| Leather is one of nature's most luxurious yet practical | | | | dyes, which shade or color the skins without |
| materials. One of the first things people do after | | | | concealing or obscuring natural markings or grain |
| looking at a leather bag is touch it. The way leather | | | | character. Some lower quality leathers, have been |
| feels to the touch is called the "hand-feel" or simply | | | | treated with a coating of pigmentation to help even out |
| "the hand". As a general rule, the softer the hand, the | | | | the color. Genuine, natural, un-pigmented and |
| better the leather quality. There are many influencing | | | | un-plasticized leather will breathe, thus maintaining their |
| factors that effect the quality of leather. Every hide | | | | original structure. If the surface of the leather has been |
| has textural variations related to the animal's genetic | | | | plasticized, as is the case for most lover quality |
| makeup, environment and food supply. The resulting | | | | leathers, the leather cannot breathe and may become |
| markings and wrinkles on a given hide, should be | | | | stiff and woody. Following, is a short overview of the |
| considered part of the hides natural beauty and | | | | best kinds of leather. |
| uniqueness. | | | | Napa leather: Originally, only sheepskin was referred to |
| There are numerous types of leathers and leather | | | | as "napa." However, in recent years, the word "napa" |
| treatment processes for tanning and finishing leather. | | | | has become an adjective meaning "soft," as in "napa |
| The leather used for making handbags, is a by-product | | | | cowhide;" this is really a misnomer. If it looks good and |
| of farming and food production. In the production of | | | | feels good, it is probably, but not always a better, more |
| leather, each tannery has its own techniques and | | | | expensive grade of leather. A napa leather, or sheep |
| recipes for creating texture and color variations. After | | | | lambskin, is naturally one of the softest leathers and is |
| the hides are tanned, dyed and finished as desired, | | | | closest in "hand" to a baby's skin. The best leather is |
| skilled craftsmen carefully select hides that match in | | | | full grain leather. The reason it is best is because it is |
| color and texture. Each hide is cut by hand from | | | | usually the strongest part of the leather. At the top of |
| patterns that represent various parts of the bag. | | | | the skin, or epidermis level, fibers are tighter together |
| These pieces are then sewn into a final product. | | | | and hence stronger. In order to be considered "full grain |
| Professional Leather cleaning is recommended when | | | | leather" the leather cannot have been buffed or |
| needed for leather bags. Never use traditional dry | | | | sanded on the top. Therefore, at the surface the |
| cleaning methods to clean leather products as cleaning | | | | leather fibers are most closely inter linked, and hence |
| leather differs from fabric cleaning in several ways. | | | | strongest. When any of these fibers are buffed |
| Unlike fabric, leather has natural oils that protect and | | | | (sanded) in order to reduce the number of apparent |
| preserve the appearance and life of a bag. Removing | | | | blemishes, leather's natural strength diminishes. Only the |
| these oils reduces the hide's suppleness. The | | | | best (least damaged) skins can be used for making full |
| chemicals used to clean leather frequently remove the | | | | grain leather. The more natural the dye and top |
| natural oils as well as the undesired dirt. These oils | | | | coatings, the more transparent they are. These |
| must be restored by a professional leather cleaner. | | | | transparent dyes are usually aniline. |
| The better the quality of a hide of skin, the less it has | | | | Only a small percentage of skins can be used to |
| to be treated. In a premium quality hide or skin, the full | | | | produce an aniline dyed full grain leather. Cowhide |
| natural grain is retained and exposed. One should see | | | | originating as a by-product from USA and Western |
| the "fat wrinkles," the natural markings, and the feel or | | | | European beef provides most of the top quality full |
| hand should be supple and natural to the touch. | | | | grain cowhide. This is because cows in most other |
| Transforming hides and skins into leather is done in | | | | countries are not as protected by pesticides and |
| three basic phases: pre-tanning, tanning, and finishing. | | | | enclosures. Brazil, for example, has large herds of |
| Whatever is done to a piece of leather after it is | | | | cattle, but their hides are marked with thorns, horns, |
| tanned is part of the finishing process. This may include: | | | | insects, etc. so that almost none of their hides are |
| dyeing, rolling, pressing, spraying, plasticizing, lacquering, | | | | used to produce full grain leather. Top grain leather is |
| antiquing, waxing, buffing, snuffing, embossing, glazing, | | | | full grain leather that has usually been buffed and has |
| waterproofing, stain-proofing, flame-proofing, or any | | | | originated from the top of the skin. Both top grain and |
| other post-tanning treatment. Full-grain leathers are | | | | full grain leather are considered "top grain" because |
| color-treated only by transparent aniline vegetable | | | | they originate from the top or outside layer of the skin. |