The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Leather Types

[@jacobo3551]

How thick is leather before splitting it?

[@Nonamenomad14]

It depends, the belly is really thin and the spine area is incredibly thick

[@Q.Q.]

I've never seen any of these "experts" do an adequate job of explaining the various terms as regards leather. Split leather: glued-and-pressed-together loose leather fibers/residue collected from processing. Fibers will easily come apart. Terrible quality, terrible durability. Generally coated with a plastic layer as a "top layer." Full-grain leather: basically, any leather that is not split leather. Top-grain leather: full-grain leather with top side (layer) intact. Suede leather: full-grain leather generally without top side (layer) intact. Rough-out side could technically be labeled "suede," but rough-out implies that the opposing side is the top grain/side/layer; whereas, suede implies there is no top grain/side/layer. Suede tends to be the looser, weaker remaining layer after the top-grain layer is removed for different use. This removed top-grain tends to be a thinner layer used mainly for aesthetic use than for purposes of durability. Top-grain used for durability tends to use the full hide. Sometimes, split leather without a plastic top coat will be called suede disengeniously. Rough-out leather: bottom (inner) side of full hide. Opposite side is top (outer) side (top-grain). Nubuck leather: sanded top-grain. Genuine leather: nonsense term. Could mean anything and nothing. Generally, term will be used when item is of some variation of split leather. No one using full-grain will tend to use this nonsense term which generally denotes poor quality. Synthetic, man-made, PU (polyurethane) “leathers,” pleather, etc. : synthetic, plastic-based material intended to imitate animal-hide leather.

[@nicksboots]

Hey there, we appreciate the feedback and we will take this into consideration for future videos.

[@SeeveJo]

Top Grain and Suede are split leathers.

[@markscott1658]

​@@nicksboots Please watch Bootlosophys description and breakdown of different Leather. He uses a Flipchart version of a Cross Sectional Leather Profile that has been available on U-Tube and the Internet for a while but nobody has previously managed until his Flip Chart version to explain the Cross Section with regards to the different Leathers in a transparent and succint manner. Bootlosophys version just makes it so easy to visualise what previous viewers could not accomplish when they attempted to explain all Leather possibilities from the flat single cross sectional image. Cheers. Mark

[@ABAHaipsAip]

I'm from indonesia, and I'm a shoe maker, I really like your shoes too

[@michaeldumais1784]

Great video. Love learning more about the boots I wear! Keep up the great work you two!

[@colinw2104]

Vegan leather......what a bunch of bulls*it 🙄 That’s just tailored to a minuscule amount of society for footwear. Hard pass! I’ll only wear and buy full grain leather PNW boots.

[@stevenkelby2169]

Vegan leather = rubber.