r/Leather • u/nstarleather • Jul 29 '25
Genuine is a broad term that encompasses all levels of quality, just like saying plastic or steel or wood...broad categories that can vary a lot. The idea that it's some specifically bad leather comes from the mostly correct assumption that when they don't give more info then you can assume low quality. Like if you see a sticker that or advertisement that says "real beef"...it's probably a good bet they're not giving you a cut of prime beef, but that change the fact that a prime cut of A5 wagyu is also still "real beef"...
It's a broad term not a specific one...and the other terms bandied about are also much broader than people assume and can also be pretty low quantity.
People and articles repeat that leather comes in these specific grades: genuine, top grain and full grain.
But it’s simply not true terms are inclusive...all leather is genuine, everything that's not suede is top grain and full grain is unsanded top grain.
It annoys me immensely that all the articles call these terms "grades" because most people think of grading as taking objective measures that would be the same regardless of the source: The purity of metals, amount of marbling in beef, octane in gas, etc...but leather quality and price is going to vary by tannery more than these factors and there are thousands of tanneries all over the world. Those terms talk about what is or isn't done to a leather's surface mechanically (splitting and sanding), nothing more. They don't even tell you the animal, which can have a much bigger impact on quality!
If you're saying "genuine" specifically means a bad low quality leather then I'm sure you've seen the other side of that coin: "full grain is the absolute best/the highest grade"
Both of those things are 100% false. Cheap crappy full grain exists...and there are products stamped "genuine leather" made with high quality full grain.
Exhibit A: SB Foot Tannery is the largest by volume tannery in the USA they are full owned by Red Wing Boots and they use "Genuine leather" to refer generally to all their leather, even those that are explicitly full grain like Featherstone: https://imgur.com/a/Tdtbjge
Exhibit B: Horween tannery in Chicago is probably the most "famous" tannery in the world...just search "Horween" on or . This is Horween's explanation: https://www.thetanneryrow.com/leather101/understanding-leather-grains
Leather quality is much more nuanced than terms like genuine, top grain and full grain can tell you... there are hundreds of other factors that go into tanning "good leather"...it's a bit like judging something that has many components, like a computer, by one factor and nothing else. What would would happen if you just maxed out one component on your PC and left the rest at the lowest level? Ram, hard drive space, the CPU, the GPU, monitor, type of hard drive and dozens of other things come together to make a good machine...the same is true with good leather. Remember when people bought cameras based on megapixels? Any photographer will tell you that's not an accurate way to judge.
You can view the Full Grain>Top Grain>Genuine hierarchy as a "quick and dirty" way to pick quality if you're in a hurry and not spending a lot of cash on a leather item.
However, those terms do have actual meanings that don't always equate to good quality:
Full Grain is a leather that has only had the hair removed and hasn't been sanded (corrected).
Top Grain is a broader term that actually includes full grain: It's everything that's not suede, a split, this means that full grain is a type of top grain. However, when you see "top grain" in a product description chances are it's a leather that's been corrected (sanded). Nubuck is an example of a sanded leather (often used on the interior of watch straps and construction boots because it's more resilient to scratches), but so is a much beloved leather: Horween's Chromexcel (it's lightly corrected). The amount of correction can vary widely but once the sander hits it, it's no longer full grain.
Genuine Leather is, admittedly, a term found on lots of low quality leather. That's because the bar for "genuine" is extremely low: It just means real. To a tannery it's all genuine. When you read the description for "genuine" that many online articles give, they're actually describing a leather called a "finished split", which is a usually cheap quality suede that's been painted or coated to look like smooth leather. Despite what is often said, bonded leather is legally required to be clearly labeled as such, in theory, you shouldn't see it labeled "genuine leather."
Put simply:
Genuine=Not fake
Top Grain=Not suede
Full Grain=Not sanded
Anything beyond that is an assumption.
The gold standard for getting good leather is tannery and tannage...everything else is easily exploited by meeting the minimum definition of each.
r/Leather • u/Super-Patience3629 • 13h ago
I have lost 90 pounds since December, and I have a ton of loose skin. If I get it surgically removed, would I be able to keep it? And if I was able to keep it, could I turn it into leather and make a jacket or belt out of it or something?
anyone know how to shrink these? ive been blowdrying them on low but no dice. theyre deerskin
r/Leather • u/SillyBrain23 • 55m ago
Hi guys, I recently purchased a goat suede leather coat and would like to protect it against rain and overall winter humidity and fog like weather.
Do you have any recommendations?
I’m not sure which spray protect to pick since some allegedly might leave a residue.
Thank you all
r/Leather • u/kissesforpiggy • 1h ago
Trying to source a leather face mask harness from Hellraiser 3, but any Google search with "hellraiser mask" in the title just gives the pinhead mask. Etsy is riddled with Ai now, unfortunately. Any leads on leather makers who have made/could make this?
r/Leather • u/raynethedark • 3h ago
Label says 100% leather and when I bought it they told me it’s leather but I thought leather didn’t peel like this? Anyone know how to fix/suggestions on what to do? Thank you!
r/Leather • u/Cranberry-Jo • 9h ago
Hi everyone,
I didn’t follow instructions, and I threw my new genuine leather jacket in the washing machine. I airdried it and it looks like this now. Is there any way to fix this??
r/Leather • u/leatherhoneyllc • 7h ago
r/Leather • u/CreativeDepartmentHQ • 4h ago
Hello Creatives!
I’m looking for Uber-talented artisans to collaborate with on custom commissions. Bonus points if you have experience mixing metal & leather. Saddle stitching preferred. Reasonable pricing and a collaborative attitude are what I’m looking for. Sample photos for reference of similar bags I’m looking to create. Preference for artisans who reside outside of the United States. Must verify work via IG. I will not consider Discord based artisans. Cheers and looking forward to connecting!
r/Leather • u/withabrandnewfunk • 16h ago
they sold it to me on ETSY. thin leather. really nice prints. had an inner "pocket" loved the stud closure.
r/Leather • u/Federal_Weather_7618 • 1d ago
I thrifted this amazing vintage antartex shearling jacket recently, have a week and a half from now to return, but when I was trying it on I ended up ripping it like an idiot 😭 any suggestions? Thinking to take to a leather specialist before considering returning it. Does it look un fixable?
r/Leather • u/thisusernamepetsdogs • 19h ago
Hi everyone! Yesterday I got caught in a nasty long storm on my way home and had to walk for quite a while. Unfortunately as much as I wanted to avoid the puddles my shoes still got flooded with muddy rainwater and once I got home I realised they smelled pretty bad, so just letting them airdry or stuffing them with paper towels wasn't an option of I wanted them feeling fresh again.
While they were still soaking wet I removed the laces, then went in and washed them thoroughly with liquid handsoap and a rough-ish sponge to really get the dirt and the smell out, and then rinsed them thoroughly under running water from the detachable showerhead until they felt clean, after which I gently pressed out as much water as many times as I could from the cushy parts. I then went in and tried to disinfect them with my AHD disinfectant spray, especially the soles and the cushions at the back. Lastly, I stuffed them with paper towels and left them under a running blowdryer on a cold setting to avoid heat damage to the glue for about 20 minutes (it was late at night and I felt bad for bothering the neighbours since I live in an apartment) which helped but didn't leave them dry, so I left them to airdry.
The next day, they're still somewhat wet and still smell like they did after the storm, although not as bad as before. I'm contemplating a machine wash but I'm hesitant since the nike website recommended to avoid washing machines, and mine is quite old, it sometimes even damages clothes let alone a pair of leather shoes that I don't want to ruin. Should I just keep repeating the same cleaning process I've done untill no smell is left or should I try something else? Maybe use a detergent instead of handsoap? The handsoap was my first thought because I was panicking and it was the closest thing, plus I've used it before successfully to handwash delicates.
r/Leather • u/notonmybus • 1d ago
How can this be clean? We’ve had this amazing throw rug for about 15 years! And it’s still lookin good except really dirty
Edit: see new post with new photos
r/Leather • u/notonmybus • 1d ago
How can this be clean? It’s woven with leather and suede strips. We’ve had this amazing throw rug for about 15 years! And it’s still lookin good except really dirty
r/Leather • u/Mint_Pie02 • 1d ago
These are faux leather boots I got and distressed a bit but they aren’t a dark enough brown (shooting for #543008 hex code).
The recommended process I’ve seen is cleaning a test spot on the boots with damp cloth and prepararing with leather preparer and deglazer like something from Angelus. Then apply acrylic leather paint such as dark brown from Angelus in the test spot. Then after applying a few coats and drying for a bit in between, seal it with matte acrylic finisher.
I’d love to test it but I’ve never worked with leather or faux leather in terms of changing the colors. Please let me know any advice cause I know this is a relatively large color change and it’s not real leather!
P.S. these are boots to go with a Renaissance Faire outfit so the distressed look is ideal.
r/Leather • u/Difficult-Injury3731 • 1d ago
r/Leather • u/dijitalblue • 1d ago
Need some brand and shopping advice from the community.
I'm looking to replace an old pair of leather boots that are beloved but falling apart. I used to buy from Red Wings shoes, specifically smooth black leather round-toe high top style boots, with a composite reinforced toe and speed laces. They were the most comfortable footwear I owned and Red Wings discontinued them. I've bought multiple pairs over the years but I'm bummed that I can't find suitable replacements.
The stuff I can find from Red Wings, Doc Martins and other brands I can find look more like athletic shoes with leather accents. I'm looking for something solid I can treat with neatsfoot oil and polish.
Does anyone have suggestions of brands or websites that would have something that similar?
r/Leather • u/zunk0wn • 1d ago
The one with the pattern is from 1991, the other one is 1997. They have seen some duty. I am wondering if how they can be restored.
r/Leather • u/Itchy1Grip • 1d ago
Inherited a couch that I would like to bring back to life. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
r/Leather • u/aqeelurrehman001 • 1d ago
