Thought I'd x-post this here because I see a lot people who sell BIFL-quality leather goods using "Full Grain" as shorthand for quality but that's a bit of an over-simplification and one to watch out for:
Just putting this out there for those in this Sub who buy leather- much of the info makes the break down of what leather costs like this: *Full Grain= Most expensive (the best you can buy)
*Top Grain= A little Cheaper than full grain (still good)
*Corrected Grain=Even cheaper
*Finished Splits or suede (called by some "Genuine Leather")=Cheapest
The only one of those statements that I've found to generally be true is the last; finished splits can be found for as little as $1 per foot. I frequently buy both Full Grain as well as Embossed Top grain from SB foot (Redwing's Tannery) and the pricing is the same for either. I can also constantly get Upholstery type leather in either top or full for even less...I also have to buy Corrected Grain Black smooth leather for name badges and pay more than for any of the top of full grain I get from SB foot (because I tend to buy SB Foot's overruns).
I just had a supplier offer me a bunch of "Full grain that normally sells at $2.25" it was probably from a lower end tannery and probably "OK" quality, but were I to get full grain the cheapest I can get from Horween would be $6.85 (at 5000ft).
I say all this so that the community can realize that sometimes the simplistic explanations that get repeated on the internet can cause us to purchase something inferior while thinking we're getting the best. Try to see the leather your getting (ask for a swatch), see where it's made, and go from there.
Submitted March 27, 2017 at 02:46PM by nstarleather http://ift.tt/2naMolK
