin and the third layer of skin. And the one with the meat surface layer is the meat surface split skin. Using modern technology, it is possible to finish, paint and emboss split leather suitable for furniture. Of course, split leather is not as durable as top-layer leather. But tweaking their thickness can yield interesting results. Unless otherwise specified, generally finished split leather is not suitable for seat cushions.

leather labels-02

Maintenance common sense

The maintenance of leather clothing should pay attention to the following points:

  1. Avoid contamination with grease and chemical solvents to prevent discoloration;
  2. Regular waxing or jacket oil maintenance;
  3. Do not fold the leather jacket at ordinary times. It is suitable to hang on hangers;
  4. Do not expose to the sun;
  5. Do not put sanitary balls when storing, so as to avoid chemical reactions and harden the cortex.

In conclusion

Leather fabrics have many types due to technology. Different kinds are suitable for different types of clothing, shoes & hats, and household furniture items. We are a supplier specializing in the production of leather fabrics, leather labels, leather patches, and leather bags. If you have any custom needs, please contact us. Hope this article is helpful to you.

PU artificial leather for brands

PU artificial leather is polyurethane with soft and wear-resistant features, it and PU synthetic leather both belong to artificial leather for fashion brands. In China, people are accustomed to using PU resin as raw materials to produce artificial leather called PU artificial leather(PU leather for short). It is almost equal to the natural leather on the market. It is usually used to make shoes, clothes, bags, decorations, and so on.

In daily life, PU artificial leather and noble seem to have the same meaning. A pair of high-end PU leather not only depends on its brand, style, and craftsmanship. But more importantly, the beauty of natural PU leather products. In terms of leather sales target, PU artificial leather is far more than others. Similarly, it is ideal for the application of leather labels for clothing. And because it is a natural product with limited sources, so it is more expensive. It is used to a certain extent. It can satisfy people’s pursuit of natural leather.

Advantages of PU artificial leather

First, we all know that natural leather is no different from animal fur. Therefore, some rare animal leather resources are in short supply according to the law. And people who like this kind of clothing can choose PU material. Thus, PU artificial leather can reduce damage and save money. Meanwhile, designing personalized PU custom leather tags is a good decoration for your brands.

At present, the technology of artificial leather has reached a relatively mature development stage. It can replace natural leather; the shape can be almost the same. PU artificial leather is softer and more wear-resistant than natural leather. Meanwhile, it is easier to take care of. It is breathable and warm. Especially when it is made into clothes, it is more comfortable to wear. And compared with real leather, its cost is cheaper.

Images of PU artificial leather

How to clean PU artificial leather?

  • Wash with water and detergent, avoid gasoline scrubbing;
  • It cannot be dry-cleaned;
  • We can only wash it. The washing temperature cannot exceed 40 degrees;
  • We need to wash it with water and detergent, avoid gasoline scrubbing;

Based on the above points, I think everyone has their own judgment. At present, people’s demand for artificial leather is large. To a certain extent, PU artificial leather is better than natural leather.

How to make leather labels?

Leather labels are mainly sewn on the back waist of jeans, and of course, they are also widely used on bags, handbags, shoes, hats, and other products. There are various kinds of materials of leather labels, including genuine leather, imitation leather, microfiber leather, canvas, horsehair, PVC, TPU… and so on. It can be expressed by giving LOGO or company-designated patterns on different materials.

Continue reading “How to make leather labels?”

What is PVC artificial leather?

PVC artificial leather(Polyvinyl chloride artificial leather) is made by coating PVC resin, plasticizer, stabilizer, and other additives on the fabric. Or it is laminated with a layer of PVC film, and then processed through a certain process.

Continue reading “What is PVC artificial leather?”

What does natural leather include?

Clothing leather is mainly clothing leather and shoe leather, with pig, sheep, cow, horse, and deer skins as the main raw materials. It has a long history of being used as clothing material after being matured by tannic tannin tanning or chrome tanning with potassium dichromate.

Continue reading “What does natural leather include?”

How to identify genuine leather labels?

  • Genuine leather labels Feel smooth, soft and flexible
  • There are pores on the surface of genuine leather labels and irregular fiber on the back.
  • The genuine leather labels have the smell of leather.
  • Genuine leather labels have good water absorbability.

What is the function of leather labels?

  • Using on the garments, shoes, hats, or bags for decoration, leather labels make the products more beautiful, and also reflect their styles.
  • Leather labels can link different parts of the product, such as leather zipper puller.
  • Leather labels with logos play an annotation role for the brand of the garments, shoes, hats, and bags, etc.